AAS Committee on the Status of Women
Issue of January 28, 2005
eds. Patricia Knezek, Jim Ulvestad, & Lisa Frattare
This week's issues:
1. Pasadena Recommendations - Tenure-Track Hiring
2. Baltimore Sun on Summers
3. Who is good at math?
4. Women in Science - President of MIT Speaks Out
5. Sex and Science (from Newsweek)
6. New Book
7. Importance of Role Models
8. FORWARD to Professorship Workshop
*** FOLLOWING POSITIONS WERE TAKEN FROM WIPHYS ***
9. APS Scholarship for Minority Undergraduate Physics Majors
10. Summer REU for Undergrads at University of Iowa
11. NASA Summer Resident Program
12. Clare Boothe Luce Fellowship
13. Assistant Professor, Tenure-Track, Physics Dept., Millersville Univ.
14. How to submit, subscribe, or unsubscribe to AASWOMEN
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1. Pasadena Recommendations - Tenure-Track Hiring
From: Committee on the Status of Women in Astronomy
As stated in issues of AASWOMEN, we will be using this space to provide
the text of the Pasadena Recommendations on Equity in Astronomy, endorsed
by the AAS Council on January 9, 2005. In this edition, we give the
recommendations on tenure-track hiring:
A. TENURE-TRACK HIRING
**********************
Traditional hiring practices may work against women as candidates for
tenure-track positions in research universities, large national
observatories, and scientific institutes. Statistics show that the
fraction of women in the tenure-track pool has increased over the last
two decades, but the fraction of women in tenure-track positions has not
grown commensurately. It is the clear responsibility of research
organizations to take affirmative steps to ensure that all viable
candidates for tenure-track positions are identified and given equal
opportunity both for hiring and success. While specifically calling out
tenure-track hiring as an area of immediate concern, we recognize that the
same practices should be applied to hiring for all positions. In this
spirit, we make the following recommendations to these organizations.
RECOMMENDATIONS
***************
1. Ensure that all search committees for tenure-track positions contain
two or more members whose specific task is to advocate for consideration
of candidates from groups that are underrepresented in astronomy.
2. Require that search committees be informed about what constitutes
legal and ethical hiring practices.
3. Actively recruit women to apply for tenure-track positions.
4. Develop policies encouraging flexible means of accommodating
dual-career couples.
5. Require accountability in the hiring process, using appropriate
institutional channels, so that results are commensurate with the possible
candidate pool.
6. If two candidates for the same position have equal qualifications within
the uncertainties, the candidate from the underrepresented group should be
hired.
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2. Baltimore Sun on Summers
From: Amy Simon-Miller simon
lepasm.gsfc.nasa.gov
[Links to two articles from the Baltimore Sun, with differing opinions
about the recent remarks by the President of Harvard. Please note that the
links wrap across multiple lines, so a little cutting and pasting will be
necessary to get to the articles. For those who wish to follow the
ongoing editorial wars, please see the WISELI web site at
http://wiseli.engr.wisc.edu/news/Summers.htm --eds.]
"What was the president of Harvard thinking?" By Susan Reimer
http://www.baltimoresun.com/features/bal-to.reimer25jan25,1,
948590.column?coll=bal-home-columnists
"Harvard no haven for academic freedom" By Steve Chapman
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bal-op.chapman25jan25,1,
2990796.story?coll=bal-oped-headlines
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3. Who is good at math?
From: Sangeeta Malhotra sanstsci.edu
All this flap about whether boys or girls are better at math reminds me
of my father's words. I once complained to him that I was no good at
math. As a father and a math teacher his reply was "Nobody is good at
math, we all have to work hard at it". Maybe his statement is wrong,
but it was the right thing to say to a child.
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4. Women in Science - President of MIT Speaks Out
From: WIPHYS of January 28, 2005
"President Hockfield speaks out on issue of women in science and
engineering" - MIT News Office, 1/25/05
The topic of women in science and engineering fields has been prominent in
the news during the past week, following comments by Harvard President
Lawrence Summers on this subject and his subsequent announcement that
Harvard would take a proactive stance in recruiting and supporting women
faculty in their careers there. Because of the leadership that MIT has
shown in this regard, the Institute has been prominently mentioned in many
of the articles, and many members of the MIT community have asked
about the current status of women faculty and students here.
http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2005/print/gender-equity-print.html
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5. Sex and Science (from Newsweek)
From: Connie Walker cwalkernoao.edu
[Abstract from Science in the News. The full article also is available
through the WISELI link given in item 2 above. --eds.]
