AAS Committee on the Status of Women
Issue of January 29, 2010
eds. Joan Schmelz, Caroline Simpson, & Michele Montgomery
This week's issues:
1. CSWA Sponsors Special Sssion at AAS 216th Meeting - First Announcement
2. AAS 216th Meeting CSWA Town Hall Meeting - First Announcement
3. Self-Doubt Plagues Female Astronomers
4. WIA Blogspot: Employment in Astronomy
5. Academy Honors Geller for Major Contributions to Science
6. How to Become a Grant Reviewer
7. Postdoctoral Position at the University of Manitoba
8. How to Submit, Subscribe, or Unsubscribe to AASWOMEN
9. Access to Past Issues of AASWOMEN
The AAS Committee on the Status of Women in Astronomy maintains this blog to disseminate information relevant to astronomers who identify as women and share the perspectives of astronomers from varied backgrounds. If you have an idea for a blog post or topic, please submit a short pitch (less than 300 words). The views expressed on this site are not necessarily the views of the CSWA, the AAS, its Board of Trustees, or its membership.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
215th AAS: Kartik Sheth
The next in the series of posts about the AAS Meeting comes from Kartik Sheth, member of the AAS's Committee on the Status of Minorities in Astronomy. Here's Kartik's entry:
The most amazing thing happened at this AAS for me. All of a sudden I was seeing a lot of diverse faces. A lot of young astronomers of color. I have been to nearly every AAS in the last decade and this was the first time I felt that I was witnessing a real sea change. I hope that this trend continues and we finally see some real change in the overall numbers of under-represented minorities in our field at all levels. Our CSMA informal dinner organized by eVite and word of mouth had over 55 people show up! It was a wonderful evening. The mentoring workshop organized by Dara Norman was a hit. So overall, I am really buoyed by all of this -- as a member of the CSMA and as the AAS Liaison to the national AIP committee on minorities, I feel that lots of little changes we have all been making are starting to pay off!
My other observation from this very large meeting was the incredible variety of excellent science and extra-science activities. I always felt I was missing something and wishing I could be in two or three places at once. I attended the leadership and negotiations workshops organize by Kelle Cruz and also the splinter session on "green" astronomy. The poster session was overwhelming but in spite of over a 3000 person meeting, I did manage to find nearly everyone I wanted to and ran into people often. Thank God for cell phones and Google searching on my phone! ;) Btw - I think the Marriott Wardman is an excellent setting for such a large meeting esp. with its generous lobby and bar (which has very poor service but otherwise ok).
The AAS party was a hit as always although perhaps we are getting too big for it? In spite of the very cold weather, Heaven and Hell was completely crowded with astronomers dancing into the wee hours of the morning drinking holy water. The DJ (in Heaven) at least was not the greatest with very short versions of songs in the mixes but still fun. Unfortunately I had a talk the next morning and had to be responsible and back at the hotel at a reasonable hour.
Overall a great meeting..I look forward to the next winter AAS in Seattle.
The most amazing thing happened at this AAS for me. All of a sudden I was seeing a lot of diverse faces. A lot of young astronomers of color. I have been to nearly every AAS in the last decade and this was the first time I felt that I was witnessing a real sea change. I hope that this trend continues and we finally see some real change in the overall numbers of under-represented minorities in our field at all levels. Our CSMA informal dinner organized by eVite and word of mouth had over 55 people show up! It was a wonderful evening. The mentoring workshop organized by Dara Norman was a hit. So overall, I am really buoyed by all of this -- as a member of the CSMA and as the AAS Liaison to the national AIP committee on minorities, I feel that lots of little changes we have all been making are starting to pay off!
My other observation from this very large meeting was the incredible variety of excellent science and extra-science activities. I always felt I was missing something and wishing I could be in two or three places at once. I attended the leadership and negotiations workshops organize by Kelle Cruz and also the splinter session on "green" astronomy. The poster session was overwhelming but in spite of over a 3000 person meeting, I did manage to find nearly everyone I wanted to and ran into people often. Thank God for cell phones and Google searching on my phone! ;) Btw - I think the Marriott Wardman is an excellent setting for such a large meeting esp. with its generous lobby and bar (which has very poor service but otherwise ok).
The AAS party was a hit as always although perhaps we are getting too big for it? In spite of the very cold weather, Heaven and Hell was completely crowded with astronomers dancing into the wee hours of the morning drinking holy water. The DJ (in Heaven) at least was not the greatest with very short versions of songs in the mixes but still fun. Unfortunately I had a talk the next morning and had to be responsible and back at the hotel at a reasonable hour.
Overall a great meeting..I look forward to the next winter AAS in Seattle.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Employment in Astronomy
I've been promising a write-up of the Employment Special Session from the AAS Meeting, but honestly? I'm having trouble writing it because I'm having trouble detaching myself from the subject, since I'm on the job market myself. So, instead, I'm going to talk here about the Rumo(u)r Mill.
The rumour mill is a clearinghouse for gossip about who make shortlists, gets offers, and lands jobs in astrophysics, said jobs being almost exclusively in academia. On the one hand, it's the one weapon that wepeons job hunters have against The Man. Knowledge is power and all that. On the other hand, it can also be a vortex of pain and suffering as you realize that the plum job you applied for has already drawn up its shortlist and you're not on it.
There's currently a raging debate in the revisions section on whether or not to post about people who leave astronomy. You can even answer a poll on the subject. (Currently, the ayes have it.) My own opinion is that it would be useful information to have. One of the reasons for the Longitudinal Survey, after all, is that there is little data on what happens to the people who leave astronomy. Do women preferentially leave academic astronomy? Why? I think the data would be great to have.
It is not unheard of, after all, to turn to the Rumo(u)r Mill as a source for data. Also, to only list academic jobs reinforces the snobbery that only university professorships count as successful careers in science.
As fascinating as the debate over whether non-academic jobs should be listed on the Rumo(u)r Mill is (it's like watching a train wreck, actually), I think the acrimony of the debate is a measure for just how bad the job market is this year. Not to mention that this isn't the first time that the comments have been less than civil (i.e. the kerfuffles over the Hubble and Einstein fellowships in particular). I think people are afraid that if they don't get academic jobs this year, they will be forgotten or be called failures. I also suspect that a lot of very good people will end up begin left out the cold this year, not because they aren't any good, but simply because there aren't enough jobs to go around. Seeing a list of those people might send a wake-up call to the community in that regard, because I would not at all be surprised if it isn't necessarily the quality of your work that determines your success, but your persistence and how much bull$#!+ you're willing to put up with.
