Closer to Truth . Ask the Experts . Agnes Day, Ph.D.

Why did you become a scientist?

I would always hang out with my older brother. He was older by three years. Well, he was the youngest of six brothers. And we would always go exploring and catching various insects and animals in the woods, and I would ask him what were they, and he would go to the library, take me to the library, and we'd figure out what was what. And so at an early age I started asking why. And it developed to the point where when I became introduced to the hard sciences in high school and college, it was right up my alley. It brought back fond memories of walking through the woods and finding out things on my own.

Whom do you most admire, and why?

Well, it's very hard to pick one person that had the greatest impact, but one of the people who served as an excellent mentor was my third grade teacher, the Reverend Mrs. Rosemarie Bryant, who, as she puts it, saw something in me that needed to be developed. I was the youngest of 13 children, and so she asked my mother if I could come and live with her, and she, in turn, would give me the opportunities that I wouldn't normally have growing up in the projects of Daytona. So she always pushed me to do the best that I could. She brought me up in a very Christian atmosphere, so I think I'm basically a good person. And she taught me a love of learning by her being my third grade teacher. So she is the role model that most comes to mind when I think of who put me really on the path of achieving and becoming more than I ever thought I could be.

Does the general public properly appreciate science?

“And so the public has to make sure that they keep abreast of new developments and actually ask questions, be aware, know what is going on.”

I think that the general public takes it for granted. Many of the general public, once they leave school, cease to think about science as it relates to them. But every discovery, every cloning, every creation of a new chemical or compound is going to in some way affect the general public. The public really notices when the new discovery is marketed, but not necessarily when it's discovered.

The expectations of the public are high. They expect, "Well, if you're a scientist, then you should know this." But they have to realize that just as when they go to a doctor and say they're not feeling well, they have to have some basic understanding of what is wrong with them in order to work along with the doctor to get better. The same is true with scientists. You don't see the scientists like you see a doctor, but they are behind the scenes making the discoveries that are then translated into improved health care, improved living. And so the public has to make sure that they keep abreast of new developments and actually ask questions, be aware, know what is going on, and how it's going to impact you. Most of the taxpayers' money is what's supporting a lot of the research that's being done here in the United States and abroad. And so you have an investment in the scientific discoveries. So you should really know how they're going to benefit you or hurt you.

What advice do you have for young people?

“It's not a me generation now. It's a global generation.”

Be aware. Be aware of what is going on, not only in your community, but also in the global community. You must keep abreast of current discoveries and where that's going to lead because it's your future that's at stake. By keeping abreast, you can also determine what career choices you might want to utilize, and you can also have information that could help your parents, that could help your classmates, so you have to be aware of what is going on. It's not a me generation now. It's a global generation.

How would you like to be remembered?

I would like to be remembered as a facilitator. I'd like to help people get things done. I was raised with the idea each one to teach one. Now it has become so crowded in the field of microbiology that one does not get that one on one interaction that we used to get. So now I've modified my theory to each one teach some. So as a teacher, I think I'm doing the greatest good by bringing in more young people in to the discipline of microbiology and molecular biology and cancer research.

What advice would you give to younger people?

For young women who want to go in to science, I say go for it. Go for it with all of your heart. You can have a family life. You can have a social life and still be a leading scientist. What you must get, though, is a role model, a mentor, that can help you not by getting you a job, but by teaching you not only the basics or the science of your job, but the politics of your job.