- Virginia Trimble
- Meg Urry
- Jennifer Hoffman
- Jane Rigby
- Ginny McSwain
- Caty Pilachowski
I'm sure it will be a great discussion, so come on by!
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
AAS Meeting: CSWA Town Hall
Here's a plug for the CSWA Town Hall, on Monday, January 5, at 12:45-1:45 in Rm 104B. This year's session will feature a panel of women astronomers at various stages in their careers. The idea is to reflect on how far we've come and where we're going in terms of gender equity in astronomy. The panelists will be
I'm sure it will be a great discussion, so come on by!
I'm sure it will be a great discussion, so come on by!
AAS Meeting
It's late December. Christmas is past, universities are on winter break, and New Year's is just around the corner. It's a special time of year for astronomers in particular, because...
... next week is the AAS Meeting!!!
It's sometimes said that a year's worth of astronomy gets done in the last week of the year, and that probably isn't too far off. However, my poster is already ready to go, since I'm recycling one from a previous conference. But the conference I presented it at last wasn't a pure astronomy conference, so I'm not cheating, right?
I always find the January AAS Meeting to be overwhelming in size. It's hard to take in everything. Then again, if you compare the 3000 or so who descend on the AAS Meeting to the tens of thousands who go to the AGU Meeting every year, maybe I shouldn't complain.
I'm not alone in my feelings about big meetings. Science Woman feels the same way about the AGU.
Yeah, that sounds about right. So, on Sunday I'll be off to Long Beach, pre-displayed poster on hand, off to meet and greet. You know, it's funny, we women are supposed to be such social animals, always chatting with our friends and using our great communication skills. Yet, when it comes to the networking that leads to opportunities and success, we somehow get left our of the loop. What's with that anyway?
... next week is the AAS Meeting!!!
It's sometimes said that a year's worth of astronomy gets done in the last week of the year, and that probably isn't too far off. However, my poster is already ready to go, since I'm recycling one from a previous conference. But the conference I presented it at last wasn't a pure astronomy conference, so I'm not cheating, right?
I always find the January AAS Meeting to be overwhelming in size. It's hard to take in everything. Then again, if you compare the 3000 or so who descend on the AAS Meeting to the tens of thousands who go to the AGU Meeting every year, maybe I shouldn't complain.
I'm not alone in my feelings about big meetings. Science Woman feels the same way about the AGU.
It's not the science, it's the meeting (people). As DrugMonkey says over and over again, it's all about the networking.
So this AGU, my poster was the excuse to spend the money on the plane ticket, hotel, registration and food. (San Francisco is not cheap!) And this AGU, I did listen to some really amazing scientific talks and read some excellent posters. But mostly, I wanted to talk to the movers and shakers and rising stars in my subdisciplines.
Yeah, that sounds about right. So, on Sunday I'll be off to Long Beach, pre-displayed poster on hand, off to meet and greet. You know, it's funny, we women are supposed to be such social animals, always chatting with our friends and using our great communication skills. Yet, when it comes to the networking that leads to opportunities and success, we somehow get left our of the loop. What's with that anyway?
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Grand Re-opening
Welcome to the Women in Astronomy blog!
Yes, this blog has been around for several months already, but now we're going to dust it off, clear out the cobwebs, and use it as part of our effort to bring the Committee on the Status of Women in Astronomy (CSWA) into the 21st century, at long last.
One idea is to move the AASWOMEN newsletter away from an email distribution list to an RSS feed. Our first step toward doing that will be to post that newsletter here on this blog. We will also be posting other items of interest from time to time.
Please bear with us as we figure out this new-fangled technology. I already have at least one blog post formulating, along the lines of passion for science, and whether that's necessary or even helpful for promoting women and minorities in science.