The rumour mill is a clearinghouse for gossip about who make shortlists, gets offers, and lands jobs in astrophysics, said jobs being almost exclusively in academia. On the one hand, it's the one weapon that we
There's currently a raging debate in the revisions section on whether or not to post about people who leave astronomy. You can even answer a poll on the subject. (Currently, the ayes have it.) My own opinion is that it would be useful information to have. One of the reasons for the Longitudinal Survey, after all, is that there is little data on what happens to the people who leave astronomy. Do women preferentially leave academic astronomy? Why? I think the data would be great to have.
It is not unheard of, after all, to turn to the Rumo(u)r Mill as a source for data. Also, to only list academic jobs reinforces the snobbery that only university professorships count as successful careers in science.
As fascinating as the debate over whether non-academic jobs should be listed on the Rumo(u)r Mill is (it's like watching a train wreck, actually), I think the acrimony of the debate is a measure for just how bad the job market is this year. Not to mention that this isn't the first time that the comments have been less than civil (i.e. the kerfuffles over the Hubble and Einstein fellowships in particular). I think people are afraid that if they don't get academic jobs this year, they will be forgotten or be called failures. I also suspect that a lot of very good people will end up begin left out the cold this year, not because they aren't any good, but simply because there aren't enough jobs to go around. Seeing a list of those people might send a wake-up call to the community in that regard, because I would not at all be surprised if it isn't necessarily the quality of your work that determines your success, but your persistence and how much bull$#!+ you're willing to put up with.
Friday, January 22, 2010
AASWomen for January 22, 2010
AAS Committee on the Status of Women
Issue of January 22, 2010
eds. Joan Schmelz, Caroline Simpson & Michele Montgomery
This week's issues:
1. Another Glass Ceiling Shatters!
From: Joan Schmelz [jschmelz_at_memphis.edu]
2. Women in Physics Special Events at the APS Meeting
From: WIPHYS Jan 22, 2010
3. Barbie's Next Career
From: Luisa Rebull [rebull_at_ipac.caltech.edu]
4. Another 2012 Resource: Classroom-Ready PPT slides
From: Nick Schneider & Dave Brain [dpsdisc_at_aas.org]
5. Tenure-Track Position(s?)
From: Michele M. Montgomery [montgomery_at_physics.ucf.edu]
6. How to Submit, Subscribe, or Unsubscribe to AASWOMEN
7. Access to Past Issues of AASWOMEN
Issue of January 22, 2010
eds. Joan Schmelz, Caroline Simpson & Michele Montgomery
This week's issues:
1. Another Glass Ceiling Shatters!
2. Women in Physics Special Events at the APS Meeting
4. Another 2012 Resource: Classroom-Ready PPT slides
6. How to Submit, Subscribe, or Unsubscribe to AASWOMEN
7. Access to Past Issues of AASWOMEN
1. Another Glass Ceiling Shatters!
From: Joan Schmelz [jschmelz_at_memphis.edu]
The 2010 Hale Prize goes to Marcia Neugebauer for her seminal contributions to the discovery of the solar wind and her extensive and ongoing contributions to solar-heliospheric physics.
The Hale Prize is awarded to a scientist for outstanding contributions to and impact on the field of solar astronomy. It was first awarded in 1978; this is the first time it will go to a woman.
Marcia Neugebauer has not only made fundamental contributions to the understanding of Solar and Space Physics, but she has also had an enormous personal impact on the field.
“Contributions of 20th Century Women to Physics,” http://cwp.library.ucla.edu/ , highlights some of the important scientific contributions Marcia has made during her illustrious career:
1. "Mariner 2 Observations of the Solar Wind, 1. Average Properties," (with C. W. Snyder) J. Geophys. Res. 71:4469 (1966) contained the first extensive measurements of the solar wind as well as the discovery of many of it properties.
2. "Initial Deceleration of Solar Wind Positive Ions in the Earth's Bow Shock," J. Geophys. Res. 75:717 (1970) showed how ions are decelerated at the bow shock, an important step not only in understanding the mechanisms that produce this shock, but also the shocks that occur throughout the solar system and presumably the galaxy and beyond.
3. "Observations of the Internal Structure of the Magnetopause," (with C.T. Russel and E.J. Smith) J. Geophys. Res. 79:499 (1974) showed that the magnetopause was a thick boundary of many ion gyroradii, and changed the theory of the structure of the boundary.
4. "The Role of Coulomb Collisions in Limiting Differential Flow and Temperature Differences in the Solar Wind," J. Geophys. Res. 81:78 (1976) showed that despite the "collisionless" nature of the solar wind, there was evidence that energy equipartition between H+ and He+ could be understood in terms of the Coulomb collision frequency for the two species.
5. "The Velocity Distributions of Cometary Protons Picked Up by the Solar Wind," (with A. J. Lazarus, H. Balsiger, S. A. Fuselier, F. M. Neubauer and H. Rosenbauer) J. Geophys. Res. 94:5227 (1989) measured the velocity distributions of ions in the coma of comet Halley.
6. "Densities and Abundances of Hot Cometary Ions in the Coma of P/Halley," (with R. Goldstein, B. E. Goldstein, S. A. Fuselier, H. Balsiger and W.-H. Ip) Astrophys. J. 372:291 (1991) measured the mass spectrum of ions in the outer coma of comet Halley.
Marcia has been a Co-PI for the solar wind experiments on Mariner 2, OGO 5, Apollo 12, Ulysses, Giotto, WIND, CELIAS on SOHO, and the Genesis Discovery mission. She has management experience as the supervisor of the JPL Space Plasma Physics Group, manager of the JPL Physics Section and Space Physics Section, and as the lead scientist for the JPL Space Physics Element. She has given back to the community through her service as an associate editor of JGR, secretary, president elect, and president of the Solar-Planetary Relationships Section of the AGU, editor in chief for Reviews of Geophysics, president elect and president of the AGU, and a member of the governing board of the American Institute of Physics. She has numerous awards and medals, is the author of over 200 scientific publications, and the editor of six books.
For these and many other reasons, Marcia Neugebauer is well deserving of the 2010 Hale Prize.
Watch out . . . the shards of that shattered glass ceiling are falling all around us!
Back to top.2. Women in Physics Special Events at the APS Meeting
From: WIPHYS Jan 22, 2010
All events will be held in the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel. Please check on room assignments at the hotel as they may change nearer the time! (You do not need to register for the APS meeting to attend the reception or the luncheon, but you must register to attend invited sessions)
Saturday, February 13, 1:30-3:18 pm Invited Session D3: Mentoring Perspectives of Mentor and Mentee. Sponsored by Committee on the Status of Women in Physics, the Committee on Minorities, the Forum on Graduate Student Affairs, and AAPT.