Jan. 31 issue - When Amber Post started grad school in physics at
Princeton, her goal was the same as her male colleagues': a tenure-track
job at a major university. Now with her Ph.D. just a year away, Post is
thinking instead about working for a policymaking agency in Washington.
Even though Princeton is generally welcoming to female scientists (the
president, Shirley Tilghman, is a molecular biologist), Post, 25, senses
that her reception in the larger academic world might be chillier. At elite
universities, the percentage of women earning doctorates in science and
engineering is considerably higher than the percentage of women professors?
which means that a lot of talented women Ph.D.s like Post leave campus for
jobs in government or industry instead of climbing the faculty ladder.
http://snipurl.com/cb5b
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6. New Book
From: Andrea Schweitzer schweitzfrii.com
[A review of this book appeared in Publishers Weekly, but given the
attached copyright notice, we are publishing the title and author of this
book about women, gays, and macho rocket scientists. It's easily found
through on-line bookstores, but the links are far too long to publish
here. --eds.]
ASTRO TURF
The Private Life of Rocket Science
By M.G. Lord
Walker. 259 pp. $24
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7. Importance of Role Models
From: WIPHYS of January 24, 2005
The Royal Society has been evaluating its programs involving young people
and role models in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and
has found, as their report below describes, that contact with a role model
can influence a young person to consider going into a STEM career:
http://www.royalsoc.ac.uk/news.asp?id=2881
We have observed the same effect in surveys of many Expanding Your
Horizons conferences for 6-12th grade young women, but it helps justify
our EYH strategy to have such an august institution as the Royal Society
(the UK equivalent of a national academy of science) observe it
themselves. If you read the page below you will see the actual statistics,
only 157 young people were surveyed, a drop in the ocean compared to EYH
statistics, but never mind. They also surveyed over 1000 scientists and
found a large percentage of them had been influenced early on by an
inspirational individual. This page is part of a Good Practices guide the
Royal Society has drawn up for projects trying to get more young people
to enter STEM careers, it is informative.
http://www.royalsoc.ac.uk/page.asp?id=2785
Note the qualities of a good role model: "Many of the young people
interviewed said that gender and ethnic background were not the most
important factors in a good role model. Qualities which were regarded as
important included the ability to break down difficult concepts into
manageable chunks, enthusiasm, friendliness and informality."
Cherrill Spencer
Stanford Linear Accelerator Center.
cherrillslac.stanford.edu
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8. FORWARD to Professorship Workshop
From: Yell Inverso forward.officegallaudet.edu
You and other members of your organization are invited to apply for the
FORWARD to Professorship Workshop, sponsored in part by a grant for the
National Science Foundation. The Workshop will be held May 18 to 20 2005,
in Washington DC.
For additional information please check
http://student.seas.gwu.edu/~forward/advance/
FORWARD in SEM: Focus on Reaching Women for Academics, Research and is a
joint program of the George Washington and Gallaudet Universities, and
is funded by a National Science Foundation ADVANCE leadership award.
This workshop is provided for women and minorities who may be considering,
or are currently in, a tenure track position in science, engineering or
mathematics. The 2-1/2 day workshop will focus on skills, strategies and
"insider information" necessary to obtain a tenure-track position, to
succeed in one and advance to other positions of leadership. This is also
an opportunity to network and meet peers.
Any questions, please contact Yell Inverso at
forward.officegallaudet.edu
Yell Inverso, Au.D., candidate
Gallaudet University
FORWARD in SEM
Conference Logistics Coordinator
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9. APS Scholarship for Minority Undergraduate Physics Majors
From: WIPHYS of January 28, 2005
The Twenty-Sixth Annual Competition of the American Physical Society
Scholarship for Minority Undergraduate Physics Majors is now underway.
The goal of the program is to encourage minority students to major in
physics and graduate with physics degrees. The scholarship consists of
$2,000 for new students, and $3,000 for renewal students. The hosting
department receives $500. In addition, students will be paired with
professional physicists who will serve as mentors. Any African American,
Hispanic American, or Native American high school senior, college freshman
or sophomore, who is a US citizen or permanent resident, and who is
majoring or planning to major in physics, may apply.
We ask for your help in identifying and encouraging minority physics
students to apply for this scholarship. If you have established
relationships with any high schools, please also share this information
with them. The deadline for completed applications is February 4, 2005.
Applications and more information on this scholarship can be found at
http://www.aps.org/educ/com/scholars/index.cfm.
For questions, please contact me using the information below.
