STP News Blog

Celebrating Women’s History Month

In honor of Women’s History Month, the STP would like to celebrate some of the great women in our Society’s history. Our women leaders inspire us every day with their strength and perseverance, paving the way toward a bright future. Throughout the month of March, we will share inspiring words from some of our women presidents: past, present, and future.

Dr. Emily Meseck
Past President of STP (2020-21)

“I believe the future is very bright for women in Toxicologic Pathology. As scientists, authors and leaders, women in the STP have abundant resources and opportunities to serve and to lead. There is work to be done in how we coach and assist one another; the opportunity to build cooperative peer networks and move away from a more traditional hierarchy of manager/employee or mentor/protégé to a more collegial framework of mutual respect and assistance. We each harbor unconscious biases for which we need to develop self-awareness and, hopefully, a supportive group of colleagues who can help us see what we may miss individually. There are real and persistent barriers to advancement, particularly to positions of senior leadership or Enterprise level roles for women and we need to do better as a Society and in our employer organization to support change in these areas.”

Dr. Darlene Dixon
President-Elect of STP (2021-22)

“In veterinary medicine, toxicologic pathology, and toxicology research the greatest joys of my career have been opening doors for others to pass through and mentoring. I have mentored wonderful trainees from the US and from all corners of the world who have become great research scientists, physicians, physician scientists, pharmacists, veterinary pathologists, toxicologists, and practicing veterinarians. I have equally taken pride in motivating and exposing undergraduate students from underrepresented groups to opportunities and career paths in the sciences and biomedical research. Sharing the joys of research as a veterinary pathologist and allowing early career scientists to become creative researchers in toxicologic pathology has given me great fulfillment. My life power words are ‘Positive, Peaceful, and Productive.’ My words of wisdom are, ‘Always strive to be Positive despite the negatives, Peaceful amid turmoil, and Productive in the face of many distractions.’”

Stay tuned for more women leader quotes in the near future...