Saturday, February 13, 6:00-8:00 pm COM/CSWP Reception (Hoover) Learn about the work of the Committee on Minorities in Physics and the Committee on the Status of Women in Physics, network with colleagues, and unwind after a long day of sessions. All are welcome.
Monday, February 15, 12:00-1:30 pm CSWP/DPF Networking Luncheon (Coolidge) Buffet luncheon, opportunity for networking with colleagues! Cost: $20 ($5 for students). All are welcome, both men and women, however pre-registration by February 1 is strongly advised as there will be only limited space for walk-ins. Pre-register at www.aps.org/meetings/april/events/receptions/index.cfm
Monday, February 15, 1:30-3:18 pm Invited Session Q6: Perspectives of Women Physicists As Seen from Academia, National Laboratories, and Industry Sponsored by the Committee on the Status of Women in Physics, the Committee on Minorities, the Forum on Graduate Affairs, and AAPT.
Tuesday, February 16, 10:45-12:33 pm Invited Session X2: Strategies for Improving Climate and Diversity in Physics Departments. Co-sponsored by the Committee on the Status of Women in Physics, the Forum on Education, and AAPT.
Back to top.3. Barbie's Next Career
From: Luisa Rebull [rebull_at_ipac.caltech.edu]
Apparently you can vote for Barbie's next career.
Still no "physicist" or "astronomer" but ...
Back to top.4. Another 2012 Resource: Classroom-Ready PPT slides
From: Nick Schneider & Dave Brain [dpsdisc_at_aas.org]
If you're looking for ways to dispel the misinformation about the 2012 Doomsday, check out "Will the World End Before Finals?", a classroom- ready powerpoint slide set posted at
http://dps.aas.org/education/dpsdisc/
The Division for Planetary Sciences of the AAS has commissioned these slidesets for discoveries and events too new to be in textbooks.
Back to top.5. Tenure-Track Position(s?)
From: Michele M. Montgomery [montgomery_at_physics.ucf.edu]
The Department of Physics (physics.ucf.edu) at the University of Central Florida is searching for candidates to fill one or more tenured or tenure-track faculty positions in the area of planetary sciences and astronomy (planets.ucf.edu) at rank commensurate with experience. Applicants must hold a Ph.D. degree or equivalent from an accredited institution in planetary science, astronomy, physics, or a closely related field and have appropriate teaching and research experience. Preference will be given to candidates with existing vigorous research programs in planetary science or astronomy. The starting date is expected to be in August 2010.
UCF is a leading metropolitan research university with over 53,000 students. The physics department currently has 35 faculty members and offers B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees, including Planetary Science Ph.D. and Masters tracks. All interested individuals must complete an on-line application by going to: jobswithucf.com.
Applicants must apply on-line and upload, in PDF format, a cover letter, curriculum vitae, brief statements of research and teaching interests, and contact information for three persons (with addresses, phone numbers and emails) who can provide letters of reference. Letters will be requested only for candidates on the short list.
Applications received by February 1, 2010, will receive full consideration; review will continue until the position is filled. The University of Central Florida is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. Minorities and women are encouraged to apply. As an agency of the State of Florida, UCF makes all application materials and selection procedures available for public review upon request.
Back to top.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/aaswlist
and fill out the form.
If you experience any problems, please email itdept_at_aas.org
Back to top.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.
Back to top.AASWomen for January 15, 2010
AAS Committee on the Status of Women
Issue of January 15, 2010
eds. Joan Schmelz, Caroline Simpson, & Michele Montgomery
This week's issues:
1. Teaching to First Time Parents - An AASWomen Reader Requests Your Advice
From: Anonymous Reader [aaswomen_at_aas.org]
2. Response to AASWomen Jan. 8 Request: Women's Salary Negotiations
From: Andrea Schweitzer [schweitz_at_frii.com]
3. Marketing for Astrophysicists
From: Michele M. Montgomery [montgomery_at_physics.ucf.edu] Marc Kuchner
4. Doomsday 2012
From: Michele M. Montgomery [montgomery_at_physics.ucf.edu]
5. Globe At Night 2010
From: Michele M. Montgomery [montgomery_at_physics.ucf.edu]
6. NRC Graduate, Postdoctoral and Senior Research Awards
From: H. Ray Gamble [rap_at_nas.edu]
7. IAU Symposium 270 - Computational Star Formation
From: Bruce G Elmegreen [bge_at_us.ibm.com]
8. Childcare Grants, APS March Meeting
9. LGBTIQQAP+ PHYSICISTS AT APS MEETING, FEBRUARY 15
From: WIPHYS Jan. 14, 2010
10. Assistant Professor in Physics, Raymond Walters College
From: Arlene Foster [fostera5_at_uc.edu]
11. Assistant Professor in Physics, University of Wisconsin-Stout
From: WIPHYS Jan. 14, 2010
12. Full-time (Tenure Track) positions in Astronomy, LOS RIOS
Community College District
From: The Chronicle of Higher Education
13. How to Submit, Subscribe, or Unsubscribe to AASWOMEN
14. Access to Past Issues of AASWOMEN
Issue of January 15, 2010
eds. Joan Schmelz, Caroline Simpson, & Michele Montgomery
This week's issues:
1. Teaching to First Time Parents - An AASWomen Reader Requests Your Advice
2. Response to AASWomen Jan. 8 Request: Women's Salary Negotiations
3. Marketing for Astrophysicists
6. NRC Graduate, Postdoctoral and Senior Research Awards
7. IAU Symposium 270 - Computational Star Formation
8. Childcare Grants, APS March Meeting
9. LGBTIQQAP+ Physicists at APS Meeting, February 15
10. Assistant Professor in Physics, Raymond Walters College
11. Assistant Professor in Physics, University of Wisconsin-Stout
12. Full-time, Tenure-track, Astronomy, LOS RIOS Community College District OLD
13. How to Submit, Subscribe, or Unsubscribe to AASWOMEN
14. Access to Past Issues of AASWOMEN
1. Teaching to First Time Parents - An AASWomen Reader Requests Your Advice
From: Anonymous Reader [aaswomen_at_aas.org]
This spring, I am teaching a graduate class in which two students will (separately) become first-time parents before the end of the semester. I would like to make sure that they get as much as possible out of my class, despite the likelihood that they will be extremely distracted (if not altogether absent) for long stretches. If you have been in a similar situation as either teacher or student, I would be grateful for your thoughts on any measures taken by the professor that were or were not helpful. Many thanks in advance.
[From the editors: Please email your advise to aaswomen_at_aas.org and we'll incorporate your responses in the next newsletter and/or blog. Please inform us whether or not to include your name with your advise.]