Thank you for your help,
Arlene Modeste Knowles
Outreach Programs Administrator
American Physical Society
One Physics Ellipse
College Park, MD 20740
301-209-3232
301-209-0865 fax
knowlesaps.org
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10. Summer REU for Undergrads at University of Iowa
From: WIPHYS of January 26, 2005
Undergraduates are invited to apply for the summer Research Experiences
for Undergraduates (REU) program at the University of Iowa in the
Department of Physics and Astronomy, funded by the NSF. Applicants must be
US citizens or permanent residents. The program which runs from
May 23-July 29, 2005 comes with a $3000 stipend plus room, board and a
travel allowance. In addition to research, students participate in a
scientific communications program. We are looking for a diverse group of
students. Applications (online at http://www.physics.uiowa.edu/reu/)
received by Feb. 18, 2005 will receive first priority.
For further info, please contact
Prof. Mary Hall Reno (mary-hall-renouiowa.edu)
Department of Physics and Astronomy
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA 52242
319-335-1920
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11. NASA Summer Resident Program
From: WIPHYS of January 25, 2005
[Note the almost-immediate deadline! --eds.]
The NASA Academy is an intensive summer resident program for graduate
and undergraduate students interested in pursuing professional careers
in aerospace-related fields, which emphasizes leadership and innovation.
Interested candidates should submit their applications on-line at
http://university.gsfc.nasa.gov/application/
before the January 31,2005 deadline. We strongly encourage
women, minorities and people with disabilities to apply.
Appreciatively,
La Vida Cooper
2005 NASA Academy Diversity Committee
lcooperpop500.gsfc.nasa.gov
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12. Clare Boothe Luce Fellowship
From: WIPHYS of January 26, 2005
The Department of Physics and Astronomy at Johns Hopkins University will
be offering a Clare Boothe Luce Fellowship provided by the Henry Luce
Foundation. Please share this message with your female graduating seniors
who are interested in further studies.
The Fellowship will be awarded to an outstanding female graduate applicant
who plans to begin doctoral study in the Fall of 2005. To be eligible, the
applicant must be a US citizen and must indicate on the application
materials that she is applying for the Clare Boothe Luce Fellowship. The
Fellowship covers the stipend, tuition, benefits and other expenses for a
period of two academic years. The recipients will be identified as Clare
Boothe Luce Graduate Fellows.
Johns Hopkins University has a strong emphasis on graduate studies and
research, with high quality graduate programs in astronomy, high energy
physics, and condensed matter physics. For application information, please
see http://www.pha.jhu.edu/ .
Clare Boothe Luce, the widow of Henry R. Luce, was a playwright,
journalist, U.S. Ambassador to Italy, and the first woman elected to
Congress from Connecticut. She appreciated, however, that many women face
obstacles in their chosen professions. By establishing this program, she
sought to encourage women to enter, study, graduate, and teach in the
sciences, engineering and mathematics.
Jonathan Bagger, Chair
Henry A. Rowland Dept. of Physics & Astronomy
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore MD 21218
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13. Assistant Professor, Tenure-Track, Physics Dept., Millersville Univ.
From: WIPHYS of January 26, 2005
Beginning August 2005. Our solely undergraduate department consists of
seven full-time and one part-time faculty, as well as one technician.
We serve over 700 students annually and have graduated an average of
above nine physics majors per year for the past ten years. We are
located in the recently completed Caputo Hall and the newly renovated
Roddy Hall. Additional information about our department can be found at
www.millersville.edu/~physics
We require a Ph.D. in physics or astronomy with expertise in theoretical
astrophysics that engages observational areas such as stellar and
galactic evolution, planetary system formation, or cosmic ray bursts.
The successful candidate must have a demonstrated record of successful
undergraduate physics teaching and research interests that can involve
senior physics majors. We furthermore expect the candidate to be
prepared to teach within the full range of theoretical, experimental,
and computational undergraduate courses in physics including large
section introductory astronomy. A successful interview and colloquium
presentation are required. Tenure and advancement will depend on quality
teaching and continued scholarly activity.
No electronic submissions will be accepted. Send a cover letter, resume,
copies of graduate and undergraduate transcripts, and have three recent
original letters of recommendation sent by references to:
Dr. John Dooley
Department of Physics/PA0105
Millersville University
P.O. Box 1002
Millersville, PA 17551-0302
In your letter, please explicitly document that you meet the requirements
for this position and discuss how you anticipate integrating your research
with your teaching. Full consideration given to applications received by
February 28, 2005.
An EO/AA Institution
www.millersville.edu
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