Michelle Pifer spends most of her weekdays with her eyes behind safety goggles, measuring out chemicals in a chemistry laboratory on campus.

Pifer, who is pursuing a teaching certificate in middle school and high school science in a field that has traditionally been dominated by men nationwide and at MSU - until now.

In fact, within the last 10 years, MSU's female enrollment in math and the sciences has closed the gender gap. And in some science fields, women are the new majority.

In 1995, 39 percent of MSU undergraduate students enrolled in math were women, and the chemistry department was 39 percent female. Ten years later, female enrollment in math reached 43 percent, and female interest in science also increased - almost half of MSU's chemistry students are women.

"Women are becoming a little more represented in the sciences," said Pifer, who received her bachelor's degree in biology at MSU in 2003. "There are women who were interested in science 100 years ago, but there wasn't the same opportunities available to them."

The issue has new relevance since Harvard University President Lawrence H. Summers angered the academic world in March by suggesting the country's shortage of elite female scientists might stem in part from "innate" differences between men and women. Critics accused him of saying that women are not genetically capable of doing math and science as well as men. Summers said he was misunderstood.

Many women, especially those in the technical fields, were upset with Summer's comment, including MSU Dean of Engineering Janie Fouke.

"What he said was unfortunate, but it allowed us to have a larger conversation," Fouke said, adding that the bigger issue that needs to be addressed is why there aren't equal numbers of men and women pursuing degrees in math and science.

Fouke said she can remember when she was a minority because she was one of only a few women attending engineering classes.

"When you're in a classroom and there are 100 guys and only two women, you're already unusual by virtue of being in the room," Fouke said. "Much of education is collaborative learning, and if you're not included in those groups, you miss out on learning opportunities."

But now, chemistry junior André Clay said he has always noticed the higher ratio of women to men in all of his math or science classes.

"Most females I've seen have accelerated a lot better than males," Clay said. "A lot of females are more focused than males, and that's a key aspect."

Falling behind

As girls move from elementary school through high school, studies have shown that they have a sharply decreasing interest in math and science. But the dying interest in sciences is no longer a gender issue, Fouke said. The U.S. as a whole is fast falling behind other industrialized nations in math, science and technical degrees.

MSU psychology Assistant Professor Isis Settles has spent several years studying the barriers women face when working in the typically male-dominated technical fields.

Nationwide, women are more likely to quit their jobs, even when their job performance is just as good as their male co-workers because of barriers such as a negative work climate, gender discrimination or sexual harassment.

The best way to counteract such barriers, Settles said, is to provide adequate leaders and mentors in both universities and the workplace.

Getting ahead

Both MSU and the East Lansing School District are taking steps to help break down those barriers with outreach programs designed to encourage both male and female students to pursue a career in science or math.

East Lansing High School biology teacher Susan Maher said when she helps her students get over any initial frustration they might have with comprehending schoolwork, it builds both their confidence and their interest in science.

"When they earn a high grade in the class, they get over that fear that they're not smart enough to understand this," Maher said.

MSU chemistry graduate student Melissa Meaney is a member of the Women in Chemistry Society, an outreach and support group for women MSU students.

Through discussions and activities, the group aims to both ensure that current MSU chemistry students earn their degree and to recruit more female high school and middle school students into the fields of math and science by showing them the different career possibilities that they can have.

"We let them know the options that they have and what's available to them," she said.

Amy Davis can be reached at davisam8@msu.edu.