Back to top.2. Response to AASWomen Jan. 8 Request: Women's Salary Negotiations
From: Andrea Schweitzer [schweitz_at_frii.com]
Study on Women Penalized in Salary Negotiations
http://blogs.payscale.com/ask_dr_salary/2007/08/evaluating-sala.html
Excerpts: ...Professor Babcock, Hannah Riley Bowles (Harvard's Kennedy School of Government) and Carnegie Mellon researcher Lei Lai, found that men and women get very different responses when they negotiate for larger salaries. This study found that both men and women were more likely to penalize women who asked for a larger salary; the perception being that women who asked for more were "less nice." ... Researcher Hannah Riley Bowles summed the findings up for the Washington Post, "This isn't about fixing the women. It isn't about telling women, 'You need self-confidence or training.' They are responding to incentives within the social environment... you have to weigh that against social risks of negotiating. What we show is those risks are higher for women than for men."
However, this study found no gender differences: Author: Martin, Meisha .Ann, University of South Florida, 2006 Title: Explaining Gender Differences in Salary Negotiations Abstract: The current study explores the effects of gender on salary negotiation behaviors and expectancies and the relationship between these variables and starting salary outcomes. College students from a variety of different majors were surveyed prior to and then approximately two to four months after graduation. Though there was no gender difference in final salary or difference between initial and final salary offer, men reported using more aggressive and active salary negotiation behaviors. The results also suggest that men may have felt more empowered in the salary negotiation context. They expected higher salaries than women did, anticipated less discomfort and believed themselves to be less emotional in the salary negotiation context. In addition, males and females both considered stereotypically masculine traits as more effective in the negotiation context than stereotypically feminine traits and this difference was even larger for women than it was for men. Despite the above findings, the absence of gender differences in starting salary outcomes may have been caused by the perception that salary was non-negotiable, as few participants in this study made counteroffers. Future studies are needed to expand the number of field studies on gender differences in salary negotiation and to examine the variables above using a more diverse sample.
Back to top.3. Marketing for Astrophysicists
From: Michele M. Montgomery [montgomery_at_physics.ucf.edu] Marc Kuchner
[We continue to summarize work presented at the Women in Astronomy III conference held at the University of Maryland October 21-23, 2009 - Eds.]
Marc Kuchner, NASA, presented at the WIA III conference and has since started a facebook page on "What Madison Avenue can teach us about how to get ahead in the business of science." In facebook, search for "Marketing For Scientists" and request to join the group. Currently there are 392 members, and they have lively discussions about job interviews, buzzwords, proposal writing, and so on. You night want to recommend this to upcoming graduates and also have them see #6 below.
Marc Kuchner is also working on a book called "Marketing for Astrophysicists." For further information, please email Marc Kuchner at marc.j.kuchner_at_nasa.gov.
Back to top.4. Doomsday 2012
From: Michele M. Montgomery [montgomery_at_physics.ucf.edu]
A lot of recent public and web interest has focused on the issue of whether the alignment of our Sun with the plane or center of the Milky Way Galaxy might cause some disaster in 2012. Astronomy Beat #32 has an article for you on Doosday 2012 that is written by David Morrison who is a Senior Scientist from the NASA Astrobiology Institute. The pdf article can be downloaded from
http://www.astrosociety.org/2012/ .
Dr. Don Yeomans from JPL has also written on the subject, "A Galactic Alignment in December 2012 - So What?" The article can also be found at the above website.
The ASP has a newly updated annotated guide of resources for responding to many claims of astronomical pseudo-science, from Doomsday 2012 to astrology, from crop circles to Moon-landing denial. See:
http://www.astrosociety.org/education/resources/pseudobib.html .
Back to top.5. Globe At Night 2010
From: Michele M. Montgomery [montgomery_at_physics.ucf.edu]
The next Globe at Night is to be held March 3-16, 2010. Globe at Night is a fortnight event around the world designed to engage students worldwide in observing the nighttime sky, to encourage citizen and family science with hands-on learning activities outside the classroom, and to gather light pollution data from an international perspective. In 2009, over 15,000 measurements were received for the IYA2009 Campaign. To find out more information about the next Globe at Night, see
http://www.globeatnight.org/ .
Back to top.6. NRC Graduate, Postdoctoral and Senior Research Awards
From: H. Ray Gamble [rap_at_nas.edu]
The National Research Council of the National Academies sponsors a number of awards for graduate, postdoctoral and senior researchers at federal laboratories and affiliated institutions. These awards provide generous stipends ($42,000 - $75,000 per year for recent Ph.D. recipients and higher for additional experience; Master's level stipends are $38,000 per annum), and the opportunity to do independent research in some of the best-equipped and staffed laboratories in the U.S. Research opportunities are open to U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and for some of the laboratories, foreign nationals.
Detailed program information, including instructions on how to apply online and a list of participating laboratories, is available on the NRC Research Associateship Programs Web site at:
http://pull.xmr3.com/p/1975-CCEC/26794132/http-www.national-academies.org-rap.html
Questions should be directed to the NRC at 202-334-2760 (phone) or mailto:rap_at_nas.edu.
There are four review cycles annually. Deadline dates for 2010 are:
February 1, 2010 May 1, 2010 August 1, 2010 November 1, 2010
Applicants should begin a dialogue with prospective Advisers at the lab as early as possible, before their anticipated application deadline.
Back to top.7. IAU Symposium 270 - Computational Star Formation
From: Bruce G Elmegreen [bge_at_us.ibm.com]
Dear Star Former, We would like to call your attention to IAU Symposium 270 on "Computational Star Formation," to be held in Barcelona, Spain, from May 31st to June 4th, 2010.
We invite you to submit an abstract for a poster or proposed talk on your own research.
Please see the web page for information:
The deadline for grant requests and abstract submission is now February 15th, 2010.
The invited speakers will review a wide range of topics related to star formation, including observations and computational modeling, as well as computational techniques and specialized hardware. We will tour the Mare Nostrum Supercomputer Center, named the most beautiful Supercomputer Center in the world by Fortune Magazine.
Barcelona is a beautiful city on the Mediterranean coast. The conference will take place on the campus of the University of Barcelona.
We hope to see you there.
