Women in science

Bedford High School students Emily Eggert, Kristine Tom, and Christie Chiu won the Women of Science competition.

Through the efforts of seniors Emily Eggert, Kristine Tom, and Christie Chiu, Bedford High School recently won the Women of Science competition - on its home turf - for the first time in the event's six-year history. The students, however, weren't always confident of the outcome.

Around 11 p.m. the night before the competitors would race their mouse trap-powered boats, Kristine and Christie put theirs in a bathtub - and watched it sink. They had to start over, but managed to get a few hours of sleep before they went to school at 7:30 a.m.

The Women of Science competition tested participants' knowledge of biology, chemistry, computer science, environmental science, math, and physics. Seventeen teams of juniors and seniors from local high schools entered, with Lexington and Wellesley high schools taking second and third place, respectively. The competition was sponsored by the University of Massachusetts-Lowell, the Billerica-based Millipore Corporation, and Entegris Inc. of Billerica.

The purpose of the competition is to encourage young women to enter science-related fields. The event also featured two guest speakers: Dr. Cindy Chen, assistant professor of computer science at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell, and Annie Xia, an applications engineer in liquid subsystems at Entegris.

Kristine said she and her teammates were "extremely shocked" when they were declared the winners, particularly because the trio came in seventh place last year.

"We're all on the science team, which is also a lot of fun, but sometimes the guys take over," Kristine said. "It's nice when the girls get a chance to try everything."

SAFE AND SOUND: After working at a neighborhood pharmacy as a teenager, Harvey "Skip" Brandt of Belmont said he was expected to become a pharmacist. But after two years in pharmacy school, he realized it wasn't the profession for him.

Twenty-nine years after enrolling in the criminal justice program at Northeastern University, Brandt (inset) has been named one of the top 500 security professionals by Security Magazine. The list was compiled by assessing the implementation of technological advances as well as the effectiveness of management in improving the organization's overall performance.

"It's nice to be recognized by your peers," Brandt said. "That's the bottom line."

Brandt began his career in retail security and moved into hospitality security in 1986. He is perhaps best known, however, for co-founding the Boston chapter of the International Lodging Safety and Security Association. During his tenure as chairman of the organization, he helped develop IntelNet, an Internet-based information sharing network for hotel security personnel that has evolved to include state and federal law enforcement agencies.

For the last 13 years, Brandt has been director of security at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel & Towers. He is also a member of the American Hotel & Lodging Association's Loss Prevention Committee and ASIS International Lodging Security Council.

"In this business, it's important to understand what makes each division thrive," Brandt said of the hotel guest rooms, food and beverage production, and retail tenants. "You don't just want to be the guy watching for people to do something wrong."

LAW AND ORDER: As a professor at the Massachusetts School of Law (MSLAW) in Andover, Paula Kaldis of Dracut teaches juvenile law, family law advocacy, child welfare practice, and legal research and writing. Adding to her special interest in the impact of child sexual abuse, she recently co-authored a book chapter on judicial responses to the issue.

Kaldis contributed to the "National Children's Bench Book" by Ipswich resident Nora Sjoblom Sanchez, a lawyer and director of the Children's Law and Policy Initiative. MSLAW students Paula Joyal and Kristofer Munroe assisted in compiling the book chapter that examines the appointment of legal counsel for children in domestic relations and child dependency proceedings when there are allegations of child abuse.

According to Kaldis (inset), children's attorneys in every jurisdiction have disagreed over how best to represent their clients since the US Supreme Court decided in 1967 that juveniles are entitled to due process under the 14th Amendment.

"For child sexual abuse cases, I think it is important to keep in mind that, no matter what model of legal representation is followed, it is imperative for counsel to give voice to a traumatized child and to be trained in child development, the dynamics of abuse disclosure, and the use of experts," Kaldis said. "The involvement of knowledgeable presiding judges, experts, and others in [child sexual abuse] proceedings will ensure that the child is safe and is given a crucial voice in the proceedings."

People items may be submitted to Cindy Cantrell at cantrell@globe.com.