AAS Committee on the Status of Women
Weekly issue of February 18, 2005
eds. Patricia Knezek, Jim Ulvestad, & Lisa Frattare
This week's issues:
1. Pasadena Recommendations
i. Correction
ii. Varied Career Paths
2. Fascinating commentary on National Public Radio Feb. 14
3. Transcript of Harvard President Larry Summers' remarks available
4. Three University Chiefs Chide Summers on Remarks
5. National Council for Research on Women Issues 2 Action Calls
6. Speaker's Guide
7. Radio series on women in science
8. The Culture of the Cavendish
*** FOLLOWING POSITION WAS TAKEN FROM WIPHYS ***
9. Instructional Support Specialist, SUNY Buffalo
10. How to submit, subscribe, or unsubscribe to AASWOMEN
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1. Pasadena Recommendations
i. Correction
ii. Varied Career Paths
From: Committee on the Status of Women in Astronomy
i. Correction
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It was brought to the CSWA's attention on January 21, 2005 by Ivan King
(astro.washington.edu>) that we had not quite gotten the history of
the CSWA correct in the "Context" section of the Pasadena Recommendations.
He passed along an account written by Sue Simkin. We have now incorporated
the historical account into the first paragraph of the "Context" section to
more accurately reflect the sequence of events. The new first paragraph is
provided below, and we have updated the version on our website, see:
http://www.aas.org/~cswa/ . We would very much like to thank Ivan King for
bringing this to our attention, and urge everyone to download the corrected
version.
Context (first paragraph only)
********
In 1972, the AAS established a working group on the status of women in
astronomy, and followed in 1978 with the formation of an ad hoc committee on
the status of women. The principle recommendation of the latter group was
the appointment of a standing Committee on the Status of Women. This
Committee on the Status of Women was established in June 1979, to monitor
the status of women in the field of astronomy and to recommend changes to
improve it. In 1992, a seminal meeting on Women in Astronomy was held in
Baltimore, Maryland. This conference led to the Baltimore Charter for Women
in Astronomy, which offered a rationale for and steps toward gender equity
in astronomy. The Baltimore Charter was based on input from the astronomical
community, and the American Astronomical Society endorsed its goals in
January 1994. In the ensuing decade many institutions recognized that there
are impediments to the success of women in science and have developed
strategies to increase diversity. The Committee is encouraged by the progress
that has been made but recognizes that major inequalities still exist.
Consequently, a second meeting on Women in Astronomy was held in Pasadena,
California, in June 2003. Participants assessed the progress for women in
science, offered insights into causes of the slower advancement of women, and
discussed strategies to accelerate the achievement of equality.
ii. Varied Career Paths
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As stated in previous 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 varied career paths.
C. Varied Career Paths
**************************
Many, if not most, professional astronomers in the U.S. are employed in
positions other than tenure-track positions at major research universities.
Examples are employment at national or private observatories, NASA centers
and contractors, science data centers, colleges that do not grant Ph.D.s,
planetaria, industry, or in various roles in science or university
management. The paths to these roles typically are not well understood, nor
are the opportunities available to develop skills that are useful in these
various types of positions.
Recommendations
****************
1. Academic departments should encourage outside training in non-research
fields, such as program/project management or science policy, in order to
prepare their students for the possibility of future careers in managing a
variety of scientific endeavors. This may include, for example, courses
outside the academic department or department seminars given by people in
various related careers.
2. Educational institutions that are co-located with related industrial
employers, research institutions, or observatories should establish
specific programs that enable students to "cross-train" between the
university and the other organizations. Likewise, informal and formal
science discussions, mentoring groups, seminars and colloquia, etc. at
these professional institutions should have an open door policy and
encourage student participation.
3. Mentoring programs such as that recommended in the section on "Career
Advancement and Recognition" should include discussions and explorations of
options outside the traditional faculty progression; astronomy departments
should work with their university's career development centers, and with
their own graduates, to provide information about these options to their
undergraduate and graduate students.
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2. Fascinating commentary on National Public Radio Feb. 14
From: Douglas Duncan dduncan
colorado.edu
[This commentary, along with a number of others dealing with the same
topic, can be found by searching on the name "Daniel Ferri" on the NPR
website, www.npr.org . - Eds.]
February 14, on the NPR program “All Things Considered,” Chicago teacher
Daniel Ferri gave a commentary, “A Teacher's Efforts to Create Gender
Parity in Class.” It was a fascinating story about what happened when a
newspaper came to interview, “two boys and two girls about science.” As
a thoughtful teacher, he prepared well… and failed. The issues he talks
about in his 8th grade class certainly show up among college students, and
especially if you teach I recommend you listen to his experience.