Bruce, Joao, Virginia, co-chairs, and the SOC: T. Abel, J. Ballesteros-Paredes, I. Bonnell, F. Bournaud, A. Burkert, C. Dobbs, J. Girart, G. Hensler, W. Kim, R. Klessen, M. Krumholz, J. Makino, F. Nakamura, Å. Nordlund, R. Pudritz, A. Tutukov,
the LOC: J. Alves, F. Alves, A. Bertolin, R. Estalella, P. Frau, J. Girart, J. Isern,
and on behalf of the invited speakers: T. Abel, J. Alves, P. André, J. Ascenso, J. Bally, S. Basu, M. Bate, M. Beltrán, F. Biegel, I. Bonnell, F. Bournaud, H. Bouy, A. Burkert, L. Deharveng, C. Dobbs, G. Duchêne, N. Evans, S. Glover, A. Goodman, S. Goodwin, E. Grebel, M. Gritschneder, L. Hartmann, M. Juvela, P. Hennebelle, G. Hensler, R. Klessen, A. Kravtsov, A. Kritsuk, P. Kroupa, M. Krumholz, C. Lada, R. Larson, M. Mac Low, M. Machida, J. Makino, C. McKee, J. Monaghan, F. Nakamura, Å. Nordlund, M. Norman, E. Ostriker, P. Padoan, D. Price, R. Pudritz, A. Raga, B. Reipurth,V. Springel, J. Steinacker, C. Struck, H. Susa, E. Tasker, R. Teyssier, E. Vázquez-Semanedi, K. Wada, and B. Whitney.
Back to top.8. Childcare Grants, APS March Meeting
Small grants of up to $400 are available to assist meeting attendees at the APS March meeting (Portland, Oregon) who are bringing small children or who incur extra expenses in leaving them at home. Please go to
http://www.aps.org/meetings/march/services/childcare.cfm
and complete the short application form.
Back to top.9. LGBTIQQAP+ PHYSICISTS AT APS MEETING, FEBRUARY 15
From: WIPHYS Jan. 14, 2010
There is going to be a gathering of people interested in LGBTIQQAP+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer, questioning, asexual, pansexual, etc.) issues in physics at the APS Meeting in DC on February 15, 7:00pm-9:00pm, at the Marrriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington D.C. in the Cleveland II room. Currently there is extremely little in the way of resources for LGBTIQQAP+ physicists. This meeting will be a conversation to start creating these resources. Some topics that will be on the discussion floor: lack of employment protections on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression, lack of data on the LGBTIQQAP+ physicist demographics, health insurance policies for domestic partners and transgender related health care, and creating networking resources so that LGBTIQQAP+ physicists have a means of communicating with one another.
If you have any questions please let us know at lgbt.physicists_at_gmail.com.
Back to top.10. Assistant Professor in Physics, Raymond Walters College
From: Arlene Foster [fostera5_at_uc.edu]
Raymond Walters College, Department of Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science (MPCS) invites applications for a tenure track position at the rank of Assistant Professor in physics beginning September 1, 2010.
Raymond Walters is a two-year regional campus of the University of Cincinnati that also awards a variety of four-year technical degrees. The MPCS Department currently has 16 full-time faculty with four teaching physics courses ranging from introductory physics to engineering physics. The successful candidate may also be required to teach some lower level mathematics courses as well.
Job Description: We are seeking a person who is deeply committed to teaching, with accomplished teaching experience in physics courses and is knowledgeable in the use of technology relevant to physics and classroom pedagogy.
Participation in the governance and committee work of the department, college, and university, and to be professionally active in the discipline of physics and/or the scholarship of teaching and learning is expected. The standard teaching load is 12 credit hours per quarter and may include evening classes; class sizes normally range from 16 to 30 students. Salary and rank are commensurate with experience and education.
The American Association of University Professors serves as the collective bargaining agent for full-time faculty; see the Chapter's website
for details of the bargaining agreement.
Min. Quals.: Masters degree in physics with evidence of exceptional teaching will be considered.
A doctorate in physics or physics education with evidence of exceptional teaching is a plus. An emphasis in astronomy is also considered a plus.
To apply for position (29UC5712), please see
The University of Cincinnati is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer. UC is a smoke-free work environment.
Back to top.11. Assistant Professor in Physics, University of Wisconsin-Stout
From: WIPHYS Jan. 14, 2010
The University of Wisconsin-Stout, Wisconsin’s Polytechnic University, invites applications for a tenure-track, entry-level position for Assistant Professor in Physics beginning August 2010.
A Ph.D. in Physics, Physics Education, or closely related field is required when contract starts. Applicants should have a strong potential and commitment to undergraduate teaching. Seeking external funding for scholarly activities is desirable. UW-Stout is a laptop campus and willingness to use technology in the classroom is required. Construction on a new science building will be complete in Fall 2010. Additional information and directions for applying can be found at
http://www3.uwstout.edu/physics/index.cfm
or by contacting the search committee chair Dr. Laura McCullough at McCulloughL_at_uwstout.edu. Applications must be complete by February 15th, 2010 at 5 p.m. CST. The University of Wisconsin-Stout values diversity and strives to attract qualified women and minority candidates. EO/AA.
Back to top.12. Full-time (Tenure Track) positions in Astronomy, LOS RIOS
Community College District
From: The Chronicle of Higher Education
The Los Rios Community College District's four colleges [American River College, Cosumnes River College, Folsom Lake College, Sacramento City College] serve the greater Sacramento region. With a student population of approximately 90,000 and a service area of 2,400 square miles, the District is the second largest in California and is one of the top statewide in transferring students to the UC and CSU systems. In addition, the district provides 76 two-year vocational programs and 63 technical certificate programs. Our District offers excellent salaries and benefits and encourages and promotes the continuous professional development of all. Los Rios Community College District is a past recipient of the Sacramento Workplace Excellence Leader Award.
LRCCD is currently recruiting for the following, full-time, tenure-track faculty positions: Astronomy [among many others]. For details, see
for indepth job descriptions and instructions for applying online. EOE.
Back to top.13. 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
Back to top.14. 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_at_aas.org
Back to top.AASWomen for January 8, 2010
AAS Committee on the Status of Women
Issue of January 10, 2010
eds. Joan Schmelz, Caroline Simpson & Michele Montgomery
This week's issues:
1. Pre-Major in Astronomy Program: Poster and DIY
From: Eric Agol [agol_at_astro.washington.edu]
2. Request: Women's Salary Negotiations
From: Robin Shelton [rls_at_physast.uga.edu]
3. Upcoming blog posts alert: AAS meeting
From: AASWomen co-editors
4. Special Events at February APS Meeting
From: WIPHYS, December 18, 2009
5. Special Events at March APS Meeting
From: WIPHYS, Jan. 7, 2010
6. IBM Summer Research Internship for Undergraduate Women
From: WIPHYS, Jan. 7, 2010
6. Postdoctoral Position: The Chemistry of Star Formation Regions
From: WIPHYS, December 21, 2009
7. Tenure Track position in Particle Cosmology Theory, University of
Cincinnati
From: WIPHYS, Jan. 4, 2010
9. How to Submit, Subscribe, or Unsubscribe to AASWOMEN
10. Access to Past Issues of AASWOMEN
Issue of January 10, 2010
eds. Joan Schmelz, Caroline Simpson & Michele Montgomery
This week's issues:
1. Pre-Major in Astronomy Program: Poster and DIY
2. Request: Women's Salary Negotiations
3. Upcoming blog posts alert: AAS meeting
4. Special Events at February APS Meeting
5. Special Events at March APS Meeting
6. IBM Summer Research Internship for Undergraduate Women
*** FOLLOWING JOB POSTINGS TAKEN FROM WIPHYS ***
7. Postdoctoral Position: The Chemistry of Star Formation Regions
8. Tenure Track position in Particle Cosmology Theory, University of Cincinnati
9. How to Submit, Subscribe, or Unsubscribe to AASWOMEN
10. Access to Past Issues of AASWOMEN
1. Pre-Major in Astronomy Program: Poster and DIY
From: Eric Agol [agol_at_astro.washington.edu]
[Thanks to Meg Urry for forwarding this to us -- eds.]
