|
|
Dr. Jane Westfall, A Continuing Focus on Research By Anne Emig
When asked what projects she has been involved with since her departure from full-time employment in 1999, Westfall replied from behind piles of books and documents, “Well, I’m still working.” Since her pseudo retirement, Westfall has been involved in legions of projects, including a conference she helped to organized. She also presented at the conference, with help from a grant from the National Science Foundation. Raised in Lafayette, Calif., Westfall’s first interest in the sciences was in the field of marine biology, yet as an animal lover her interests soon turned to zoology. Westfall first pursued her degree track at the University of the Pacific, in Stockton, Calif., where she graduated with honors, earning a bachelor’s degree in zoology in 1950. She then earned her master’s degree in zoology from Mills College, Oakland, Calif., in 1952 after which she took her first position as a research assistant in zoology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She spent the following year at the Stazione Zoologica in Naples, Italy, as a Fulbright Scholar before returning to her native state to pursue a doctorate in zoology at the University of California-Berkeley in 1965. Westfall first arrived at K-State in 1967 as an assistant professor after spending two years as an assistant research zoologist at the University of California-Berkeley. Westfall was quickly promoted to associate professor in 1970, followed by full professor in 1976, the first woman to do so in the College of Veterinary Medicine. Although Westfall received an undergraduate fellowship at the University of the Pacific and a graduate fellowship while pursuing her master's at Mills College, she recalls a large disaccord between the support for males and females while pursuing higher education. “There was not a discrepancy in numbers so much as in competition for support,” she said. Demonstrating a common ideology of women at the time, Westfall said she was once told, “Why should I support a woman in graduate school when she will probably just marry and have children while a man will go on and pursue a career?” To Westfall’s credit, she was able to overcome these biases and significantly contribute to both K-State and the scientific realm at large. Over the years, Westfall has watched women in the profession advance in both numbers and rank. “When I first came to K-State, there were two women in the first class and that was unusual! Now it is almost 70 percent or more,” she said. Westfall has been instrumental in the advancement of women at the College of Veterinary Medicine--she has not only acted as an exemplary role model for young women, but has also provided funding for females in the form of scholarships. Westfall established the Jane A. Westfall Graduate Student Fellowship for Women in December 2002. Her main concern when she first arrived at K-State was that women did not get an equal chance to attend national meetings, prompting her to establish the scholarship. The scholarship provides financial assistance to female students in the department of anatomy and physiology who will pursue the opportunity to present research at the national level. It also allows them to get acquainted with members of their field. The recipients must possess a bachelor’s degree or doctor of veterinary medicine degree and have demonstrated academic capability of being highly competent in the field of research. Throughout Westfall’s career she has excelled in research as well as in writing and obtaining grants to sponsor her research. Her area of special interest has been the ultrastructure of the nervous system and lung. She has even built an electron microscopy lab at K-State with federal funding. Westfall was also able to apply her research tool, the electron microscope, to collaborate with veterinarians in the clinic to investigate pneumonic pigs and cows. She said she enjoyed witnessing an application of her research first hand. “It was fun to interact with the clinic and see living applications of my research,” she said. Like many other K-State College of Veterinary Medicine faculty, Westfall has experienced a great sense of camaraderie between members of the faculty, staff, alumni and students. Westfall feels this spirit is presently the best that it has ever been, and has seen it manifested in both collaborations and grants, as well as in fellowships for students. Another unique aspect of K-State that Westfall has noticed is the work ethic of graduates. The tandem of their work ethic and the education provided to students at the college generates a demand for K-State graduates among employers. Westfall believes that many employers seek out K-State graduates, as they are known for being honest, hard-working people. Westfall’s previous honors include: Brandly Writing Award, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, 1971; Phi Kappa Phi Scholar Award, Kansas State University, 1984; Graduate Faculty Award, Kansas State University, 1993; Elected to honorary membership in Phi Beta Kappa, 1994; Pacific Alumni Association’s Distinguished Professional Service Award, University of the Pacific, Stockton, Calif., 1995; and the Pfizer Award for Research Excellence, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, 1998. She participates in numerous professional organizations, has served on a lengthy list of committees, has supervised 13 masters, doctoral or postdoctoral research projects, and has authored or coauthored more than 150 scientific articles and abstracts. In addition, Westfall has received or been a part of grants totaling $3.66 million. In addition to her academic and professional involvements, Westfall supports many other organizations: she is a board member of the KSU Foundation; and a member and board member of Friends of McCain Auditorium, Friends of KSU Libraries and Friends of the Sunset Zoo. She is an elder in the First Presbyterian Church and a member of the Ten Thirty Investment Club, the English-Speaking Union and the League of Women Voters. Westfall has focused career energies on growing a positive history for women in veterinary medicine as well as the field of research.
Photo of Dr. Jane Westfall is courtesy of K-State College of Veterinary Medicine. Fall 2004 |
After
a long and prosperous career at the K-State College of Veterinary Medicine,
Dr. Jane Westfall, professor emeritus, department of anatomy and physiology,
has yet to satiate her appetite for research. Although retired in 1999,
Westfall remains as part of Kansas State University College of Veterinary
Medicine’s living history. Whether it’s through her research
efforts, participation in professional, academic or civic societies or
through her endowment to promote females in the profession, she continues
to mold and fortify the character of the College of Veterinary Medicine.