According to their director, Dr. Angela Clark-Taylor, the Flora Stone Mather Center for Women at Case Western Reserve University is a community space empowering women and advancing gender equity through research, the Mather Center provides students with irreplaceable opportunities.
PPG Foundation grant supports women in STEM research program
Dr. Clark-Taylor established a deep connection to the Mather Center even before she accepted the director position in 2019. Her career was always focused on women’s centers and higher education, but she knew that the Mather Center was where she needed to be due to its comprehensive approach of focusing on leadership, equity and more. “The Mather Center is one of the largest women’s centers in the country and we continue to exemplify our mission of empowering women students who are entering STEM fields through social innovation and research-informed action,” she said.
How does social innovation come to life for the student researchers at the Center? Since 2016, the PPG Foundation has collaborated with Case Western Reserve University to support women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) studies through grants that fund research experiences at the Mather Center. While at the Mather Center, women students have access to a re-imagined, inclusive space that removes social and economic barriers placed by society and enables them to discover and explore their ideas that often benefit the greater good of the community.
Dr. Clark-Taylor shared the stories of past students, and recipients of PPG Foundation grants, who studied early childhood injuries and fourth trimester, or post-pregnancy, care. “Often times, there is a social aspect of the topics our students are researching,” she said. “At the Flora Stone Mather Center for Women and with the support of the PPG grants, our students have the space and community to explore and grow their ideas in ways unlike anywhere else.”
“Not only do we provide students a space to grow their professional careers, we empower our students to pursue every passion they may have,” continued Dr. Clark-Taylor. “This in-turn provides them with a unique experience tailored to each individual student and the path that they want to create for themselves. Through professional development, mentorship, entrepreneurship programs and more, our students are able to expand their minds through social innovation.”
A current grant recipient and member of the class of 2023 said, “I have made great friends through events, gained access to many great resources, and met so many great role models to seek advice from as I navigate college life and life beyond. I believe that the mentorship, leadership, and networking opportunities presented through the Center are wonderful attributes to my college experience.”
To learn more about how PPG supports programs that seek to close the STEM gender gap, click here.