Information about the Pre-Major in Astronomy Program at UW was presented by Phil Rosenfield at this week's AAS meeting in DC (Presentation Number 466.16).
Pre-MAP is a research & mentoring program for freshmen, introducing them to astronomy research during their first quarter, followed by mentoring, research opportunities, and community building, with the goal of having under-represented students choose astronomy & STEM majors.
Phil (the Pre-MAP TA) has gone to extraordinary effort to compile and write down a large amount of Pre-MAP knowledge and best-practices to make this accessible to the Astronomy community, including instruction on how to create and run a Pre-MAP course, exercises from the course, how to recruit research mentors, how to make web pages for the program, and much more. The materials are now available on-line at this url:
http://www.astro.washington.edu/groups/premap/diy/premap.html
Back to top.2. Request: Women's Salary Negotiations
From: Robin Shelton [rls_at_physast.uga.edu]
In December, a public radio program called Marketplace ran a story about the disparity between men's and women's salaries. ("How to Get Equal Pay for Equal Work", Friday, December 4, 2009, http://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2009/12/04/mm-womenneg/ The webpage lists both the text of the story and an audio stream. Regarding the audio version, the story starts in the 41th minute of the 51 minute radio program.)
Much of the article attributes the disparity in pay to salary negotiations, with the assertion that women negotiate poorly and not often enough.
This analysis struck me as incomplete, in that I remember reading a post (probably on AASWOMEN) about a study that found that women's salary requests were met with more antagonism by employers than men's requests were and that the antagonism could subsequently affect the work environment or odds of getting the job.
I would think that issue would be very important in understanding the sociology of salary negotiations and am interested in sending this information on to Marketplace (produced by American Public Media and distributed through public radio stations), but would like to check it first. Does anyone remember the posting?
[Robin has already looked through the AASWomen archives with no success. Can anyone help out with a reference/information about this topic? -- eds.]
Back to top.3. Upcoming blog posts alert: AAS meeting
From: AASWomen co-editors
Be sure to check the Women in Astronomy blog (womeninastronomy.blogspot.com) over the next few weeks, where we will be posting impressions and thoughts about the just-ended AAS meeting in DC. We plan (hope?) to discuss topics such as (but not limited to) gender issues, minority issues, other demographic and diversity issues, the job market, some really cool science presented at the meeting, or just how overwhelmingly big this meeting was.
Back to top.4. Special Events at February APS Meeting
From: WIPHYS, December 18, 2009
(1) COM/CSWP Networking Reception, February 13
Saturday, February 13. 6:00-8:00 pm, Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, at the APS meeting in Washington, DC. Come learn about the work of the Committee on Minorities in Physics and the Committee on the Status of Women in Physics, network with colleagues, and unwind after a long day of sessions.
(2) CSWP/DPF Luncheon, February 15
The Committee on the Status of Women in Physics (CSWP) and the Division of Particles and Fields (DPF) will co-sponsor a buffet luncheon for women in physics from 12:00 1:30 pm on Monday, February 15, 2010 at the APS meeting in Washington, DC. The speaker will be Bonnie Fleming, Yale University. The luncheon is open to all: both men and women are welcome to attend. This is an excellent opportunity to enjoy a full buffet lunch and network with colleagues! Cost: $20. Students are $5, thanks to the generosity of DPF.
Space for this popular event is limited. Pre registration is strongly advised by February 1, 2010 at http://www.aps.org/meetings/april/events/receptions/index.cfm . After that date, you must purchase tickets ON SITE at the Balances Due desk at the APS Registration Area as long as tickets are available. No tickets sold at the door.
Back to top.5. Special Events at March APS Meeting
From: WIPHYS, Jan. 7, 2010
CSWP will sponsor or co-sponsor several events of special interest to women in physics at the APS annual meeting in Portland, Oregon (March 15-19) . These events will be held in the Hilton Portland & Executive Tower Hotel; you do not need to be registered for the APS meeting itself to attend (there is a charge for the breakfast).
1)CSWP/FIAP Networking Breakfast Tuesday, March 16, 7:30 am -- 9:30 am (Galleria I)
Enjoy a full breakfast and network with colleagues! Cost: $15. $5 for physics students, thanks to FIAP's generosity. All are welcome, both men and women, however pre-registration strongly advised by March 5, as only limited walk-ins accepted. Pre-register at www.aps.org/meetings/march/events/receptions/index.cfm
2)COM/CSWP Dessert Reception Wednesday, March 17, 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm (Council Suites)
Learn about the work of the Committee on Minorities in Physics and the Committee on the Status of Women in Physics, network with colleagues, and enjoy delicious desserts and wine after a long day of sessions. All are welcome to join us. (It'ss always a good idea to double check the room assignments when you reach the hotel, as these may sometimes change).
Back to top.6. IBM Summer Research Internship for Undergraduate Women
From: WIPHYS, Jan. 7, 2010
In 2010, IBM will offer a Summer Research Internship for Undergraduate Women. These summer internships are salaried positions typically 10 weeks long, and include the opportunity to work with a mentor at one of three IBM research locations. Applications must be submitted by February 1, 2010. Complete details on the program and how to apply are available at http://www.aps.org/programs/women/scholarships/index.cfm
Back to top.6. Postdoctoral Position: The Chemistry of Star Formation Regions
From: WIPHYS, December 21, 2009
The Department of Physics & Astronomy at the University of Missouri -- St. Louis invites applications for a postdoctoral research position. The successful candidate will assist Dr. Erika Gibb and her collaborators on observational studies of chemistry in star forming regions and protoplanetary disks. Of particular interest is the identification and characterization of organic molecules. The successful candidate will work with high resolution, near infrared spectroscopic data from Keck II and the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility. Desired skills include working with observational data, computer programming, and/or modeling spectra.
