Oral history interview with Judith Summers-Gates
- 2017-Jan-20
- 2017-Feb-06
Judith Summers-Gates was born in Hazelton, Pennsylvania in 1958 and grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her mother was a registered nurse. Her father was a hardwood floor installer. She had a younger sister and brother. She was born premature and was the only survivor of the ten premature babies in her nursery. The excessive oxygen in the incubator caused her retinopathy of prematurity, and she became low vision. Due to a bleeding disorder, she was not allowed to engage in physical activities. She went to a mainstream public school with no accommodation. Nonetheless, she was an active child who was engrossed in science-related activities. She enjoyed reading encyclopedia entries, growing hydroponic lettuce, building rockets, collecting rocks, earning a bird-watching badge during a Girl Scout activity, and using a chemistry set. Her mother died of cancer when she was seventeen, and she experienced her first episode of depression. After graduating high school, she first went to nearby Holy Family College with a scholarship. Later, she enrolled at Drexel University, earning a BS in Unified Science (a combination of Chemistry, Biology, and Physics) in 1990. During Drexel’s co-op program, she occasionally experienced double discrimination of being a woman and having a disability, but she learned to push back. During her co-op program at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), she acquired assistive tools and technologies through the Blindness and Visual Services (BVS). Also, she mentored other blind scientists. During her undergraduate education, the United States Department of Defense (DOD) hired her as a full-time physical science technician, and she tested textiles used in the military. Because she did not hesitate to be upfront with contractors with unsatisfactory products, she gained the moniker of “The contract killer.” Due to undiagnosed multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms, she needed to leave the DOD. While finishing her degree, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) hired her, and she became a physical science technician, primarily analyzing color additives. She also worked on making X-rays and similar types of tests, such as mammography, accessible for disabled people by creating a national database. She also promoted the rights of people with disabilities through her service work. For example, she worked with Virginia Stern at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) to create a directory of disabled people in STEM. After completing the FDA’s Leadership Management Development Program, she trained new hires, mentoring scientists with diverse backgrounds who otherwise would have been discouraged from pursuing science. She retired from the FDA in 2014.
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About the Interviewers
Lee Sullivan Berry earned a master’s degree in medieval studies from the University of Notre Dame, and a bachelor of arts degree in religious studies from the University of Pennsylvania. As a staff member in the Center for Oral History, Berry conducts background research and oral history interviews, edits transcripts of completed interviews, and coordinates with interviewers and interviewees to finalize transcripts. She was the lead interviewer for the REACH Ambler project and has presented her work at meetings of the American Society for Environmental History and Oral History in the Mid-Atlantic Region.
Jessica L. Martucci earned her master’s degree in bioethics and her Ph.D. in the history and sociology of science at the University of Pennsylvania. She is the author of numerous scholarly and popular works, including her book Back to the Breast: Natural Motherhood and Breastfeeding America (University of Chicago Press, 2015). She was the lead researcher behind the Science History Institute’s Science and Disability Project, which is part of her broader interest in understanding the mechanisms and effects of exclusion and inclusion in science, medicine, and public history.
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Interviewee biographical information
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Education
| Year | Institution | Degree | Discipline |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Community College of Philadelphia | AS | |
| 1990 | Drexel University | BS | Unified Science (Biology, Chemistry, Physics) |
Professional Experience
United States. Department of Agriculture
- 1980 to 1982 Physical Science Technician
United States. Department of Defense
- 1983 to 1988 Physical Science Technician
United States. Food and Drug Administration
- 1991 to 1992 Physical Science Technician
- 1993 to 2014 Analytical Chemist
- 2004 to 2006 Philadelphia District Consumer Complaint Coordinator
- 2004 to 2014 Philadelphia District Public Affairs Specialist
- 2004 to 2014 Philadelphia District Coordinator for State Programs
- 2004 to 2014 District Training Officer, New Hire Coordinator
American Chemical Society
- 1997 to 2017 Committee on Chemists with Disabilities
- 2000 to 2005 Chair, Committee on Chemists with Disabilities
- 2009 to 2011 Chair, Committee on Chemists with Disabilities
- 2009 to 2010 Presidential Taskforce on Implementing the ACS Diversity Reports
- 2009 Program Review Advisory Group (PRAG)
American Chemical Society. Philadelphia Section Philadelphia
- 1997 to present Member
- 2002 to present Board Member
- 2002 to 2014 Mentor ACS Scholar/Project Seed Student; ACS Speakers Bureau presentations
- 2004 to 2016 Philadelphia Section Councilor/ Alternate Councilor
- 2004 to 2015 Publications Committee
- 2004 National Meeting Hospitality Committee
- 2004 to 2014 ACS Peer Mentor
- 2005 to 2014 PAGES Program for Young Girls/Chemist in the Classroom Presenter
- 2006 to 2015 National Chemistry Week Coordinator
- 2010 Section Chair
United States. Food and Drug
- 2004 to 2014 Program Analyst/Assistant to the Philadelphia District Director
Honors
| Year(s) | Award |
|---|---|
| 1979 | American Association for the Advancement of Science Resource Directory of Scientists and Engineers with Disabilities |
| 2000 | Food and Drug Administration National Award for EEO Activities |
| 2005 | National Louis Braille Award for Service to The Visually Impaired |
| 2007 | Food and Drug Administration Commissioner’s Citation |
| 2012 | George Washington Carver Award for dedication and creativity in the advancement of Science for all humanity |
| 2012 | Federal Executive Board Gold Medal 2012 for outstanding customer service to the public |
| 2014 | ACS Fellow Award for outstanding achievements in and contributions to Science, the Profession and the Society |
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