14 TOWER | FALL 2023 Kutztown alumna Alexa Sicher ’14 knew from the time she was in kindergarten that she wanted to be a dentist – so majoring in biology in college was a given. Her story is not typical, however. Girls and women can often be systematically tracked away from studying science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), limiting their opportunities to go into these career fields – which include some of the most in-demand, highly paid occupations. According to a study by the American Association of University Women, reasons for the disparity include gender stereotypes that portray these fields as masculine, male-dominated cultures in STEM fields, and fewer female role models. According to the National Science Foundation, the STEM workforce in the U.S. grew by 20 percent between 2011 and 2021. The number of women employed in those fields also grew during that same 10-year period – but the number still lags behind the number of men working in STEM. Of everyone working in STEM fields, only 32 percent are women. On these pages are the stories of Sicher and three other KU alumnae who earned degrees in STEM fields. Their experiences reflect the ways that the university nurtured and encouraged them on their career journeys. FEATURE BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS KU ALUMNAE THRIVE IN STEM FIELDS BY VICKI MAYK Practicing the ART OF DENTISTRY When Alexa Sicher ’14 entered dental school after graduating from Kutztown University, she didn’t know she’d be making history. But that’s what happened in 2018 when she graduated fourth in her class, where women outnumbered men for the first time in the history of the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine. Sicher, who practices at Messersmith, Keller & Sicher Family Dentistry in Kutztown, set her sights on a STEM career from an early age. “I’ve wanted to be a dentist since kindergarten,” she says. “Ever since I got my teeth cleaned for the first time, I just loved going to the dentist. When we had to write on a piece of paper what you want to be when you grow up, the answer was always ‘dentist.’ It’s funny that it came full circle.” Sicher grew up just outside Kutztown. When she chose a college, she looked at several schools while considering the best preparation for dental school, and the Pre-Medical, Pre-Veterinary, Pre-Dental track had recently been introduced within KUs biology major, affirming her final choice. The track, now called Pre-Medical and Other Health Careers, includes classes in subjects such as histology and anatomy. She minored in biochemistry. “I found that in dental school, those specific classes really set me apart from my classmates,” Sicher says. “It made quite a big difference once I got to dental school.”
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