AASWOMEN for December 12 & 19, 2008
AAS Committee on the Status of Women
Issue of December 12 & 19, 2008
eds. Joan Schmelz, Hannah Jang-Condell & Caroline Simpson
1. CSWA Website Adds 'Advice' Link
From: Joan Schmelz [jschmelz_at_memphis.edu]
2. CSWA Town Hall at the Long Beach AAS Meeting
From: Geoff Clayton [gclayton_at_fenway.phys.lsu.edu]
3. New Women and Minority Fellows of the American Physical Society
From: WIPHYS December 15, 2008
4. AWIS Educational Foundation Awards for Undergraduates
From: WIPHYS December 16, 2008
5. APS Scholarship Program for Minority Undergraduate Physics Majors
From: WIPHYS December 11, 2008
6. Postdoc Positions at Berkeley
From: Don Backer [dbacker_at_astro.berkeley.edu]
7. Tenure-Track Position at Columbus State University
From: Zodiac Webster [webster_zodiac_at_colstate.edu]
8. How to Submit, Subscribe, or Unsubscribe to AASWOMEN
9. Access to Past Issues of AASWOMEN
Issue of December 12 & 19, 2008
eds. Joan Schmelz, Hannah Jang-Condell & Caroline Simpson
This week's issues:
1. CSWA Website Adds 'Advice' Link
2. CSWA Town Hall at the Long Beach AAS Meeting
3. New Women and Minority Fellows of the American Physical Society
4. AWIS Educational Foundation Awards for Undergraduates
5. APS Scholarship Program for Minority Undergraduate Physics Majors
6. Postdoc Positions at Berkeley
7. Tenure-Track Position at Columbus State University
8. How to Submit, Subscribe, or Unsubscribe to AASWOMEN
9. Access to Past Issues of AASWOMEN
1. CSWA Website Adds 'Advice' Link
From: Joan Schmelz [jschmelz_at_memphis.edu]
CSWA is pleased to announce the implementation of its new 'Advice' link.
Often, certain issues regarding women in astronomy occur over and
over again. This page is designed to give some advice on these issues
from CSWA members. We are starting with the following topics, but
plan to expand this list and elaborate on the contents.
1. Top Ten Ways to be a Better Advisor for Graduate Students
2. Advisors, How Do You Deal with Student Tears?
3. Yes, Virginia, Discrimination and Harassment Do Still Happen
4. Advice on When to Raise a Family
5. Advice for Postdocs Applying for Tenure-Track Positions
6. The 2-Body Problem: New Advice for an Old Problem?
The advice document is posted at:
http://www.aas.org/cswa/advice.html
Our thanks to John Feldmeier, CSWA member and web manager, for
implementing the updates.
2. CSWA Town Hall at the Long Beach AAS Meeting
From: Geoff Clayton [gclayton_at_fenway.phys.lsu.edu]
"To know the road ahead, ask those coming back" (Chinese Proverb)
We are a century removed from the days of the Harvard Computers,
Williamina Fleming, Henrietta Leavitt, and Annie Jump Cannon.
Obviously, we've come a long way but where are we exactly, and how
much further do we have to go? The CSWA is convening a panel at the
Long Beach AAS meeting to discuss this topic. The panel will be a mix
of senior astronomers who have knocked their heads against the glass
ceiling, as well as junior astronomers who assume that the sky's the
limit.
Please join us on Monday, January 5, 2009 12:45 - 1:45 pm for a panel
discussion on how far we've come and where we go from here.
