FALL 2023 | TOWER 15 She praised the biology department’s small class sizes and mentoring. “Because the ratio of faculty to students is so low, they can give one-on-one attention to every student,” she says, noting the guidance she received from her advisor, Dr. Matthew Stone, associate professor, biological sciences. Sicher says Dr. Anne Zayaitz, retired provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, was a mentor and role model for being a woman in a STEM field. At the time, Zayaitz was dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and is also a biologist. “I actually met her at the STEM open house when I was applying to KU,” Sicher says. The meeting led to an invitation to work in the dean’s office, where Sicher planned the STEM open houses held twice a year. Sicher’s other extracurricular activities included the Biology Club and being a health ambassador, which involved promoting wellness activities to students. While at KU, she completed a required externship that provided more preparation for dental school. She shadowed Dr. William Messersmith in the practice where she now works. He asked her to continue working parttime during the school year and summers as a sterilization assistant, helping to set up examination rooms and sterilizing instruments. That experience and her excellent academic record led to her acceptance to four dental schools. She chose the University of Pittsburgh for its reputation and a program that allowed her to do rotations in specialties such as endodontics, prosthodontics and a clinic working with special needs patients. She earned induction into Omicron Kappa Upsilon National Dental Honor Society, reserved for the top 12 percent of graduates, and the Northeastern Society of Periodontists Award. A mission trip providing dental care in the Dominican Republic during her training inspired her to continue giving back after graduation. Today, she regularly does presentations about oral hygiene in Mennonite schools. Sicher says her education has served her well in a general practice where she does root canals and extractions as well as more routine care. As a top student in dental school, she was encouraged to pursue a specialty, but prefers the day-to-day interaction with patients in general practice. “I’m a people person,” she says. She sees dentistry as an art form, allowing her to combine a lifelong artistic bent with scientific training. “I like the aspect of it that allows me to create an artistic masterpiece in people’s mouths. You realize that doing one small thing just changed a person’s entire outlook on their confidence and appearance.” I like the aspect of it that allows me to create an artistic masterpiece in people’s mouths. You realize that doing one small thing just changed a person’s entire outlook on their confidence and appearance. – ALEXA SICHER ’14 KU Symposium encourages interest in STEM careers KU’s Girls in STEM Symposium aims to change the statistic that only 32% of the STEM workforce is women. The community outreach event is designed to empower girls to consider STEM careers. In 2022, more than 100 girls from 10 regional high schools attended. The symposium included a panel of female STEM professionals as well as opportunities for attendees to interact with representatives from local companies to explore STEM career opportunities. The event is an expansion of KU’s successful Girls In Computer Science Symposium, which encouraged more first-year students to enter the computer science field. The event began to include all STEM fields in 2021.
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