CSWA Endorsement Policy Finalized

By Committee on the Status of Women in Astronomy

Credit: NASA/JHUAPL/SwRI

The Committee on the Status of Women in Astronomy (CSWA) is charged with recommending actions to the AAS Board of Trustees that can improve the status of women in astronomy. One way that we accomplish this is to support individuals or groups that are working on or developing projects that align with our mission. The Committee recently adopted a policy clarifying our recommendations on proposals for projects or activities that we can endorse or support.

AASWomen Newsletter for March 13, 2020

AAS Committee on the Status of Women
Issue of March 13, 2020
eds: JoEllen McBride, Nicolle Zellner, Heather Flewelling, Maria Patterson, and Alessandra Aloisi

Mary Golda Ross, from Item 3.
Image credit: SWE Photograph Collection,
Walter P. Reuther Library

This week's issues:

1. Two-Body Problem Series: Priorities Change

2. Nominate your colleagues for DPS Prizes!

3. Honoring the women who helped humans go to space

4. Research: To Reduce Gender Bias, Anonymize Job Applications

5. Elsevier global analysis on gender gap in research and innovation

6. An interesting Kickstarter project...

7. Astronomy's continuing harassment problem

8. These 10 National Parks Wouldn't Exist Without Women

9. Women with career gaps are being tapped for talent pool

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

Two-Body Problem Series: Priorities Change

By JoEllen McBride

Credit: Tod Strohmayer (GSFC), CXC, NASA
Illustration: Dana Berry (CXC)

This entry in the two-body problem series is an account of one person’s experience navigating the academic track with their partner. For context, the people in the relationship are cisgender and heterosexual. If you would like to contribute your own story to this series, please contact us at wia-blog at lists.aas.org.

A few months ago I spoke with Kim-Vy Tran, a professor of astrophysics at New South Wales University, about her experiences with the 2-body problem. She agreed to have our conversation posted on the blog. It has been edited for clarity and to remove our discussions on being a cat mom. We can share that in a later post (only kidding).

AASWomen Newsletter for March 06, 2020

Image credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/PSU/L. Townsley et al; Optical: UKIRT; Infrared: NASA/JPL-Caltech

AAS Committee on the Status of Women
Issue of March 06, 2020
eds: JoEllen McBride, Nicolle Zellner, Heather Flewelling, Maria Patterson, and Alessandra Aloisi

This week's issues:

1. Meet Your CSWA, Patricia Knezek

2. National Academies report on women in STEM

3. On This Day in Women's Science History

4. Podcast: How to promote your recently-published paper

5. Short Wave Celebrates Black Excellence In Science

6. This Is Why There Are So Few Black Physicists And Astronomers (And How To Fix It)

7. The indomitable Toshiko Mayeda

8. Save the Date: 2020 Action Collaborative Summit on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education

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

Meet Your CSWA, Patricia Knezek

Patricia Knezek joined NSF in 2013 and served as the Deputy Division Director of Astronomical Sciences, and then as a Senior Advisor in Mathematical & Physical Sciences. She spent time in Advanced Cyberinfrastructure and the Office of Diversity & Inclusion. She is now beginning her third year on assignment to NASA HQ in the Astrophysics Division. Prior to joining the NSF, she had been at NOAO as a staff scientist since 2001.

Pat has been active in issues of diversity and inclusion for her entire career. She previously served on CSWA, where some of her activities have included leading the development of “Equity Now! The Pasadena Recommendations for Gender Equality in Astronomy” and launching (with Rachel Ivie of the American Institute of Physics) the ad hoc group that developed the Longitudinal Study of Astronomy Graduate Students. Currently, she is co-chair of the CSWA and also a member of the AAS Ethics Task Force.

AASWomen Newsletter For February 28, 2020

Left: Angelou Crater on Mercury. Right: Portrait of Maya Angelou by Steve Dunwell (images from item # 3)

AAS Committee on the Status of Women
Issue of February 28, 2020
eds: JoEllen McBride, Nicolle Zellner, Heather Flewelling, Maria Patterson, and Alessandra Aloisi

This week's issues:

1. Rest in Power Katherine Johnson

2. NASA Dual-Anonymous Peer Review Town Hall

3. Memorialized on Mercury: A Monument to the Life and Work of Maya Angelou

4. 37 Women Who’ve Upended Science, Tech, and Engineering For the Better

5. Astronomy Expands Its Scope From the Heavens to Humans

6. The woman who explained the stars

7. Study: Gender Inequality Persists in Science Careers and Publishing

8. The Activist Group MeTooSTEM Is Facing Allegations Of Harassment Against Its Own Leader

9. ‘The spark has ignited.’ Latin American scientists intensify fight against sexual harassment

10. Women's History Month event on Science, Sex, and Gender

11. How to Submit to the AASWOMEN newsletter

12. How to Subscribe or Unsubscribe to the AASWOMEN newsletter

13. Access to Past Issues of the AASWOMEN newsletter

Rest in Power Katherine Johnson

Image credit NASA

It is always difficult when a hero passes on. But celebrating their accomplishments, and the path they paved for others, is a great way to empower future generations of scientists. Katherine Johnson, a NASA mathematician whose calculations help send astronauts into Earth orbit and eventually to the Moon, passed away earlier this week. Her legacy was brought to public attention in the book and film Hidden Figures. Her story shows us what humans could accomplish if we created environments that were inclusive and supportive. Imagine the strides we could take to discover new worlds, uncover what dark matter is, or travel the galaxy if all people had a seat at the computer and telescope. The AIP recently released the results from the National Task Force to Elevate African American representation in Undergraduate Physics & Astronomy (TEAM-UP) which identifies five factors responsible for the success or failure of African American students in physics and astronomy. This is a starting point to understand and change the systemic barriers that people of color face in our fields. The CSWA is also compiling our Actions for a More Inclusive Astronomy which was presented as an iPoster at the 235th AAS Meeting in the hopes of creating such an environment.