3. New Women and Minority Fellows of the American Physical Society
From: WIPHYS December 15, 2008
Congratulations to the seventeen women and four minorities who are
among the 225 new Fellows of the American Physical Society:
Peggy Cebe, Tufts University
Bulbul Chakraborty, Brandeis University
Christine Coverdale, Sandia National Laboratory
Elisabeth Guazzelli, CNRS-Paris
Anna Hasenfratz, University of Colorado
Ann Heinson, University of California, Riverside
Vassiliki Kalogera, Northwestern University
Qi Li, Pennsylvania State University
Alenka Luzar, Virginia Commonwealth University
Carmen Menoni, Colorado State University
Amy Mullin, University of Maryland
Giulia Pancheri-Srivastava, INFN Lab Natl of Frascati
Amanda Petford-Long, Argonne National Laboratory
Norna Robertson, Stanford University
Annabella Selloni, Princeton University
Leslie M. Smith, University of Wisconsin, Madison
Lucy M. Ziurys, University of Arizona
Pablo Laguna, Georgia Institute of Technology
Stephen C. McGuire, Southern University and A&M College
Sekazi Mtingwa, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Allen Sessoms, University of District of Columbia
Details on all APS Fellows and how to nominate an individual to
fellowship can be found at
http://www.aps.org/programs/honors/index.cfm
4. AWIS Educational Foundation Awards for Undergraduates
From: WIPHYS December 16, 2008
New this year! The AWIS Educational Foundation has re-focused its
grant giving priorities. New scholarships are available for
undergraduate women in science. Application Deadline: January 23,
2009. Click here for more information:
http://www.awis.org/careers/2009UndergradAwards.html
5. APS Scholarship Program for Minority Undergraduate Physics Majors
From: WIPHYS December 11, 2008
The American Physical Society is once again pleased to offer the APS
Scholarship Program for Minority Undergraduate Physics Majors. This
excellent, highly competitive scholarship program not only provides
funding to students, but also a great deal of student support. We
encourage all eligible students to apply right away using our new
online application.
Eligibility includes:
-African Americans, Hispanic Americans, or Native Americans
-High school seniors, college freshmen or sophomores
-US citizens or permanent legal residents
-Physics majors and those planning to major in physics
Award:
-$2,000 for new students, and $3,000 for renewal students
-A local physics mentor
-An APS physics mentor
To Apply:
-Check out the new, easy-to-use online application.
-www.aps.org/programs/minorities/honors/scholarship/
-Deadline: February 6, 2009. The online application form must be
completed and all supporting documents must be postmarked by the
deadline date
Questions? Email minorityscholarship_at_aps.org
6. Postdoc Positions at Berkeley
From: Don Backer [dbacker_at_astro.berkeley.edu]
The following postdoctoral positions will be open until filled:
members.aas.org/JobReg/JobDetailPage.cfm?JobID=25192
This is position that Joeri van Leeuwen held. Requirement is
involvement with the ALFA pulsar search program that ranges from
acquiring data, to searches with supercomputing resources, to follow-
up. We started a pulsar program at the Allen Telescope Array, and
have about $50k for a small compute cluster there to do real-time
signal processing of phased array beam, which Joeri & visiting
student Peter MacMahon started.
members.aas.org/JobReg/JobDetailPage.cfm?JobID=25194
This position is to conduct next steps with PAPER experiment whose
goal is detection of power spectrum of 21cm brightness temperature
fluctuations during epoch of reionization. Effort involves fieldwork,
analysis development using AIPY and other software toolkits, possibly
real-time imaging/calibration, could include use of array for
transient source discovery.
7. Tenure-Track Position at Columbus State University
From: Zodiac Webster [webster_zodiac_at_colstate.edu]
The Department of Chemistry and Geology at Columbus State University
invites applications for a full-time, tenure-track appointment at the
level of Assistant Professor to begin teaching in August 2009.
Teaching duties will include courses and laboratories for
introductory Physics, Physical Science for elementary school
teachers, and courses to support the Physics minor and proposed Earth
and Space Science degree. Candidates must be committed to quality
teaching; continued scholarly and instructional development; and
active involvement with recruiting, educational outreach, and other
service duties. Applicants should hold a doctorate degree in Physics
Education, Physics, Astrophysics, or related field by the time of
appointment.
Review of complete applications will begin January 20, 2009.
Applicants should submit all of the following: a letter of interest,
a curriculum vitae, a statement of teaching philosophy, a statement
of research interests applicable to a primarily undergraduate
institution, a reprint of a recent publication(s), unofficial
transcripts, and evidence of successful teaching experience.
