From Nature to the Lab: C.O.W.s and O.W.L.s Support Women in Science

Samuel Prien, Ph.D., doesn’t mind being called a C.O.W.

Actually, the acronym for the Champion of Women award from the West Texas Association for Women in Science, is quite fitting for Prien, who is both a professor of animal science at Texas Tech and professor and director of the clinical and research lab, the in-vitro fertilization lab, and resident research in the TTUHSC School of Medicine Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

“Being an animal scientist what better award could one get than to be a C.O.W.?” Prien said. “I am just humbled as I can be that the people that wrote the [nomination] letter would think enough of me to write that letter and that the committee would think enough of what I’ve done to think I’m deserving.”

The C.O.W. award is given to male Texas Tech or TTUHSC faculty and staff who have demonstrated commitment to the education, training and mentoring of women, as well as overall gender equity in science.

Whatever it Takes

Lindsay Penrose, Ph.D., a post-doctoral research associate, and longtime student and now coworker of Prien’s in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, said she and seven of her peers nominated Prien for the C.O.W. award because of his “whatever it takes” attitude when it comes to education and mentoring.

“I have seen not only what he does for his women students, but for all of his students,” Penrose said. “He always goes above and beyond.”

Prien believes success in scientific research and medicine isn’t about a person’s gender, ethnicity, etc. What matters is bringing unique outlooks to the lab table.

“I hope it’s not male or female,” he said. “I hope what we’re doing is now allowing a part of the population that has been somewhat restricted from participating in intellectual endeavors now to be part of the process, because the more brains that you throw at any problem, the faster you’re going to solve it.”

From C.O.W. to O.W.L.

Barbara Pence, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Pathology, received the Outstanding Woman Leader (O.W.L.) award from the West Texas Association of Women in Science.

The O.W.L. award is given to female Texas Tech or TTUHSC faculty and staff who have demonstrated commitment to the education, training and mentoring of women, as well as overall gender equity in science.

Pence said she is honored to receive this award and sees her work as an opportunity to give back to the educational community by expanding participation of women in a demanding, but rewarding profession like science.

“Women bring their own unique approaches to solving problems to the scientific profession,” Pence said. “By being scientists ourselves, we help promote our career choice to new generations of girls by serving as role models and mentors.”

In the future, Pence said she hopes to not only encourage women to pursue careers in science and medicine, but also to help women balance their time between home and the lab or clinic.

“As only one of those selected to be Outstanding Woman Leaders, our next task is to try to promote a better environment of work-life balance in scientific research so that the many young women who initially enter the ranks of scientific researchers, will continue and stay long enough to become leaders themselves and in turn influence other women,” Pence said.