Women’s History Month: Min-Ken Liao says, do what you love

For Women’s History Month, we asked a few Furman University faculty members to share insight about their careers. Min-Ken Liao was trained as a bacteriologist, using genetic and molecular approaches to study the structure, function and evolution of a membrane protein. More recently she and her undergraduate researchers have used microbiological and molecular genetic techniques to study the genetic diversity of bacterial communities in streams. She is a member of the American Society for Microbiology, and she was the inaugural executive director of the Faculty Development Center. She also teaches yoga and mindfulness classes for students, faculty, staff and community members. Liao was named the Henry Keith and Ellen Hard Townes Endowed Chair of Biology in 2008, and in 2021 she was named the William R. Kenan Jr. Professor of Biology, a lifetime appointment. She received her bachelor’s degree from the National Taiwan University and her doctorate from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Q: What’s been the most significant development for women in your field?

A: Alice Catherine Evans was the first woman to serve as president of the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) in 1928. Over the American Society for Microbiology’s 123 years of existence, only 21 women have served as president. So, statistically, we have a long way to go. However, these 21 female presidents are not evenly “distributed.” We have more in recent years. I have been active in the society since I was a graduate student, and based on my personal experience, both genders are equally represented in microbiology for decades. Therefore, I would expect to see more female presidents in the future.

Q: Who has inspired you?

A: My undergraduate research mentor in National Taiwan University. He made me love science and he convinced me to pursue a career in science. He had a pretty impressive scientific lineage (his Ph.D. mentor was a Nobel Prize laureate) but he was always humble. He made me realize that science is the means and humanity is the meaning.

Q: What do you want people to know during Women’s History Month?

A: Find a good mentor. Having a mentor to guide in science and in life is more important than the gender of the mentor. My undergraduate and graduate mentors are men. My two teaching career mentors are men as well. All of them influence me greatly. And all of them care deeply about women in STEM, but that’s not the reason they are good mentors. They are good mentors to all who are of different genders/races/cultures.

Q: What advice would you give to the next generation of women pursuing this career?

A: Do what you love so persistence becomes a joy.