Applicants should arrange for letters from at least three references
who may be contacted. Applications may be submitted electronically to
williams_rosa_at_colstate.edu, or by mail to: Chair, Physics Science
Search Committee, Department of Chemistry and Geology, Columbus State
University, 4225 University Avenue, Columbus, GA 31907. Applicants
must provide official transcripts at the time of interview.
Minorities and women are encouraged to apply. Columbus State
University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. See
full details about this position at
8. How to Submit, Subscribe, or Unsubscribe to AASWOMEN
[Please remember to replace "_at_" in the below e-mail addresses.]
To submit to AASWOMEN: send email to aaswomen_at_aas.org
All material sent to that address will be posted unless you tell us
otherwise (including your email address).
To subscribe or unsubscribe to AASWOMEN go to
http://lists.aas.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/aaswomen and fill out
the form.
If you experience any problems, please email itdept_at_aas.org
9. Access to Past Issues of AASWOMEN
Past issues of AASWOMEN are available at
http://www.aas.org/cswa/AASWOMEN.html
Each annual summary includes an index of topics covered.
AASWList mailing list
AASWList@aas.org
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
AASWomen for June 27, 2008
AAS Committee on the Status of Women
Issue of June 28, 2008
eds. Joan Schmelz, Hannah Jang-Condell & Caroline Simpson
Issue of June 28, 2008
eds. Joan Schmelz, Hannah Jang-Condell & Caroline Simpson
This week's issues:
1. Gender Issues In Science/Math Education
2. Celebrate Women In Physics Poster
3. MIT'S Midcareer Acceleration Program
*** FOLLOWING POSITIONS WERE TAKEN FROM WIPHYS ***
4. Two-Year Half-Research Half-Teaching Post-Doc
5. Postdoctoral Fellowship Program For Recent PHDs, University Of
Michigan
6. How to Submit, Subscribe, or Unsubscribe to AASWOMEN
7. Access to Past Issues of AASWOMEN
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. GENDER ISSUES IN SCIENCE/MATH EDUCATION
From: WIPHYS, June 17, 2008
"Gender Issues in Science/Math Education (GISME)" [Hake & Mallow
(2008)].
This 11.8 MB compilation of over 700 annotated references and 1000
hot-linked URL's provides a window into the vast literature on Gender
Issues in Science/Math Education. The present listing is an update,
expansion, and generalization of the earlier 0.23 MB "Gender Issues
in Physics/Science Education (GIPSE)" by Mallow & Hake (2002).
Of course, Jeffry Mallow and I would be very interested in any
comments any of you might care to make on GISME.
To access GISME, please click on
<http://www.physics.indiana.edu/~hake>, scroll to item 55, and then
click on [GISME-5k-Part1.pdf] for Part 1 and [GISME-5k-Part2.pdf] for
Part 2.
The earlier "Gender Issues in Physics/Science Education (GIPSE)"
[Mallow & Hake (2002)] can be found on the APS website
http://www.aps.org/programs/women/resources/gender.cfm
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. CELEBRATE WOMEN IN PHYSICS POSTER
From: WIPHYS, June 23, 2008
CSWP has a new Celebrate Women in Physics Poster! This full-color
poster http://www.aps.org/programs/women/index.cfm highlights women
physicists actively pursuing their work. The poster is 16 inches x 20
inches and fits easily on a door or bulletin board. To order, please
send an email to women_at_aps.org and include your full mailing address.
We reserve the right to limit quantities.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. MIT'S MIDCAREER ACCELERATION PROGRAM
From: WIPHYS, June 23, 2008
Information Session - July 2, 2008. MIT's Midcareer Acceleration Program
(MAP) is designed to help students sharpen the skills essential to
prepare for career reentry, for those who left the workforce and now
wish to return, and career retooling, for those who want to prepare for
a challenging new position or transition into a new industry. The
program incorporates career and personal development, a semester-long
MIT course, and an internship or research project.
