Monday, June 18, 2012

AASWomen for June 15, 2012

AAS Committee on the Status of Women
Issue of June 15, 2012
eds. Joan Schmelz, Caroline Simpson, and Michele Montgomery

This week's issues:

1. Document on Women of Color in Astronomy for NRC Conference

2. What do YOU do for Child Care When Traveling?

3. AWARDS: There is a problem and we can solve it

4. Fog Happiness: Children, astronomy, etc.

5. Undergraduate Research Advising: Making the Most of a Summer Project

6. Celebration of 40th anniversary of Title IX

7. Jane Luu wins two prestigious awards

8. Ana Maria Rey is the June CSWP Woman Physicist of the Month

9. Job Opportunities

10. How to Submit to the AASWomen Newsletter

11. How to Subscribe or Unsubscribe to the AASWomen Newsletter

12. Access to Past Issues of the AASWomen Newsletter


1. Document on Women of Color in Astronomy for NRC Conference
From: Nancy Morrison [NMorris_at_utnet.utoledo.edu]

Members of CSWA and CSMA collaborated on a document describing the status of women of color (WoC) in astronomy, to be used as testimony for the Seeking Solutions: Maximizing American Talent by Advancing Women of Color in Academia Conference, which was held on June 7-8, 2012 in Washington, DC and sponsored by the National Academies. The authors were: Dara Norman, Jedidah Isler, and Hakeem Oluseyi (CSMA); and Nancy Morrison, Caroline Simpson, and Laura Trouille (CSWA). The testimony lists nine barriers that impede the progress of women of color in particular. It then proposes some innovative remedial steps that could be taken by societies, funding agencies and consortia of universities, including: building cohorts of high achieving WoC graduate students at leading institutions; developing an award program for outstanding mentors; and encouraging the development of a network and support group among WoC at the professional level. The testimony then describes steps that the AAS has taken to support women and minorities, and it notes successes by minority-serving institutions and historically black colleges and universities, such as Florida International University and Spelman College.

To read the full document, see:

http://sites.nas.edu/wocconference/files/2012/03/6.3.-American-Astronomical-Society.pdf

To read the testimonies submitted by 28 organizations:

http://sites.nas.edu/wocconference/get-involved/organizations

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2. What do YOU do for Child Care When Traveling?
From: Hannah Jang-Condell via womeninastronomy.blogspot.com

It's been a tough few weeks in my household. First there was a proposal deadline, and hard on the heels of that, I'm about to disappear for a week for work travel.

It's hard enough managing things when I'm away for a week at a time. My husband has to pick up the slack on child care, which usually translates to taking vacation time, since day care hours generally aren't long enough for him to work a full day in between.

But what do you do if you want to go away for longer?

[To read the entire post, see:]

http://womeninastronomy.blogspot.com/2012/06/what-do-you-do-for-child-care-when.html

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3. AWARDS: There is a problem and we can solve it
From: Ed Bertschinger via womeninastronomy.blogspot.com

During the decade 1992-2001, women earned nearly 20% of the PhDs awarded in astronomy, about double the percentage from the preceding twenty years. In 2006, 28% of astronomy assistant professors were women. These two groups represent the pools from which awards are selected for senior and early career astronomers. The percentages of women in these pools differ significantly from the percentages of women among the award winners: During the period 2001-2011, excluding women-only awards, women earned 4.7% of the senior society awards (Russell, Tinsley, Weber, Heineman, Lancelot) and 14.3% of the junior awards (Pierce and Warner) but 33% of the education awards (including Chambliss). It is particularly striking that the Beatrice M. Tinsley Prize was awarded to a woman in its inaugural year of 1986 (Jocelyn Bell Burnell) and not since.

[To read the entire post, including Ed's call to action, see:]

http://womeninastronomy.blogspot.com/2012/06/awards-there-is-problem-and-we-can.html

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4. Fog Happiness: Children, astronomy, etc.
From: Ann Hornschemeier via womeninastronomy.blogspot.com

I'm grateful for Hannah's most recent blog post on how things get easier once children are a bit older (hers are 8 and 10, mine is 2). This quote was great: "But I know my life is richer and more joyous with my children than without them, and all my lost sleep is well worth it."

Recently I've been reading Gretchen Rubin's book "The Happiness Project." I think a lot of women in astronomy might identify with her project. Her life is wonderful but she thought she could appreciate it more. She wanted to push herself to recognize the things that made her happy.

