The fact that girls score lower on mathematics and science tests is one of the issues Kathy Burgis, Ed.D., Aquinas Associate Professor of mathematics, will address in her lecture "Gender Issues in Math and Science Learning." The talk on Tuesday, August 30 from 12:30 to 1:20 p.m., is in the Wege Student Center Ballroom and is free and open to the public. Individuals are welcome to bring a brown bag lunch.

In a technological society, mathematics and science are increasingly important in the workplace. Yet women continue to be under-represented in scientific and technical careers. In an age of "equal opportunity," high school girls continue to score lower than boys on mathematics and science achievement tests. Why is this? The president of an Ivy League university recently made headlines when he suggested that women may have less innate ability in mathematics and science than men do. The issue of innate ability in mathematics and science has been the topic of considerable research. There is also a rich body of research on gender issues in teaching math and science. This talk will present an outline of what we know (and what we don't know) in this area and also the implications for parents teachers and professors.