Women In Astronomy: AASWOMEN Newsletter for October 24, 2014

AAS Committee on the Status of Women AAS Committee on the Status of Women
Issue of October 24, 2014
eds: Daryl Haggard, Nicolle Zellner, Meredith Hughes, & Elysse Voyer

This week's issues:

1. Confronting Race and Racism to Move Away From One-Dimensional Diversity
From: John Johnson via womeninastronomy.blogspot.com

When I joined the CSWA last year, I had dinner in Cambridge with a number of fellow CSWA members who were in the area at the time. At one point we went around the table giving our reasons for serving on the committee. I stated that my motivation was the help people of color, particularly women of color. I found the success of the CSWA and the advances of (white) women in astronomy extremely inspiring and I wanted to learn better how they had moved from being minorities to having a more equal representation in astronomy.

The CSWA Chair recently told me that if I wanted to take on the subject of race and the issues facing women of color, that rather than expecting the committee's full support for this "specialized" issue, I should go ahead and lead the way. With this post, and my previous post, I endeavor to bring the issues facing of women of color in our community into better focus, with the hope that the rest of the committee might see this as a problem worth addressing.

To read more, please see

http://womeninastronomy.blogspot.com/2014/10/confronting-race-and-racism-to-move.html

2. Make the Breast Pump Not Suck
From: Laura Trouille via womeninastronomy.blogspot.com

Since our first encounters with the breast pump, we wondered how women had been duped into settling for such bad design. The pump is a symbol of the modern work-life conundrum. In theory, women have the freedom to honor the wisdom that "breast is best," while still pursuing their own careers. And yet, to do so, they're forced to attach themselves, multiple times a day, to a loud, sometimes painful machine that makes one feel anything but powerful. - Courtney Martin, Times Motherlode Blog

Edward Lasker, an engineer, produced the first mechanical breast pump and secured the patent in the 1920s. In 1956, Einar Egnell created the Egnell SMB breast pump. Nearly 60 years later, little has changed about the fundamental design of the mechanical pump.

To read more, please see

http://womeninastronomy.blogspot.com/2014/10/make-breast-pump-not-suck.html

3. HerStories
From: Beth Cunningham, American Association of Physics Teachers

HerStories, a new video produced by AAPT, APS, and SPS, shares the stories and words of wisdom and encouragement from many women in physics from around the world. The HerStories video is available at

http://www.youtube.com/embed/ofE-mJFJR5w?list=UUZuFpcECRs77w1pTZdUdyvQ

4. Women in STEM: Our Role in the Midterm Elections
From: AWIS in Action! October 2014

The midterm elections are on Tuesday November 4th – less than 2 weeks away. ('Midterm' refers to the elections that take place during the non-presidential election years.) Typically, only 40% of voters turn out for this and, although women became the majority of the electorate in 1984, midterm voters tend to be older, white males. For women in STEM, there are many political issues currently on the table that impact us and our communities. We need to exercise our voting power in this election, and we need to leverage the potential that we have to influence long-term political outcomes. Regardless of political affiliation, it is imperative that we educate ourselves and show leadership in setting the agenda for the future.

To read more, please see

http://www.awis.org/news/199326/Women-in-STEM-Our-Role-in-the-Midterm-Elections.htm

5. For Female Physicists, Peer Mentoring Can Combat Isolation
From: Stella Offner [soffner_at_astro.umass.edu]

By A. J. Cox, C. Blaha, L. Fritz, & B. Whitten

Women physicists are often isolated at work. Just consider the numbers: 86 percent of American faculty physicists are male; 89 percent of PhD physicists working in the science and engineering industry are male; and it was just in 2012 that the number of physics PhDs earned by women reached even 20 percent. To increase the numbers of underrepresented groups in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), we must address the isolation associated with being such a small fraction of the field.

Good mentoring can help. A mentor helps you navigate your profession and engage more fully as a professional. However, finding mentors for underrepresented groups from those who have already navigated the same waters is daunting simply because of the numbers.

