Women in Science - Online Interviews

Majorie Ann Jones

1. Give a brief description of your job telling what you do, (a day in your life) but also what you do specifically in your position.

I teach Biochemistry (chemistry of living things) to undergraduate and graduate students at Illinois State University. In my classes, we use a lot of chemical facts as well as some math to help understand how living things do the necessary chemicial reactions to live. This is very interesting especially when we study how foods are digested and used by cells. In addition I do research on an enzyme involve in heme synthesis (heme is the molecule which makes the blood red since it forms a complex with a protein-thereby forming hemoglobin which works to carry oxygen to cells). This research is very interesting since we can ask experimental questions about what the enzyme does, how it works, what mechanism is used to do this work, how the enzyme is regulated and what happens if there is a problem with the system. My students and I work along side in the lab using biochemical techniques to isolate and identify proteins and various molecules involved in the protein activities of cells. It is fun but a lot of work. Additional information on my research can be found on the web site for Illinois State University, Department of Chemistry.

2. How did you decide upon your career? When did you know you wanted to do it and how did you prepare for it?

I decided to become a biochemist since I always wanted to know how things (especially living things) worked. I enjoy understanding how things grow and interact with their environment. I prepared for my interesting career by taking a lot of biology courses, chemistry courses, and math. I found that once I worked hard at the courses, I could understand the material and compete (especially with the boys in my classes who teased me a bit but did get used to it).

3. What is the best thing about your job?

I love the challenge of my job-trying to help my students understand the complex aspects of life-from a chemical point of view and I love to learn new things....the area of biochemistry is a rapidly expanding field and one that helps us understand genes (DNA), medicine, foods, and diseases...what a challenge and never boring!!

4. As a kid, what kinds of things did you do to prepare for this job? What books did you read or what things did you do that let you know you would like this field?

As a kid I loved to read (I still do) and read almost everything I could get my hands on-my parents took us to the public library a lot and we could then check out lots of books. My favorites are still adventure, mystery, and science books.

5. Was there any person (parent, teacher, mentor, professor) you felt influenced you to pursue this field?

Many people influenced my career; some were positive influences who helped me be confident and push myself to learn hard material; others were negative and said "why bother" but in a way, they made me think more about what I did want and how tough I am when I want to get something done. My parents, my husband (of thirty years), my daughter, and my three grandchildren, continue to be strong influences in my life and I enjoy my family as well as my interesting job.

6. What is your favorite quote?

My favorite quote:
"If one doubts the necessity for controls, reflect on the statement: It has been conclusively demonstrated by hundreds of experiments that the beating of tom-toms will restore the sun after an eclipse"
by E.B. Wilson in An Introduction to Scientific Research.

7. What advice do you have for young women who might be interested in the field of science?

My advice to young people who are interested in going into science is to try it and work step by step through the hard classes --do not be discouraged if it seems like too big of a task but enjoy each step and each challenge...I love the fact that each day on my job is new and challenging and I continue to learn new things while having fun.

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1.	Give a brief description of your job telling what you do, (a day in your life) but also what you do specifically in your position.
	I teach Biochemistry (chemistry of living things) to undergraduate and graduate students at Illinois State University. In my classes, we use a lot of chemical facts as well as some math to help understand how living things do the necessary chemicial reactions to live. This is very interesting especially when we study how foods are digested and used by cells. In addition I do research on an enzyme involve in heme synthesis (heme is the molecule which makes the blood red since it forms a complex with a protein-thereby forming hemoglobin which works to carry oxygen to cells). This research is very interesting since we can ask experimental questions about what the enzyme does, how it works, what mechanism is used to do this work, how the enzyme is regulated and what happens if there is a problem with the system. My students and I work along side in the lab using biochemical techniques to isolate and identify proteins and various molecules involved in the protein activities of cells. It is fun but a lot of work. Additional information on my research can be found on the web site for Illinois State University, Department of Chemistry.
2.	How did you decide upon your career? When did you know you wanted to do it and how did you prepare for it?
	I decided to become a biochemist since I always wanted to know how things (especially living things) worked. I enjoy understanding how things grow and interact with their environment. I prepared for my interesting career by taking a lot of biology courses, chemistry courses, and math. I found that once I worked hard at the courses, I could understand the material and compete (especially with the boys in my classes who teased me a bit but did get used to it).
3.	What is the best thing about your job?
	I love the challenge of my job-trying to help my students understand the complex aspects of life-from a chemical point of view and I love to learn new things....the area of biochemistry is a rapidly expanding field and one that helps us understand genes (DNA), medicine, foods, and diseases...what a challenge and never boring!!
4.	As a kid, what kinds of things did you do to prepare for this job? What books did you read or what things did you do that let you know you would like this field?
	As a kid I loved to read (I still do) and read almost everything I could get my hands on-my parents took us to the public library a lot and we could then check out lots of books. My favorites are still adventure, mystery, and science books.
5.	Was there any person (parent, teacher, mentor, professor) you felt influenced you to pursue this field?
	Many people influenced my career; some were positive influences who helped me be confident and push myself to learn hard material; others were negative and said "why bother" but in a way, they made me think more about what I did want and how tough I am when I want to get something done. My parents, my husband (of thirty years), my daughter, and my three grandchildren, continue to be strong influences in my life and I enjoy my family as well as my interesting job.
6.	What is your favorite quote?
	My favorite quote: "If one doubts the necessity for controls, reflect on the statement: It has been conclusively demonstrated by hundreds of experiments that the beating of tom-toms will restore the sun after an eclipse" by E.B. Wilson in An Introduction to Scientific Research.
7.	What advice do you have for young women who might be interested in the field of science?
	My advice to young people who are interested in going into science is to try it and work step by step through the hard classes --do not be discouraged if it seems like too big of a task but enjoy each step and each challenge...I love the fact that each day on my job is new and challenging and I continue to learn new things while having fun.