Please join us for our last information session of the year. The
information session will be an overview of MAP, including a
discussion of:
* the goals of the program,
* experiences of the people who participated in the program,
* resources available at MIT, and
* support available to you while going through the program.
To RSVP for the July 2 information session, please submit your
request here: http://midcareer.mit.edu/?source=map1 . If you or someone
you know could benefit from this program, please review the MAP program
website, read the profiles, and take a look at the program curriculum
to learn more. http://midcareer.mit.edu/?source=map1
If you will be unable to make the July 2 Info Session but still wish
to discuss how this program may work for your unique situation,
please email Midcareer_at_mit.edu with your request.
Dawna S. Levenson
Associate Director, Academic Programs
MIT Professional Education Programs
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
4. Two-Year Half-Research Half-Teaching Post-Doc
From: WIPHYS, June 27, 2008
The College of Wooster invites applications for a two-year Post-
Doctoral Research position in physics beginning August 2008 or
January 2009. This position will involve half-time research and half-
time teaching. The qualified candidate will typically teach one
course and one lab each semester, have the opportunity to guide
student research, and conduct research in collaboration with our
departmental faculty. This position supports recent PhDs
transitioning from graduate school to permanent academic positions
and provides mentoring in both teaching and the development of an
independent research program. Teaching opportunities include both our
introductory and advanced courses. PhD in physics or related field
expected.
Our department is an inclusive community that emphasizes cooperation
over competition. A June 2004 report by the American Institute of
Physics lists our department in a short table of physics programs
with high student satisfaction and high bachelor's degree production.
Our physics club has won national awards for its elementary school
outreach program. Our NSF-REU summer program has attracted students
from 18 states and 37 institutions to work closely with faculty on
research projects. Each Wooster student completes a yearlong senior
thesis project in our nationally recognized senior capstone program.
Wooster ranks in the top 3 percent nationally as the baccalaureate
origin of PhDs when compared with other 4-year institutions.
Send cover letter, CV, unofficial graduate transcripts, and three
letters of recommendation to Dr. John Lindner, Physics Chair, at
JLindner_at_Wooster.edu. Consideration of applications will begin
immediately and will continue until the position is filled.
The College of Wooster is an independent college of the liberal arts
and sciences with a commitment to excellence in undergraduate
education. The College values diversity, strives to attract qualified
women and minority candidates, and encourages individuals belonging
to these groups to apply. Wooster seeks to ensure diversity by its
policy of employing persons without regard to age, sex, color, race,
creed, religion, national origin, disability, veteran status, sexual
orientation, or political affiliation. The College of Wooster is an
Equal Opportunity/ Affirmative Action Employer. Employment is subject
to federal laws requiring verification of identity and legal right to
work in the United States as required by the Immigration Reform and
Control Act. Drug-free workplace.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
5. Postdoctoral Fellowship Program For Recent PHDs, University Of
Michigan
From: WIPHYS, June 27, 2008
The Michigan Society of Fellows invites applications to its postdoctoral
fellowship program for recent PhDs in the humanities, arts, sciences,
and professions. These three-year positions at the University of
Michigan are open to recent PhDs who wish to pursue research
opportunities while teaching at a major research university. Eight
fellowships are available, with an annual stipend of $51,500. Four of
these fellowships will be awarded in the humanities, with the support of
the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Applications must be submitted
electronically by midnight September 30, 2008. The online application
is available at www.rackham.umich.edu/Faculty/sof.html. Questions may be
submitted to society.of.fellows_at_umich.edu
Myron Campbell
Chair, Physics Department
University of Michigan
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
6. How to Submit, Subscribe, or Unsubscribe to AASWOMEN
[Please remember to replace "_at_" in the below e-mail addresses.]
To submit to AASWOMEN:
send email to aaswomen_at_aas.org
All material sent to that address will be posted unless you tell us
otherwise (including your email address).