Mr. Ferri does commentary at the same station I did: WBEZ, Chicago. You can
hear the recording by going to www.npr.org. Click on “All things
considered” (left column) which brings you to the ATC page, then click
“previous shows” (upper right) to get to Feb. 14. I expect to get a copy
from Mr. Ferri as well as his permission to use it in workshops.
Doug Duncan
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3. Transcript of Harvard President Larry Summers' remarks available
[A number of people provided us with the links to the remarks made by
Harvard President Larry Summers at the NBER Conference on Diversifying the
Science & Engineering Workforce, as well as his opening remarks to the
Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences a month later. - Eds]
Remarks at NBER Conference on Diversifying the Science & Engineering Workforce
http://www.president.harvard.edu/speeches/2005/nber.html
Opening Remarks of President Summers at the February 15 FAS Faculty Meeting
http://www.president.harvard.edu/speeches/2005/meeting.html
>And from WIPHYS of February 18, 2005:
See also article in NYTimes of February 18, 2005, "Furor Lingers as Harvard
Chief Gives Details of Talk on Women"
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/18/education/18harvard.html?hp&ex=1108789200&en=faa0d908394b896d&ei=5094&partner=homepage
(NOTE: The Women in Science and Engineering Leadership Institute at the Univ.
of Wisconsin-Madison continues to maintain an excellent list of articles on
this subject. http://wiseli.engr.wisc.edu/news/Summers.htm )
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4. Three University Chiefs Chide Summers on Remarks
>From WIPHYS of February 14, 2005
"In a highly unusual move, the presidents of the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, Princeton University, and Stanford University have written an
essay critical of remarks last month by Harvard President Lawrence H.
Summers that biological differences may help explain why fewer women than
men succeed at the top ranks of science and engineering."
From the Boston Globe, February 12, 2005:
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2005/02/12/3_university_chiefs_chide_summers_on_remarks/?rss_id=Boston+Globe+--+National+News
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5. National Council for Research on Women Issues 2 Action Calls
>From WIPHYS of February 11, 2005
[Note the deadline of February 22, 2005 for the second call to action - Eds.]
Linda Basch (lbaschncrw.org), President of the National Council for
Research on Women (www.ncrw.org), shares these two calls to action:
1. Harvard President Delivers Egregious Remarks on Women in Math and
Science. In response to President Lawrence Summers' suggestion that women
are innately less qualified than men to succeed in math and science careers,
NCRW has broadcast some of the important findings of our report, Balancing
the Equation: Where Are the Women and Girls in Science, Engineering, and
Technology? in the January 24 San Francisco Chronicle. The report, which
draws from the work of 46 Member Centers, demonstrates conclusively the
external barriers to women's success in these arenas. It calls for systemic
change and a long-term commitment to advancing women in the sciences and
technology, beginning in kindergarten and continuing throughout women's
careers. Co-signed by Board Chair Jan Holmgren and Linda Basch, NCRW's
op-ed is available online at
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2005/01/28/EDGD5B104O1.DTL
Add your voice! Write a letter to President Summers:.
President Lawrence Summers
Harvard University
Massachusetts Hall
Cambridge, MA 02138
lawrence_summersharvard.edu
Send NCRW a copy at ncrwncrw.org and we will post it on the
Research-For-Action Clearinghouse.
2. Bureau of Labor Statistics Announces Plans to Stop Collecting Data on
Women. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has recently announced that it plans
to stop collecting data on female employees from 300,000 companies.
Economists consider this survey, the Current Employment Statistics (CES)
program, the most reliable source for monitoring changes in month-to-month
employment. The survey tracks employment figures, hours and earnings by
gender and identifies the number of jobs gained and lost for women and men.
As a result, this data reveal critical information about women in the
workplace, on how economic recessions or recoveries affect women and men
differently.
Last year the BLS quietly tried to implement this change, ending the
collection of information about women in the CES survey. But when their
efforts were made public, advocates and researchers joined in an outcry. The
Bureau has since backtracked and delayed the change, giving Congress a
60-day comment period. More than 50 Congressional Representatives from both
sides of the aisle have mobilized to protest.
Let's join together to urge the BLS to continue to provide reliable, gender
disaggregated data on workers. As the Institute for Women's Policy
Research's Heidi Hartmann has noted, we need this data not only to track the
progress and impediments to women workers, but to inform sound public policy.
To learn more about this issue, read IWPR's statement
(http://www.iwpr.org/IWPRStatementonBLS.pdf), and our own MisInformation
Clearinghouse blog (http://www.ncrw.org/misinfo/misinfo_15.htm).
