Pandemic takes a toll on gender equality

Focus on STEM careers

• Scott LaMar
  BioRecent Stories

  

  Scott LaMar has worked in both radio and television for more than four decades.
  
  Currently, LaMar is the Host and Executive Producer of The Spark program on WITF-FM, 89.5 & 93.3 in Harrisburg, Pa.
  
  Previously, LaMar was WITF TV’s Sr. Public Affairs producer and produced the station’s award-winning weekly public affairs TV program, Smart Talk.
  
  In addition to his on-air duties, LaMar has moderated political candidate debates, including those for candidates running for Pennsylvania governor and the U.S. Senate and was a regular contributor to BBC World News TV before and after the 2020 U.S. Presidential election.
  
  LaMar often emcees or moderates local events and has gone as far as California to emcee a national event.
  
  The American Society of Civil Engineers honored LaMar with their national Excellence in Journalism award in 2020. He has been nominated for five Mid-Atlantic Emmy Awards.
  
  LaMar and The Spark have been recognized throughout the Central Pennsylvania community including ADVOZ Lancaster’s “Dignity in Dialogue Award”, the South-Central Assembly’s “Regional Citizen Award” and was named a “Humanitarian Hero” by The Humane Society of the United States/Pennsylvania.
  
  A native of Coatesville, Pa., LaMar has also worked as a broadcast news anchor, sports play-by-play announcer and manager.

 (David Morrison/AP Photo)

FILE - In this May 2020 file photo provided by Eli Lilly, a researcher tests possible COVID-19 antibodies in a laboratory in Indianapolis. On Monday, Oct. 26, 2020, U.S. government officials announced they are putting an early end to a study testing an Eli Lilly antibody drug for people hospitalized with COVID-19 because it doesn’t seem to help. (David Morrison/Eli Lilly via AP, File)

Airdate: Wednesday, March 9, 2022

A third of the world’s researchers are women. However, women in Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics or STEM fields have been leading research into the COVID-19 virus, creating trackers and developing vaccines. Women also make up 70% of the world’s healthcare workers and first responders. That’s according to Dr. Bilita Mattes, the Chief Academic Officer at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology.

Women were underrepresented in STEM careers to begin with but Dr. Mattes says gains made by women may have been lost during the pandemic due to structural inequalities and barriers faced by women.

Dr. Bilita Mattes appears on Wednesday’s Smart Talk to discuss how the pandemic impacted women in STEM careers in particular.

WITF’s Careers That Work is an ongoing, evolving multimedia initiative highlighting workforce development in south central Pennsylvania. It is supported by Tech Link South Central PA Consortium for Career and Technical Education. Learn more at witf.org/careersthatwork.