To subscribe or unsubscribe to AASWOMEN
go to http://lists.aas.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/aaswomen
and fill out the form.
If you experience any problems, please email itdept_at_aas.org
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
7. Access to Past Issues of AASWOMEN
Past issues of AASWOMEN are available at
http://www.aas.org/cswa/AASWOMEN.html
Each annual summary includes an index of topics covered.
Monday, June 23, 2008
AASWOMEN for June 20, 2008
AAS Committee on the Status of Women
Issue of June 20, 2008
eds. Joan Schmelz, Hannah Jang-Condell & Caroline Simpson
This week's issues:
1. Culture, Gender and Math
2. Gender Issues in Math/Science Education
3. How to Submit, Subscribe, or Unsubscribe to AASWOMEN
4. Access to Past Issues of AASWOMEN
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Culture, Gender and Math
From: John Parejko [parejkoj_at_drexel.edu]
This article on the math and reading scores of girls in different
countries might be of interest to the list. Short summary: 15 year
old girls do better compared to boys, in both math and reading (as
measured by the Programme for International Student Assessment), in
countries that are more gender equal (as measured by the UN and World
Economic Forum's Gender Gap Index). In the countries with the highest
levels of gender equality, the "math gender gap" essentially
disappears.
Another take away point is that, apparently, girls are better than
boys, in both math and reading, in Iceland...
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. Gender Issues in Math/Science Education
From: WIPHYS of June 17, 2008
WIPHYS [and AASWOMEN] subscribers might be interested in "Gender
Issues in Science/Math Education (GISME)" [Hake & Mallow (2008)].
This 11.8 MB compilation of over 700 annotated references and 1000
hot-linked URL's provides a window into the vast literature on Gender
Issues in Science/Math Education. The present listing is an update,
expansion, and generalization of the earlier 0.23 MB "Gender Issues
in Physics/Science Education (GIPSE)" by Mallow & Hake (2002).
Of course, Jeffry Mallow and I would be very interested in any
comments any of you might care to make on GISME.
To access GISME, please click on
< http://www.physics.indiana.edu/~hake >, scroll to item 55, and then
click on [GISME-5k-Part1.pdf] for Part 1 and [GISME-5k-Part2.pdf] for
Part 2.
The earlier "Gender Issues in Physics/Science Education (GIPSE)"
[Mallow & Hake (2002)] can be found on the APS website
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. How to Submit, Subscribe, or Unsubscribe to AASWOMEN
[Please remember to replace "_at_" in the below e-mail addresses.]
To submit to AASWOMEN:
send email to aaswomen_at_aas.org
All material sent to that address will be posted unless you tell us
otherwise (including your email address).
To subscribe or unsubscribe to AASWOMEN
and fill out the form.
If you experience any problems, please email itdept_at_aas.org
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
4. Access to Past Issues of AASWOMEN
Past issues of AASWOMEN are available at
Each annual summary includes an index of topics covered.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Having children in grad school
A friend of mine sent me this article about women who decided to have children during graduate school. It being the Boston Globe, they naturally stuck to Boston area schools.
Having gone to a Boston area school for grad school and having had both my kids during my years there, naturally this article resonated with me. For me, having my kids during grad school made a lot of sense. As the article says:
However, that isn't to say that it was easy. Heck, having kids is never easy, period.
These are concerns that will never go away. Here I am, in my second postdoc, still wondering if I'll land another job. I am constantly torn by wanting to be both a good researcher and a good mother. And really, it doesn't matter when you have kids -- you will inevitably feel this sense of divided loyalties.
On a side note, I have to wonder why men never seem to have to face these issues. Sure, they don't have to deal with pregnancy and post-partum recovery, but surely they worry about childcare issues, too. Surely they love their children just as much as women do. Is it because they aren't allowed to admit how much they care? Is it because they delegate all that responsibility to the mothers? Is it because a mother who delegates that responsibility to the father is by definition a bad mother? Anyway, back to the main story...
