Friday, February 25, 2022

AASWomen February 25 2022

AAS Committee on the Status of Women
From Item 3
AAS Committee on the Status of Women
Issue of February 25, 2022
eds: Heather Flewelling, Nicolle Zellner, Alessandra Aloisi, Jeremy Bailin and Sethanne Howard

[We hope you all are taking care of yourselves and each other. Be well! --eds.]

This week's issues:

1. Pandemic-related barriers to the success of women in research: a framework for action

2. The giant plan to track diversity in research journals

3. Confidence and Curiosity: 5 Tips for Girl-Friendly Engagement

4. Core memory weavers and Navajo women made the Apollo missions possible

5. How the Smithsonian Is Honoring Remarkable American Women

6. How to Submit to the AASWOMEN newsletter

7. How to Subscribe or Unsubscribe to the AASWOMEN newsletter

8. Access to Past Issues

An online version of this newsletter will be available at http://womeninastronomy.blogspot.com/ at 3:00 PM ET every Friday.

Friday, February 18, 2022

AASWomen February 18 2022

AAS Committee on the Status of Women AAS Committee on the Status of Women
Issue of February 18, 2022

eds: Heather Flewelling, Nicolle Zellner, Alessandra Aloisi, Jeremy Bailin and Sethanne Howard

[We hope you all are taking care of yourselves and each other. Be well! --eds.]

This week's issues:

1. Crosspost: Pioneering Women of Color in STEM You Might Never Have Heard Of (Plus a Quiz on Black Women in STEM!)

2. Celebrating Black Excellence In Planetary Science

3. Meet the IAU Astronomers | Special Edition

4. Rescheduled: Review of the NASA Hubble Fellowship Program (NHFP)

5. The "present and future of astronomy"

6. Smithsonian Honors Female Scientists With 120 Bright Orange Statues

7. Job Opportunities

8. How to Submit to the AASWOMEN newsletter

9. How to Subscribe or Unsubscribe to the AASWOMEN newsletter

10. Access to Past Issues

An online version of this newsletter will be available at http://womeninastronomy.blogspot.com/ at 3:00 PM ET every Friday.

Thursday, February 17, 2022

Crosspost: 5 Pioneering Women of Color in STEM You Might Never Have Heard Of (Plus a Quiz on Black Women in STEM!)

Talented mathematician, Katherine G. Johnson, works on complex orbital mechanics calculations at NASA Langley Research Center. Her work was pivotal to the success of the 1969 moon landing. Credit: Bob Nye/NASA
Science and technology have transformed our lives in unimaginable ways and, thanks to science, what's previously seems impossible can become a reality. Who would have thought a century ago, for example, that people on opposite sides of the world could communicate easily in real time with something so small it fits in a pocket? 

In the health sector, science has made huge strides in diagnosis, testing, and medication. It’s science that sent men (although no women yet) to the moon; that’s recognized and amplified the effects of climate change and solutions to help prevent it; that innovates disease- and weather-resistant crops; and so much more. 

Behind many of these incredible scientific discoveries are people who have put years of research, time, energy, and resources into improving lives. Amazing individuals focusing their efforts on making life better for the next person, the next community, and the next generation to come.

But when you think of a scientist, what do you picture? Is it an Albert Einstein-esque white man in a lab coat? Because you might be surprised to know that, from space travel to climate change, many of the huge scientific achievements of our age were made by women of color, women whose names and accomplishments have gone unnoticed for far too long. 

Meanwhile, the issue of gender inequality in science continues to be an obstacle for women and girls today. In fact, just 35% of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students in higher education are women. This is particularly alarming, as highlighted by UNESCO, because STEM careers are often referred to as "jobs of the future", those that drive innovation, social well-being, inclusive growth, and sustainable development. 

So in commemoration of International Day of Women and Girls in Science, on Feb. 11, we want to introduce you to five incredible women of color who have shaped (and are still shaping) the course of history through science. What’s more, you can also click here to take our quiz to find out more about the remarkable achievements of the women below. 

