My daughter, the molecular biologist

REGARDING HARVARD President Lawrence Summers's observation about his female children choosing dolls over trucks, I have another observation ("Summers's remarks on women draw fire," Page A1, Jan. 17).

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My daughter, who also chose dolls over trucks, grew up with many interests and explored a lot of subjects. She excelled in the debate club in high school and entered college with a major in government studies as her goal. At the end of a first semester course in molecular biology for non-science majors, the professor asked her to consider changing her major to science.

By the end of the summer of her freshman year she had made up her mind to be a scientist and graduated with a major in molecular biology. After receiving her Ph.D. in molecular biology last year, she is now doing her post-doc work at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the field of cancer research.

So much for rejecting trucks. It's not a very good indicator, Mr. Summers. Go figure!

KATHARINE A. MOCKETT
Lexington