There's a ray of hope:
That's awesome. I'm glad to see a prestigious school like Harvard setting an example by making it easier for grad students to have children.
However, I argue that this isn't enough. Most of my peers in graduate school weren't even married. Not that that necessarily precludes having children, but being in a stable, long-term relationship helps immensely. Not to mention that having children on solely a grad student stipend is financially infeasible. In fact, in astronomy at least, the prime child-bearing years seem to coincide precisely with the post-doc years.
What sort of policies does Harvard have in place for allowing their postdocs to take time off to have children? Does it make childcare arrangements accessible to postdocs? What provisions do the Hubble/Chandra/Spitzer Fellowships allow for maternity/paternity leave? How do hiring committees view publication gaps: is it better or worse to mention children?
The US already lags far behind most industrialized nations in terms of laws protecting maternity/paternity leave. The academic community could do a lot to make things better.
Having gone to a Boston area school for grad school and having had both my kids during my years there, naturally this article resonated with me. For me, having my kids during grad school made a lot of sense. As the article says:
Some women say having a child during graduate school is appealing because their schedules offer flexibility. They figure potential employers won't be concerned with how long it took them to get their dissertation done. And they know once they get hired as postdoctorates, they'll be too busy trying to get articles published in high-quality journals to have a child.
However, that isn't to say that it was easy. Heck, having kids is never easy, period.
"They want to know how this can work," Jaschik said. "They're trying to figure out: 'If I have a kid, am I never going to finish my dissertation? Will I never have a job?' "
...
"I want to have a career. I want to finish this," Mazmanian said. "At the same time, I love being a mom."
These are concerns that will never go away. Here I am, in my second postdoc, still wondering if I'll land another job. I am constantly torn by wanting to be both a good researcher and a good mother. And really, it doesn't matter when you have kids -- you will inevitably feel this sense of divided loyalties.
On a side note, I have to wonder why men never seem to have to face these issues. Sure, they don't have to deal with pregnancy and post-partum recovery, but surely they worry about childcare issues, too. Surely they love their children just as much as women do. Is it because they aren't allowed to admit how much they care? Is it because they delegate all that responsibility to the mothers? Is it because a mother who delegates that responsibility to the father is by definition a bad mother? Anyway, back to the main story...
There's a ray of hope:
[A student committee at the Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences] recommended that the school adopt a policy that would provide child-care assistance. It also recommended that Harvard let students take up to a one-year leave to care for a baby by enabling them to stop the clock on their dissertations, keep their health insurance, receive stipends, and, upon their return to school, provide them flexibility in course work and teaching positions.
That's awesome. I'm glad to see a prestigious school like Harvard setting an example by making it easier for grad students to have children.
However, I argue that this isn't enough. Most of my peers in graduate school weren't even married. Not that that necessarily precludes having children, but being in a stable, long-term relationship helps immensely. Not to mention that having children on solely a grad student stipend is financially infeasible. In fact, in astronomy at least, the prime child-bearing years seem to coincide precisely with the post-doc years.
What sort of policies does Harvard have in place for allowing their postdocs to take time off to have children? Does it make childcare arrangements accessible to postdocs? What provisions do the Hubble/Chandra/Spitzer Fellowships allow for maternity/paternity leave? How do hiring committees view publication gaps: is it better or worse to mention children?
The US already lags far behind most industrialized nations in terms of laws protecting maternity/paternity leave. The academic community could do a lot to make things better.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
From the NY Times May 20, 2008
Girls’ Gains Have Not Cost Boys, Report Says
The American Association of University Women, whose 1992 report on how girls are shortchanged in the classroom caused a national debate over gender equity, has turned its attention to debunking the idea of a “boys’ crisis.”
“Girls’ gains have not come at boys’ expense,” says a new report by the group, to be released on Tuesday in Washington.