To read more, please see

http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/voices/2014/10/18/for-female-physicists-peer-mentoring-can-combat-isolation

6. Women fall back in tech; reasons not entirely clear
From: Joan Schmelz [jschmelz_at_memphis.edu]

By Janet I. Tu

When Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella said earlier this month that women needn't ask for raises but should trust in the system to get the pay they deserved, a firestorm of reaction ignited around the issues of unequal pay for men and women and the gender gap in the technology industry.

Nadella, asked at a conference of women in computing what his advice would be for women uncomfortable about asking for a raise, said in part: "It's not really about asking for the raise but knowing and having faith that the system will actually give you the right raises as you go along."

For some, Nadella's comments seemed emblematic of biases or blind spots in attitudes and in company cultures — some subtle, some blatant — that can make it hard for women to thrive in the tech industry.

To read more, please see

http://www.columbian.com/news/2014/oct/19/women-fall-back-in-tech-reasons-not-entirely-clear

7. 10 female scientists you should know: Test yourself
From: Daryl Haggard [dhaggard_at_amherst.edu]

By Sheena McKenzie

[CNN Editor's Note -- In celebration of International Day of the Girl (October 11) and Ada Lovelace Day (October 14), Leading Women is devoting the month of October to women and girls in STEM: science, technology, engineering and math.]

Chances are you've heard of the Nobel Prize-winning scientist, Marie Curie. But can you name her discovery? Some of humankind's greatest scientific breakthroughs have come from women -- though like so many inventors their names are lost in the pages of history. From the world's first computer programmer, to the real-life inspiration for "Gorillas in the Mist," can you match these scientists with their discoveries?

Take this quiz to find out

http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/14/tech/10-female-scientists-you-should-know

8. Student Applications Due Soon for 2015 APS CUWiP
From: WIPHYS Posting for Oct 17, 2014

Applications to attend the 2015 APS Conferences for Undergraduate Women in Physics are now being accepted. The deadline to apply is October 31, 2014. Learn more about the application process here:

http://www.aps.org/programs/women/workshops/cuwipapp.cfm

9. Apply to Host APS Conferences for Undergraduate Women in Physics
From: WIPHYS Posting for Oct 17, 2014

APS Conferences for Undergraduate Women in Physics (CUWiP) are three-day regional conferences for undergraduate physics majors. If you are interested in hosting one of the eight APS CUWiP in January 2016 at your institution, please see this website for application guidelines (deadline is November 1, 2014):

http://www.aps.org/programs/women/workshops/cuwip-host.cfm

10. Future Faculty Workshop at the University of Michigan
From: WIPHYS Posting for Oct 23, 2014

The NextProf Science 2015 Workshop (May 26−29, 2015, at the University of Michigan) is designed to encourage talented scientists with a demonstrated commitment to diversity to consider academia — an exciting and rewarding career. We will help you develop strategies to strengthen your ability to pursue an academic career. Travel, lodging and meals will be provided. Apply by February 28, 2015.

Learn more about NextProf here

http://sites.lsa.umich.edu/nextprof-science

11. Job Opportunities

For those interested in increasing excellence and diversity in their organizations, a list of resources and advice is here: http://www.aas.org/cswa/diversity.html#howtoincrease

-- Tenure-track Faculty Position in Computational Astrophysics, Michigan State University https://jobregister.aas.org/job_view?JobID=49159 https://jobs.msu.edu (posting 0092)

-- Tenure-track Assistant Professor of Physics, University of Arkansas at Fayetteville http://hr.uark.edu/jobdetails.asp?ListingID=7166

-- Physical Scientist with Quest University Canada http://www.questu.ca/physical_scientis_position.html

-- Tenure-track Position in Astrophysics/Astronomy, North Carolina State University http://physics.ncsu.edu/facultypositions

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Women In Astronomy

Friday, October 24, 2014

AASWOMEN Newsletter for October 24, 2014

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