Nebraska Women in STEM talked to Creighton University Associate Vice Provost of Research and Scholarship Dr. Juliane Strauss-Soukup about her path to leadership. Dr. Strauss-Soukup is Nebraska Cures’ 2024 Omaha Woman in Science honoree.
At 12 years old, Dr. Juliane Strauss-Soukup was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, and it sparked her passion for medical research. “I got really interested in what was wrong with me, and it’s all science. I got interested in chemistry and biochemistry at that point.”
Strauss-Soukup grew up in Plattsmouth, Neb., with math and science teachers in middle school and high school who encouraged her and provided opportunities to go above and beyond in her learning. Initially, she thought she would become an MD, but in college, she learned about opportunities to pursue a PhD and thought, “That’s what I want to do; the research rather than the treatment.”
Strauss-Soukup did her undergraduate studies at Creighton University and pursued her PhD in Biochemistry at UNMC. She knew she wanted to have a family someday, but while in college, she saw very few women faculty and even fewer with children. She became worried about being able to be a mother and a researcher, but her passion for research overcame her doubts.
When she came back to Creighton to be a professor and researcher, she knew she wanted to be a role model to young women. “I needed to make sure to always be open with students and talk to them about those kinds of things. I had one child when I got this job, and I wanted to make sure they knew you can be married, have children, and still do the science and teach.”