Echoing research released two years ago by the American Council on Education and other groups, the report says that while girls have for years graduated from high school and college at a higher rate than boys, the largest disparities in educational achievement are not between boys and girls, but between those of different races, ethnicities and income levels.
In examining a range of standardized test scores, the report finds some intriguing nuggets about the interplay of family income, race, ethnicity and academic performance. For example, it finds that while boys generally outperform girls on both the math and verbal parts of the SAT, the male advantage on the verbal test is consistent only among low-income students, and that among black students, there was no consistent advantage by sex from 1994 to 2004.
And while boys of all races and ethnicities generally outscored girls of the same group on the math section, the gap by sex for black students was only about half as large as other groups.
The report points out that a greater proportion of men and women than ever before are graduating from high school and earning college degrees. But, it says, “perhaps the most compelling evidence against the existence of a boys’ crisis is that men continue to outearn women in the workplace.”
Linda Hallman, who became executive director of the university women’s group in January, when the work was well under way, said the report was an effort to refocus attention on what she said were the real problems of education for poor and minority children, and away from a distracting debate about a so-called boys’ crisis. Ms. Hallman said the group’s members were concerned about arguments by conservative commentators that boys had become disadvantaged and were being discriminated against in schools intended to favor girls.
“Many people remain uncomfortable with the educational and professional advances of girls and women, especially when they threaten to outdistance their male peers,” the report says , citing Christina Hoff Sommers’s 2000 book, “The War Against Boys: How Misguided Feminism is Harming Our Young Men.”
Ms. Hallman said, “To have this distracter out there, about the boys’ crisis, took away from our mission, from pushing forward for what we were trying to achieve, which is to be a leader in dealing with the education crisis that affects girls and boys without many resources.”
The report may provide new fodder in the battle over whether boys and girls need different methods of teaching.
“There’s still a lot of debate about whether there’s something we should be doing differently in teaching boys and girls,” said Sara Mead, a senior research fellow at the New America Foundation, a nonprofit research group in Washington, who has written on gender equity. “The people on the feminist-leaning side of the debate see the conversation about a boys’ crisis as a strategy to advance the single-sex education agenda. I’m not sure that’s correct. I don’t think the kind of data we have about boys’ and girls’ achievement tells us anything useful about single-sex education.”
The report finds that, generally, boys and girls of similar backgrounds have similar academic success. And the five states in which boys score highest on the tests known as the nation’s report card are also the highest-scoring states for girls, it says.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Working Twice As Hard for Half the Credit
Here's an interesting article: A Case Study of Gender Bias at the Postdoctoral Level in Physics, and its Resulting Impact on the Academic Career Advancement of Females, by S. Towers. From the abstract:
It's interesting that the author included that last statement about her qualifications. It's as if she knows that some gender-bias-denialist might question her statistical methods and what not.
Not only does this study demonstrably show gender bias, but it supports the view I've long suspected, that if you want to land a plum job, you gotta get your name out there, and the way to get your name out there is by giving talks at conferences.
Guess I ought to get moving on submitting those conference abstracts...
[hat tip: Thus Spake Zuska. cross posted at Twinke Twinkle YSO]
The study finds that the female researchers were on average significantly more productive compared to their male peers, yet were allocated only 1/3 the amount of conference presentations based on their productivity. The study also finds that the dramatic gender bias in allocation of conference presentations appeared to have significant negative impact on the academic career advancement of the females.
The author has a PhD in particle physics and worked for 6 years as a postdoctoral research scientist. She is currently completing a graduate degree in statistics.
It's interesting that the author included that last statement about her qualifications. It's as if she knows that some gender-bias-denialist might question her statistical methods and what not.
Not only does this study demonstrably show gender bias, but it supports the view I've long suspected, that if you want to land a plum job, you gotta get your name out there, and the way to get your name out there is by giving talks at conferences.
Guess I ought to get moving on submitting those conference abstracts...
[hat tip: Thus Spake Zuska. cross posted at Twinke Twinkle YSO]