Read each of the profiles for these five incredible women of color in STEM—ranging from environmental science to physics—at: https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/women-of-color-in-STEM-to-know/ 

Friday, February 11, 2022

AASWomen Newsletter for February 11, 2022

AAS Committee on the Status of Women AAS Committee on the Status of Women
Issue of February 11, 2022

eds: Heather Flewelling, Nicolle Zellner, Alessandra Aloisi, Jeremy Bailin and Sethanne Howard

[We hope you all are taking care of yourselves and each other. Be well! --eds.]
From Item 4

This week's issues:

1. Crosspost: Physics Conference Creates Positive Experience for Kassaye, Stapley

2. An Open Call for Guest Blog Posts

3. Crosspost: U.N. leaders decry gender gap in STEM fields on Int'l Day of Women and Girls in Science

4. International Day of Women and Girls in Science - Feb 11

5. Report on NASA Astrophysics Inclusion Plan Pilot now available

6. Promoting mathematics to girls in Ghana

7. Meet 10 women with great science ideas

8. Job Opportunities

9. How to Submit to the AASWOMEN newsletter

10. How to Subscribe or Unsubscribe to the AASWOMEN newsletter

11. Access to Past Issues

An online version of this newsletter will be available at http://womeninastronomy.blogspot.com/ at 3:00 PM ET every Friday.

Crosspost: U.N. leaders decry gender gap in STEM fields on Int'l Day of Women and Girls in Science

Written by Doug Cunningham for UPI

Out of over 600 Nobel Prize laureates in STEM fields, women account for just 3% of the awardees, despite making invaluable contributions to science research. 

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and other U.N. leaders on Friday highlighted a gender gap in science, math, engineering and technology fields on International Day of Women and Girls in Science.

The U.N. chief emphasized that just one in three researchers in science and engineering are women.

"Structural and societal barriers prevent women and girls from entering and advancing in science," he said in a statement. "This inequality is depriving our world of enormous untapped talent and innovation. We need women's perspectives to make sure science and technology work for everyone."

Guterres said that action is needed to address the gender gap, including policies that "fill classrooms" with girls studying STEM fields.

Learn more about how the UN is working to address systemic underrepresentation of women in science by reading the full article at:



Thursday, February 10, 2022

An Open Call for Guest Blog Posts

Written by Bryné Hadnott
This could be you, writing a thought-provoking blog post in an idyllic office with macarons, tea, and fresh cut flowers. #workspacegoals
Are you known for your razor sharp wit and dry sense of humor? Are you that person in your friend group who has a hot take on literally every topic? Do your posts get retweeted by random celebrities because something about your opinions just "rings true" with people? Then, good news, everyone! The Women in Astronomy Blog is looking for your thought pieces, glow ups and glow downs, and any other thoughts rattling in your brain that can be arranged into a guest blog post of around 500 words or less.

Here's a non-exhaustive list of blog post ideas to get the brain juices flowing: 
Take a look, it's in a book review (e.g., The Disordered Cosmos)
Rotten Tomatoes-style movie critique (e.g., Don’t Look Up)
I went to a cool conference talk/panel/plenary/poster session!
A week or day in the life of …
What my institution is (or isn’t) doing to address ___________
What ______ gets wrong about _______ 

Since this is the Women in Astronomy Blog, all posts should highlight folks or issues related to underrepresented gender and minority groups in physics, astronomy, and related fields. We are here for intersectionality (shout out to Kimberlé Crenshaw, J.D.) and welcome posts that recognize and address the complexity of how gender is intertwined with any and all other identities. 

Hate speech and any language used to discriminate against or maliciously target a particular group of people—particularly on the basis of race, gender, sexual orientation, or religion—are not welcome. 

With all of that in mind, to pitch a guest post, click the link here and let us know what you're thinking. 

Or, feel free to send an email with a short (< 300 words) pitch for your guest blog post, your name, and your affiliation to wia-blog@lists.aas.org. Anonymous posts will be considered on a case-by-case basis. 

Tuesday, February 8, 2022

Crosspost: Physics Conference Creates Positive Experience for Kassaye, Stapley

Written by  The College of Idaho 
The College of Idaho sophomore, Bezawit Kassaye (left), and senior Mackenzie Stapley (right) present their research on star-forming regions in the Milky Way at the January 2022 Conferences for Undergraduate Women in Physics (CUWiP).
Sophomore Bezawit Kassaye one day wants to own her own business that integrates the fashion industry with technology, which is why she’s double-majoring in computer science and business administration.

But her interest in another subject led her to an opportunity outside the classroom, as she was one of two College of Idaho students to make presentations at the 2022 Conferences for Undergraduate Women in Physics in January.

“I’ve always loved physics, that’s why I ended up taking the research opportunity,” Kassaye said. “I love physics, I am interested in astronomy, and it integrated computer science with it.”

