Approximately 50 female students from Deering, Casco Bay, and South Portland high schools will participate in the American Heart 
Association’s STEM Goes Red event on December 5 at the Maine Medical Center Research Institute. The goal is to close the gender gap in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields and to inspire students to become advocates for women’s heart and brain health – and to perhaps pursue careers in research and cardiology. These students may not be aware of STEM study-track possibilities and/or are challenged socio-economically to explore them outside the classroom.
Dr. Alicia Wilcox, who teaches criminal justice and forensic science at Husson University and is a Certified Law Enforcement Instructor at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy, will begin her keynote address at 9:00 AM. Students will then participate in energizing and interactive sessions with:
- Dr. Lucy Liaw is a Faculty Scientist in the Center for Molecular Medicine at Maine Medical Center Research Institute. She is also the Director of Research Training Programs and leads a research program focused on vascular disease.
- Dr. Alexa Craig is a Neonatal Neurologist and Clinical Scientist at Maine Medical Partners Pediatric Neurology where she focuses on outcomes of infants with opioid and other drug exposures in utero. Dr. Craig’s other area of scientific interest is in using therapeutic hypothermia in the treatment of neonatal encephalopathy. Dr. Craig has built a video teleconsulting service to evaluate infants for this treatment.
- Erin Austin is a Maine-based engineer who has served as the Regional Network Deployment & Operations Lead at Google Fiber, as a vice president at FairPoint Communications, and as the Director of Network Engineering at Verizon.
- Jamie Clisham is the Vice President, Customer Experience at WEX where she is responsible for the pricing and profitability strategy for the company’s North American fleet operations. Prior to joining WEX, Ms. Clisham was the North Atlantic Division Pricing Manager at Gexpro, and she was a member of the sales division of GE Supply.
STEM Goes Red’s national, regional, and local sponsors include: Macy’s, CVS Health, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, WEX, Unum, and Mainebiz.
About Go Red for Women
In the United States, cardiovascular diseases kill approximately 1 in 3 women each year. Go Red for Women is the American Heart Association’s national movement to end heart disease and stroke in women. Cardiovascular diseases in the U.S. kill approximately one woman every 80 seconds. The good news is that 80 percent of cardiac events may be prevented with education and lifestyle changes. Since 2004, cardiovascular deaths in women have decreased by 30%. Go Red for Women advocates for more research and swifter action for women’s heart health.