Life on the Frontlines: One Woman's Evolution from Warrior to Diplomat

Why is it that many successful, intelligent women who surmount the numerous institutionalized barriers to study and work in science and technology ultimately leave? The first clue lies in the "war metaphor" in this paper's title. Although the overt discrimination that women in science and technology historically experienced has diminished, for some women today it still feels like a war zone. This paper chronicles one woman's battles in and out of science and technology in relation to three fundamental themes: (1) the male-oriented science culture; (2) the historical legacy of barriers to education and employment; and (3) epistemological and pedagogical limits. It is a story about a woman who went AWOL from science and technology to find a "both/and" peace in-between, and about how Women's Studies facilitated her evolution from warrior to diplomat.