The Chillicothe Public Library s NEA Big Read starts Tuesday. Lab Girl is geobiologist Dr. Hope Jahren s autobiography, showing how her youthful fascination with plants evolved into a career in science.
Chillicothe Public Library librarian Catherine Barnett said organizers have planned several programs around the book. COVID-19 changes what those offerings look like, but also offers opportunities. It s been kind of unique in this season to take advantage of the virtual tools in order to partner with libraries that are more far-flung, she said.
That includes an online keynote address with Jahren herself on April 17, and a panel on women in science conducted by the Peoria Ag Lab.
'Lab Girl' Library Programming Explores Conservation Efforts, Women in STEM Fields wglt.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from wglt.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Dr. John Fonge, left, and Dr. Kelvin Wynn.
Racial disparity remains a problem in the health care field, with fewer Black men applying to, and enrolling in, medical school today than in the 1970s.
“When you look in terms of the of the of the number of the physicians in this country, only 2% are Black men. So that’s appalling,” said Dr. Kelvin Wynn, a practicing family medicine specialist with UnityPoint Healthcare. “Then when you look at medical school enrollment, back in 1978-79, the enrollment was actually about 3.1%, and actually in 2019-2020 it was lower at 2.9%.”
Dr. John Fonge, a practicing pediatrician with OSF Health Care, believes attracting more Black men into medical careers is critical to the community’s well-being.