Candidates must obtain a Ph.D. in Astronomy or Physics prior to the starting date. The appointment is for one year, renewable for an additional year. Applicants should send a CV, a list of publications, a statement of research interests, and should arrange for three letters of recommendation to be sent to Dr. Erika Gibb University of Missouri St. Louis Department of Physics & Astronomy 503 Benton Hall St. Louis, MO 63121.
Applications may be submitted electronically to gibbe_at_umsl.edu. Consideration of completed applications will begin March 1, 2010 and will continue until a suitable candidate is identified.
The University of Missouri -- St. Louis is an AA/EO Employer committed to excellence through diversity.
Back to top.7. Tenure Track position in Particle Cosmology Theory, University of
Cincinnati
From: WIPHYS, Jan. 4, 2010
The Department of Physics at the University of Cincinnati invites applications for an anticipated tenure track position at the Assistant Professor level with a start date of September 2010. We are searching for an outstanding researcher in High Energy Theory who will contribute both to the existing High Energy Theory effort and to the Astrophysics effort. Exceptional candidates from other areas of physics may also be considered. The successful candidate is expected to establish an excellent research program, to acquire external funding to support it, and to develop into a high quality teacher at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. Startup funds will be available.
Applicants must have a PhD and should have post doctoral research experience and a record of substantial research accomplishments. We will begin reviewing applications immediately and continue until the position is filled. Applications received by February 15, 2010 are guaranteed full consideration.
Interested candidates should contact Prof. Kay Kinoshita at ucphysics_at_ucmail.uc.edu for information on the application procedure and any questions about the position and our department. A cover letter, Curriculum Vitae, research plan, and statement of teaching experience and interests will be requested in PDF format in the application process. Applicants should separately arrange to have three letters of reference sent electronically, preferably in PDF format, to ucphysics_at_ucmail.uc.edu.
The University of Cincinnati is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. Women, people of color, people with disabilities and veterans are encouraged to apply.
Back to top.9. 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/aaswlist
and fill out the form.
If you experience any problems, please email itdept_at_aas.org
Back to top.10. 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.
Back to top.Thursday, January 21, 2010
215th AAS: Meg Urry
The AAS Meeting was so big, I've asked a few people to help me summarize their thoughts and impressions of the meeting. I'll be posting them over the next days and weeks. Just to prove that I'm not the only one who felt overwhelmed by the size and scope of the biggest AAS Meeting ever, here are some thoughts on the meeting from Meg Urry, former chair of the CSWA, and organizer of the first two conferences on Women in Astronomy:
I agree with all of the above. I recall my first AAS Meeting in 2003, showing up with husband and baby in tow. The grad student with the poster next to mine remarked to me that she would love to see more pregnant women and people with babies at astronomy conferences. I think her wish has come true, by and large. I also found myself torn between multiple parallel sessions pretty much the entire time. As the field of astronomy has grown, so has its diversity.
Major impression: the meeting was so huge, and so busy, that it was almost impossible to do even a fraction of the things I wanted to do. The AAS January meeting has changed enormously since I started going to them 20-some years ago. Now meetings are many times bigger – typical attendance at my first meetings was a few hundred, and 600 people was a big meeting. I remember when we broke 1000, that was big news. Now we are over 3000. It was nice that there was one hotel, with lots of places to sit and talk – that really encouraged people to get together. Even so, I missed seeing more people than I actually saw.
Second big impression (almost goes without saying now): tons of young people, reporting on REU projects, and tons of women. Hard to believe that seeing other women at a AAS meeting used to be unusual. It really makes you feel as if the final barriers have been broken.
Third big impression: great talks, extremely exciting stuff happening – and not enough time to hear about all of it. Looking forward to reading more in the journals.
I agree with all of the above. I recall my first AAS Meeting in 2003, showing up with husband and baby in tow. The grad student with the poster next to mine remarked to me that she would love to see more pregnant women and people with babies at astronomy conferences. I think her wish has come true, by and large. I also found myself torn between multiple parallel sessions pretty much the entire time. As the field of astronomy has grown, so has its diversity.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Another Glass Ceiling Shatters!
The 2010 Hale Prize goes to Marcia Neugebauer for her seminal contributions to the discovery of the solar wind and her extensive and ongoing contributions to solar-heliospheric physics.
The Hale Prize is awarded to a scientist for outstanding contributions to and impact on the field of solar astronomy. It was first awarded in 1978; this is the first time it will go to a woman.
Marcia Neugebauer has not only made fundamental contributions to the understanding of Solar and Space Physics, but she has also had an enormous personal impact on the field.
“Contributions of 20th Century Women to Physics,” http://cwp.library.ucla.edu/ , highlights some of the important scientific contributions Marcia has made during her illustrious career:
1. "Mariner 2 Observations of the Solar Wind, 1. Average Properties," (with C. W. Snyder) J. Geophys. Res. 71:4469 (1966) contained the first extensive measurements of the solar wind as well as the discovery of many of it properties.
2. "Initial Deceleration of Solar Wind Positive Ions in the Earth's Bow Shock," J. Geophys. Res. 75:717 (1970) showed how ions are decelerated at the bow shock, an important step not only in understanding the mechanisms that produce this shock, but also the shocks that occur throughout the solar system and presumably the galaxy and beyond.
3. "Observations of the Internal Structure of the Magnetopause," (with C.T. Russel and E.J. Smith) J. Geophys. Res. 79:499 (1974) showed that the magnetopause was a thick boundary of many ion gyroradii, and changed the theory of the structure of the boundary.
4. "The Role of Coulomb Collisions in Limiting Differential Flow and Temperature Differences in the Solar Wind," J. Geophys. Res. 81:78 (1976) showed that despite the "collisionless" nature of the solar wind, there was evidence that energy equipartition between H+ and He+ could be understood in terms of the Coulomb collision frequency for the two species.
5. "The Velocity Distributions of Cometary Protons Picked Up by the Solar Wind," (with A. J. Lazarus, H. Balsiger, S. A. Fuselier, F. M. Neubauer and H. Rosenbauer) J. Geophys. Res. 94:5227 (1989) measured the velocity distributions of ions in the coma of comet Halley.
6. "Densities and Abundances of Hot Cometary Ions in the Coma of P/Halley," (with R. Goldstein, B. E. Goldstein, S. A. Fuselier, H. Balsiger and W.-H. Ip) Astrophys. J. 372:291 (1991) measured the mass spectrum of ions in the outer coma of comet Halley.
