Making Math a Plus for Girls

As a registered dietitian, Terri Lisagor must have a firm grasp on the basics of chemistry and mathematics.

How else, the Camarillo resident said Monday, would she be able to understand how an obscure Japanese plant can be effectively used as a high-fiber, no-fat replacement for butter and lard in cookies, muffins and other baked goods?

“All nutrition and food-science careers require a knowledge of chemistry,” Lisagor said. “And chemistry is really just mathematics.”

Lisagor and 32 other women are putting on a workshop Saturday that they hope will inspire girls to choose careers that require advanced knowledge of science and mathematics.

Studies consistently show that girls begin to shy away from mathematics and science in junior high. By high school, “math phobia” becomes even more pronounced, said Lisagor, a teacher at Cal State Northridge.

“Tenth grade is where it’s really evident,” she said. “Unless a girl has a really strong self-esteem and is not worried that boys will think she’s weird if she likes those subjects, she’s not likely to pursue careers that require math and science backgrounds.”

Put on jointly by local chapters of the American Assn. of University Women and Oxnard College, the workshop will offer a variety of sessions for sixth- through 12th-grade girls.

All 32 sessions will be presented by women in such professions as marine biology, optometry and engineering. The conference will begin at 9 a.m. at Oxnard College with a breakfast in the gymnasium.

Three morning sessions will be followed by lunch, and one afternoon session will take place before the conference ends at 1:30 p.m., Lisagor said. Admission is $6 in advance or $10 at the door, she said.

A free workshop for parents, titled “Career Choice: Exploring Options for Your Daughter in Science and Math,” will take place at 12:45 in Room LA-6, she said. For more information, call 642-7012.