Scientista Presidents' Circle - Meet The President! Madeline Ching, Mechanical Engineering, Tufts University
Meet Madeline Ching, the Scientista Foundation, Tufts Branch Co-Director
Tell us about yourself! Hey everyone! My name is Madeline Ching (Maddie for short). I am a freshman at Tufts University, and I am studying Mechanical Engineering. At Tufts, I play club volleyball, club ultimate Frisbee, and club Table Tennis. I also am involved with Tufts’ Society of Women Engineers (SWE) and am a Tufts tour guide! I love being at Tufts and living in the Boston area, which is very different from my home in New Jersey. I’m from a small suburban town about forty-five minutes from New York City and thirty minutes from the ocean. (But I’ve never watched an episode of MTV’s Jersey Shore, and I don’t plan on it!) I love reading, being outdoors, and spending time with my friends and family. How did you decide to get involved in your organization? During the end of the fall semester, I saw a flyer for “Scientista”. The foundation was planning to start a branch at Tufts University and was looking for a co-director. I love science (especially physics) and so I applied for the position. As I learned more about Scientista, I became more and more excited about the foundation. Scientista has a great mission, and I am thrilled to be a part of it. What is your favorite organization event? Since I am a freshman and have just joined Scientista, I have not had the opportunity to participate in any events, but am looking forward to attending many future events. I am involved with my school’s SWE chapter, and one of my favorite events that SWE did was “Speed Dating” in which underclassmen had the opportunity to chat with multiple upperclassmen about classes, internships, and general college life. When you are not being a Scientista, you are most likely… spending time outside! I enjoy playing all different sports (basketball, ultimate Frisbee and volleyball are some of my favorites) and am always up for pick-up games. I also just like being outdoors on a sunny day and will often sit outside on a blanket and read, nap, or have a picnic. Which woman in science inspires you the most? There are so many great women scientists, but one of my favorites is Jane Goodall. She is considered by many to be the world’s expert on chimpanzees which is an incredible feat. Goodall received criticism for naming the chimpanzees (rather than numbering them), but this action makes me admire her even more. She realized that chimpanzees are living beings and wasn’t afraid to conduct her research in a nonconventional way. I admire her success, intelligence, and determination. Why do you think organizations such as yours and the Scientista Foundation are important? It’s important to encourage women to continue pursuing science. STEM fields are typically dominated by men, but women have so much to contribute these fields. However, many women who start off interested in science don’t continue with it. They sometimes get discouraged or don’t have female scientists (or scientistas!) as role models to look up to. Scientista is important because it gives women the confidence, support, and resources necessary to accomplish their goals What do you think is the most important scientific research or discovery of today? I believe that finding the cure for cancer is the most important scientific research of today. Cancer has affected millions of individuals, including close family members of mine. Although I am so thankful for what treatments are available and how far scientists have come in battling the disease, I know that there is still great progress that needs to be made. It is important that we continue this research and work together to find the cure. Comments?
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