Add your voice! The BLS is currently accepting public comments on its Plan
until February 22. We encourage you to visit the BLS website at
http://www.bls.gov/ or contact your representative (call toll free at
1-800-839-5276 and ask for your member of congress), and demand that this
important information remain available. You can also send your comments
directly to the BLS at the following address:
Amy Hobby, BLS Clearance Officer, Div of Management Systems
Bureau of Labor Statistics, RM 2080
2 Massachusetts Avenue NE
Washington, DC 20212
Telephone: 202-691-7628
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6. Speaker's Guide
>From WIPHYS of February 11, 2005
See "The Woman Physicist's Guide to Speaking", by Heidi Newberg,
Physics Today, February 2005, p. 54
http://www.aip.org/pt/ (requires subscription)
Leonard Finegold
leonard.x.finegolddrexel.edu
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7. Radio series on women in science
>From WIPHYS of February 17, 2005
WAMC has produced two radio series the issue of gender equity in science,
technology, engineering and mathematics, HER-STORY: Women Pioneers in
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics-THEN and NOW. You can link
to this radio series and informative website www.womeninscience.org . Funded
by the NSF, these radio series are now airing nationally on 51% and The Best
of Our Knowledge and are available for listening on-line at
www.womeninscience.org.
-HER-STORY: THEN features 26 two-minute modules narrated by actress Kate
Mulgrew (internationally known for her role as Captain Kathryn Janeway in the
popular television series, Star Trek Voyager) that trace the lives of women
scientists and engineers from ancient Egypt, to modern day Troy, New York.
These women, despite the significant social barriers against them, overcame
the odds and made remarkable achievements in science and technology.
-HER-STORY: NOW features 13 full-length stories about award-winning programs
and projects working to encourage and assist young women today in pursuing
education and careers in science and technology. Highlights include, Sistahs
In Science, a Mt. Holyoke College program offering peer mentoring and
workshops to increase academic and career success; MentorNet, the national
electronic network for female students in engineering and science, linking
students with industry and research professionals; and more.
Both radio series can be heard on-line at the Women In Science, Technology,
Engineering and Mathematics ON THE AIR! website at www.womeninscience.org.
For more information about this radio series and the Women In Science,
Technology, Engineering & Mathematics ON THE AIR! website, please contact
Deborah Wertheim/WAMC's Women In Science info line at 518-465-5233, x169 or
womeninsciencewamc.org.
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8. The Culture of the Cavendish
>From WIPHYS of February 18, 2005
Have a look of this interesting bit:
"The culture of the Cavendish was strongly paternalistic. Rutherford took
fatherly care of his students and imposed strict limits on their hours of
work. Every evening at six o'clock the laboratory was closed and all work
had to stop. Four times every year, the laboratory was closed for two weeks
of vacation. Rutherford believed that scientists were more creative if
they spent evenings relaxing with their families and enjoyed frequent
holidays. He was probably right. Working under his rules, an astonishingly
high proportion of his students, including Cockcroft and Walton, won Nobel
Prizes."
It is from http://www.nybooks.com/articles/17752 . The New York Review of
Books, Volume 52, Number 3, February 24, 2005, "Seeing the Unseen", by
Freeman J. Dyson. He reviewed "The Fly in the Cathedral: How a Group of
Cambridge Scientists Won the International Race to Split the Atom", by Brian
Cathcart, and "A Sense of the Mysterious: Science and the Human Spirit", by
Alan Lightman.
(Thanks to Anneli Aitta a.aittadamtp.cam.ac.uk for this item!)
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9. Instructional Support Specialist, SUNY Buffalo
>From WIPHYS of February 15, 2005
The Department of Physics has an opening for an instructional laboratory
support staff position. This is a full time (twelve month) professional
staff position starting August 1, 2005. The position entails responsibilities
for supervising Graduate Teaching Assistants in the introductory
undergraduate laboratory courses, and for developing new experiments. The
position will also involve assisting faculty in the instruction of upper
level undergraduate and graduate laboratories, as well as in the development
of new experiments. Minimum qualifications include a Masters degree in
physics, and at least three years experience in teaching and/or managing
physics laboratories. The candidate will be expected to have familiarity with
Microsoft Office Suite software. Applicants should have good supervisory and
communication skills. Salary is competitive and will depend on experience.
Send letter of interest and resume to Professor A. Petrou, Chair,
Instructional Support Search Committee, by the deadline of April 1, 2005.
Candidates are encouraged to submit applications by email to
ISS-searchphysics.buffalo.edu (PDF format is preferred). Mail applications
to: Department of Physics, University at Buffalo, The State University of
New York, Buffalo, NY 14260-1500. Applications received by the deadline date
will be given full consideration. Applications will continue to be reviewed
until the position is filled.
The University at Buffalo is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action
Employer/Recruiter. We especially welcome applications from qualified members
of protected groups.
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