Kassaye and senior Makenzie Stapley, a math-physics major, each presented on different aspects of the same project: research on star-forming regions within the Milky Way galaxy called Yellowballs that is led by physics professor Dr. Katie Devine. Kassaye’s presentation focused on the distance to the Yellowball regions while Stapley’s presentation focused on the colors. The conference was slated to be an in-person event but was shifted online due to COVID trends. The result was everyone presenting at one virtual conference, rather than multiple regional conferences. The volume of presentations limited the number of interactions, but both students were grateful for the opportunity.

Learn more about Kassaye and Stapley's experience at CUWiP 2022 and Dr. Devine's unique approach on mentoring undergraduate students at:

Friday, February 4, 2022

AASWomen Newsletter for February 04, 2022

AAS Committee on the Status of Women
“Beacon of Hope” by Nettrice Gaskins (2021) portraits legendary astronomer and activist Harriet Tubman (from Item 5)
AAS Committee on the Status of Women
Issue of February 04, 2022
eds: Heather Flewelling, Nicolle Zellner, Alessandra Aloisi, Jeremy Bailin and Sethanne Howard

[We hope you all are taking care of yourselves and each other. Be well! --eds.]

This week's issues:

1. Crosspost: #BlackInQuantum

2. First female director appointed for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory

3. Tana Joseph appointed Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Coordinator for Dutch astronomy

4. Carolyn Beatrice Parker, the first African-American woman to gain a postgraduate degree in physics

5. Harriet Tubman, Astronomer Extraordinaire

6. Lack of Diverse STEM Workforce a Challenge for States, U.S.

7. Survey of gender bias in the IPCC

8. Gender discrepancies in STEM

9. Join Women In Government for a Twitter Chat in honor of International Day of Women and Girls in Science: Using State Policy to Advance Women and Girls in Science

10. Webinar Series: New Horizon – Pathways For Women in Citizen Science Astronomy

11. 2022 NASA Planetary Science Summer School

12. How to Submit to the AASWOMEN newsletter

13. How to Subscribe or Unsubscribe to the AASWOMEN newsletter

14. Access to Past Issues

An online version of this newsletter will be available at http://womeninastronomy.blogspot.com/ at 3:00 PM ET every Friday.

Thursday, February 3, 2022

Crosspost: #BlackInQuantum

For well over a century, Black researchers have played an important role in quantum physics, but their contributions remain unknown, obscured by a legacy of racism that continues to affect Black students' participation in physics to this day. Credit: Symmetry Magazine

The sixth person to earn a doctoral degree in physics from an American institution was African American scientist Edward Alexander Bouchet. It was 1876, just 11 years after the US had adopted a constitutional amendment that outlawed slavery. 

Never again have African Americans made up such a large percentage of US physicists. In fact, it would take another 42 years before a second African American man earned a physics PhD in the United States. 

That was Elmer Imes, a contemporary of Albert Einstein, who earned his degree from the University of Michigan in 1918. His doctoral work established some of the earliest direct experimental evidence of quantum theory, making him a crucial historical figure in quantum physics and quantum information science. 

But the accomplishments of Black scientists like Imes and Bouchet are not well known, says Charles Brown, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, Berkeley. “Black people have been contributing to the progress of research groups for a long time, and just not really having enough of a spotlight on them… which is why when you go to Wikipedia, and you try to look people up, it's hard to find anything,” he says. 

Like Imes, Brown searches for insights into the quantum realm. And like fellow Yale graduate Bouchet, Brown finds himself in a small pool of physics PhDs: According to a survey by the American Institute of Physics, “quantum foundations and information science” ranks among the smallest subfields in physics, having granted an average of just 30 PhDs per year in 2017 and 2018. 

The US and other nations plan to grow what they’re calling the “quantum workforce,” and they’re going to need people with the right level of expertise to fill it, says Thomas Searles, an associate professor at the University of Illinois, Chicago. “There is a large issue of this new, burgeoning industry where there are going to be significant problems with the workforce and sustaining it,” he says. 

Physicists like Searles and Brown see an opportunity during this period of growth: to prioritize diversity, equity and inclusion now, rather than trying to fix more entrenched issues later. They suggest this will require confronting systemic problems in education and academia while simultaneously investing in programs that will help Black researchers succeed. 

The hope is that there will be more physicists like Imes and Bouchet. But their stories will feature fewer frustrations and more support—and people will make sure to tell them. 

Learn more about Searles and Brown's ongoing efforts to create a sense of community and recognition among Black students passionate about physics at: 
https://www.symmetrymagazine.org/article/black-in-quantum