Dr. Shellie

Women are doing great work in science and engineering. Unfortunately, the percentage of women in certain fields is still quite low, particularly in academic positions. (For example, women make up only about 10% of the faculty in physics departments granting PhD’s.) Making science departments more welcoming to women and minorities will result in a better working environment for everyone. 

Fortunately, a number of great initiatives are in place to do just this. Some of the main issues are to:

• Insure equal recognition for equal work. See, for example, the MIT Report on Women Faculty and Prof. Virginia Valian’s excellent tutorials on how gender influences our evaluations of ourselves and others.
• Encourage all students to actively participate in classroom activities in research, particularly talented students with low initial confidence. See for example, Dr. Sheila Tobias’ work on inclusiveness in science education.
• Value scientific contributions and content, not aggressiveness and self-confidence. Teach scientific communication skills and conflict resolution techniques.
• Promote role models for women and minorities in science and engineering. Break the public image of the scientists as a “nerdy guy in thick, black-rimmed glasses.” See for example the Women in Science poster project and the National Academy of Science’s “I was wondering” website.
• Work to accommodate dual-career issues and hiring concerns, which disproportionately affect women scientists. See for example, this survey.
• Develop university policies to accommodate childbirth and parental child-care responsibilities. The tenure-track years coincide exactly with women’s prime child-bearing years.