[To read the entire post, see:]

http://womeninastronomy.blogspot.com/2012/06/fog-happiness-children-astronomy-etc.html

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5. Undergraduate Research Advising: Making the Most of a Summer Project
From: Lisa Winter via womeninastronomy.blogspot.com

[This week's guest blogger is Lisa Winter. Lisa Winter is a Hubble fellow at the University of Colorado studying active galaxies and their relationship to galaxy evolution through feedback processes.]

It's June, the spring semester just ended, and it's now prime time for starting on summer undergraduate research projects. After working with a number of undergrads over the past few years, there are a few principles that I keep in mind when developing and working with undergraduates.

Getting started on the right foot - the first few weeks. While it can be tempting for a busy advisor to assign lots of reading assignments at the beginning of the summer, this can sometimes do more harm than good.

[For the rest of the post, see:] http://womeninastronomy.blogspot.com/2012/06/guest-post-lisa-winter-on-undergraduate.html

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6. Celebration of 40th anniversary of Title IX
From: Judith L. Pipher [jlpipher_at_pas.rochester.edu]

On June 26, the National Women's Hall of Fame is holding a celebration of the 40th anniversary of passage of Title IX, in DC. The two panel discussions (free) in the afternoon, will be held at The Gallup Building, 901 F Street, NW, Washington, DC 20004 at 4pm - 6pm.

Panel One Celebrating Success: 40 Years of Achievement Panel Two Unfinished Business: Pushing for Progress

The panelists include prize-winning and barrier-breaking athletes, as well as individuals involved in Title IX. The "godmother" of Title IX, Bernice Sandler is one; Sen. Birch Bayh is another. The Title IX amendment is called the "Patsy Mink Amendment", and her daughter Dr. Gwendolyn Mink will participate.

Following the panels is a reception (there is a fee; less expensive if one becomes a member of the Hall). Condoleezza Rice gives the opening remarks, and Nancy Pelosi the closing remarks. At the reception meet these individuals as well as other dignitaries (e.g. I believe Lily Ledbetter will attend - and she is amazing!). For further information see:

http://www.greatwomen.org/news-and-events/event-calendar/106-leading-achieving-winning-40-years-of-title-ix

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7. Jane Luu wins two prestigious awards
From: Nancy Brickhouse [nbrickhouse_at_cfa.harvard.edu]

Jane Luu has won two prestigious prizes for her co-discovery of the Kuiper Belt: The Shaw Prize in Astronomy is shared with David Jewett.

http://chronicle.com/blogs/ticker/5-researchers-share-1-million-shaw-prizes/43670?sid=pm&utm_source=pm&utm_medium=en

The Kavli Prize in Astrophysics is shared with David Jewett and Michale Brown:

http://www.kavliprize.no

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8. Ana Maria Rey is the June CSWP Woman Physicist of the Month
From: WIPHYS, June 11, 2012

Ana Maria Rey of JILA and University of Colorado Physics Department at Boulder is the featured physicist for this month. For more information on her recognition: http://www.aps.org/programs/women/scholarships/womanmonth/2012.cfm

Do you know a female physicist worthy of recognition? Nominate them! Find more info at http://www.aps.org/programs/women/scholarships/womanmonth

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9. Job Opportunities

* Postdoctoral research position in numerical astrophysics of accretion flows in cataclysmic variables and related objects. Contact Dr. Matt A. Wood at matt.wood61_at_gmail.com or wood_at_fit.edu

* NRAO Postdoc (ALMA Postdoctoral Fellow) careers.nrao.edu/applicants/Central?quickFind=50817

* Astronomer (Program Director) at National Science Foundation: http://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/317991500

* Deputy Division Director, Astronomical Sciences, at National Science Foundation: http://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/314856100

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10. How to Submit to the AASWOMEN newsletter

To submit an item to the AASWOMEN newsletter, including replies to topics, send email to aaswomen_at_aas.org

All material will be posted unless you tell us otherwise, including your email address.

Please remember to replace "_at_" in the e-mail address above.

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11. How to Subscribe or Unsubscribe to the AASWOMEN newsletter

Join AAS Women List by email:

aaswlist+subscribe_at_aas.org

Be sure to follow the instructions in the confirmation email. (Just reply back to the email list)

To unsubscribe by email:

aawlist+unsubscribe_at_aas.org

Join or leave AASWomen, or change your membership settings:

https://groups.google.com/a/aas.org/group/aaswlist

You will have to create a Google Account if you do not already have one, using https://accounts.google.com/newaccount?hl=en

Google Groups Subscribe Help:

http://support.google.com/groups/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=46606

Please remember to replace "_at_" in the e-mail address above.

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12. Access to Past Issues

http://www.aas.org/cswa/AASWOMEN.html

Each annual summary includes an index of topics covered.

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