Marcia has been a Co-PI for the solar wind experiments on Mariner 2, OGO 5, Apollo 12, Ulysses, Giotto, WIND, CELIAS on SOHO, and the Genesis Discovery mission. She has management experience as the supervisor of the JPL Space Plasma Physics Group, manager of the JPL Physics Section and Space Physics Section, and as the lead scientist for the JPL Space Physics Element. She has given back to the community through her service as an associate editor of JGR, secretary, president elect, and president of the Solar-Planetary Relationships Section of the AGU, editor in chief for Reviews of Geophysics, president elect and president of the AGU, and a member of the governing board of the American Institute of Physics. She has numerous awards and medals, is the author of over 200 scientific publications, and the editor of six books.
For these and many other reasons, Marcia Neugebauer is well deserving of the 2010 Hale Prize. Watch out! The shards of that shattered glass ceiling are falling all around us.
The Hale Prize is awarded to a scientist for outstanding contributions to and impact on the field of solar astronomy. It was first awarded in 1978; this is the first time it will go to a woman.
Marcia Neugebauer has not only made fundamental contributions to the understanding of Solar and Space Physics, but she has also had an enormous personal impact on the field.
“Contributions of 20th Century Women to Physics,” http://cwp.library.ucla.edu/ , highlights some of the important scientific contributions Marcia has made during her illustrious career:
1. "Mariner 2 Observations of the Solar Wind, 1. Average Properties," (with C. W. Snyder) J. Geophys. Res. 71:4469 (1966) contained the first extensive measurements of the solar wind as well as the discovery of many of it properties.
2. "Initial Deceleration of Solar Wind Positive Ions in the Earth's Bow Shock," J. Geophys. Res. 75:717 (1970) showed how ions are decelerated at the bow shock, an important step not only in understanding the mechanisms that produce this shock, but also the shocks that occur throughout the solar system and presumably the galaxy and beyond.
3. "Observations of the Internal Structure of the Magnetopause," (with C.T. Russel and E.J. Smith) J. Geophys. Res. 79:499 (1974) showed that the magnetopause was a thick boundary of many ion gyroradii, and changed the theory of the structure of the boundary.
4. "The Role of Coulomb Collisions in Limiting Differential Flow and Temperature Differences in the Solar Wind," J. Geophys. Res. 81:78 (1976) showed that despite the "collisionless" nature of the solar wind, there was evidence that energy equipartition between H+ and He+ could be understood in terms of the Coulomb collision frequency for the two species.
5. "The Velocity Distributions of Cometary Protons Picked Up by the Solar Wind," (with A. J. Lazarus, H. Balsiger, S. A. Fuselier, F. M. Neubauer and H. Rosenbauer) J. Geophys. Res. 94:5227 (1989) measured the velocity distributions of ions in the coma of comet Halley.
6. "Densities and Abundances of Hot Cometary Ions in the Coma of P/Halley," (with R. Goldstein, B. E. Goldstein, S. A. Fuselier, H. Balsiger and W.-H. Ip) Astrophys. J. 372:291 (1991) measured the mass spectrum of ions in the outer coma of comet Halley.
Marcia has been a Co-PI for the solar wind experiments on Mariner 2, OGO 5, Apollo 12, Ulysses, Giotto, WIND, CELIAS on SOHO, and the Genesis Discovery mission. She has management experience as the supervisor of the JPL Space Plasma Physics Group, manager of the JPL Physics Section and Space Physics Section, and as the lead scientist for the JPL Space Physics Element. She has given back to the community through her service as an associate editor of JGR, secretary, president elect, and president of the Solar-Planetary Relationships Section of the AGU, editor in chief for Reviews of Geophysics, president elect and president of the AGU, and a member of the governing board of the American Institute of Physics. She has numerous awards and medals, is the author of over 200 scientific publications, and the editor of six books.
For these and many other reasons, Marcia Neugebauer is well deserving of the 2010 Hale Prize. Watch out! The shards of that shattered glass ceiling are falling all around us.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
AAS 215 -- OWLM
So, last week was the 215th AAS Meeting in Washington, DC. I found the meeting to be pretty overwhelming. In fact, the title of this post is a reference to the OWLT, in case it wasn't clear. It was the biggest AAS Meeting in history, which for me translated into not being able to walk more than about 10 feet before encountering someone I knew, and perpetually getting lost in the enormous rat maze that was the poster room.
As a local, I commuted in to the meeting every day. This meant that although I got to sleep in my own bed every night, I also had to take care of chores at home in addition to spending extra long days at the meeting. On the other hand, I got to see my kids every day, so hey.
It was especially fun to meet readers of this here blog at the meeting. It's always gratifying to know that that people are reading and appreciating this blog. You guys are awesome!
I also got a great deal out of this meeting scientifically. As with any good conference, I came out of it with new ideas and energized about my science. I've been busy since the end of the meeting furiously writing papers and exploring some new ideas, which is why I haven't posted my recaps of the meeting yet.
Still, I will get to blogging eventually about aspects of the meeting relevant to Women in Astronomy, so stay tuned!
As a local, I commuted in to the meeting every day. This meant that although I got to sleep in my own bed every night, I also had to take care of chores at home in addition to spending extra long days at the meeting. On the other hand, I got to see my kids every day, so hey.
It was especially fun to meet readers of this here blog at the meeting. It's always gratifying to know that that people are reading and appreciating this blog. You guys are awesome!
I also got a great deal out of this meeting scientifically. As with any good conference, I came out of it with new ideas and energized about my science. I've been busy since the end of the meeting furiously writing papers and exploring some new ideas, which is why I haven't posted my recaps of the meeting yet.
Still, I will get to blogging eventually about aspects of the meeting relevant to Women in Astronomy, so stay tuned!
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
215th AAS Meeting Day 2
I've realized that live-blogging a meeting is really hard, especially when one still needs to finish one's own talk is trying to get some science done. So, I apologize for the lack of posting. I have some interesting thoughts on yesterday's sessions on employment and the longitudinal survey, but I may not get to posting them until after I give my talk the end of the week.
Monday, January 4, 2010
215th AAS Meeting, Day 1
Welcome to the New Year, and with it, the 215th AAS Meeting in Washington, DC!
Today, I'm looking forward to the afternoon special session on the Longitudinal Study, in Virginia B.
I also want to pass on Kelle's suggestion that those of us twittering from the meeting use the tag #aas215 so that we can all find each other's posts. I'll be twittering as hannah_jc, as usual.
Here's to a great meeting!
Today, I'm looking forward to the afternoon special session on the Longitudinal Study, in Virginia B.
I also want to pass on Kelle's suggestion that those of us twittering from the meeting use the tag #aas215 so that we can all find each other's posts. I'll be twittering as hannah_jc, as usual.
Here's to a great meeting!