AAS Committee on the Status of Women
Issue of July 24, 2009
eds. Joan Schmelz, Caroline Simpson & Michele Montgomery
This week's issues:
1. Astronomer Receives Fellowship to Further Racial Equality
2. Blewett Scholarship Winners Announced
3. Women on the Moon
4. Seed Grants from the ASP
5. NASA Grant for Informal Education Groups in STEM Areas
6. USRA 2010
7. IAU Women in Astronomy Meeting
8. Women in Astronomy and Space Science Meeting 2009
9. SOAR Postdoctoral Fellow
10. NRAO Assistant Scientist/A
*** FOLLOWING JOB POSTING TAKEN FROM WIPHYS ***
11. Faculty Openings, Carnegie Mellon University
12. How to Submit, Subscribe, or Unsubscribe to AASWOMEN
13. Access to Past Issues of AASWOMEN
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1. Astronomer Receives Fellowship to Further Racial Equality
From: Geoff Clayton [gclayton
fenway.phys.isu.edu]
Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy Keivan G. Stassun from
Vanderbilt University has been awarded a $50,000 fellowship from the
Fletcher Foundation to support his efforts to increase the number of
underrepresented minorities pursuing scientific careers. Stassun will
apply the award to develop a model of the Fisk-Vanderbilt
Masters-to-PhD Bridge program in collaboration with researchers at
Columbia Law Schools Center for Institutional and Social Change. In
just five years the program has attracted 30 underrepresented
minorities, 60 percent of whom are women. The program is poised to
become the top awarder of doctoral degrees to underrepresented
minorities in physics, astronomy and materials science in 2010-11. To
read more, please see
http://sitemason.vanderbilt.edu/news/releases/2009/07/23/vanderbilt-astronomer-receives-50000-fellowship-to-further-racial-equality.85011.
2. Blewett Scholarship Winners Announced
From: WIPHYS, July 20
The APS is proud to announce that three women physicists have been
awarded Blewett Scholarships for 2009.
Klejda Bega, a Post-Doctoral Associate at Columbia University, will
work to develop a novel approach to creating ultracold diatomic
molecules in optical lattices at microKelvin temperatures, and to
conduct precise measurements with these molecules. Bega, a native of
Albania, earned both her PhD (2004) and BS (1999) at California
Institute of Technology.
Marija Nikolic-Jaric, a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at the
University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, works in the field of
biomicrofluidics. The award will enable her to build on her work on
improving the detection and classification of biological cells by
investigating fundamental aspects of the effects of shear-induced
rotation of aspherical particles in the non-uniform electric field.
Nikolic-Jaric received her BSc from the University of Belgrade in 1990
and her PhD from Simon Fraser University in Vancouver in 2008.
Janice Wynn Guikema, an Associate Research Scientist in the Department
of Physics and Astronomy at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore,
Maryland, and a previous winner of a Blewett Scholarship in 2008, will
expand her research on graphene for use as a magnetic field sensor and
use scanning probe microscopy to better understand graphene. Guikema
received her BS from Cornell University in 1998 and her PhD from
Stanford University in 2004.
The Blewett Scholarship award was established by a generous bequest
from M. Hildred Blewett, a particle accelerator physicist who died in
2004. Hildred Blewett was passionate about physics and recognized
that women who have interrupted their research careers for family
reasons can face many obstacles when they try to resume that research.
The scholarship consists of a one-year award of up to $45,000 which
can be used toward dependent care, salary, travel, equipment, and
tuition and fees. Applicants are selected by a sub-committee of the
Committee on the Status of Women in Physics. Details can be found at
http://www.aps.org/programs/women/index.cfm
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3. Women on the Moon
From: 365 Days of Astronomy, Daily Podcast of the IYA
The July 12, 2009 podcast of the 365 Days of Astronomy is all about
features of the Moon, 74 of which are named for women. Highlights of
a few of these women (e.g., Maria Mitchell, Caroline Herschel,
Henrietta Leavitt) is the subject of this podcast. The podcaster is
amateur astronomer Lunar Mark who also is one of the owners of the
Wiki on Women Astronomers discussed in AASWomen July 3, 10, and 17
Newsletters. To hear this podcast, go to
http://365daysofastronomy.org/2009/07/12/july-12th-women-on-the-moon/.
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4. Seed Grants from the ASP
From: AAS Electronic Announcement #198
Thanks to the support of the Planck and Herschel Missions, the
Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP) is offering SEED Grants for
2009 to active researchers in astronomy, astrophysics, or space
science to engage in public outreach, K-14 formal education, or
informal education programs or activities. Maximum grants are $2,500;
funds may be used to purchase equipment related to the proposed EPO
activity, or to defray expenses associated with carrying out the
activity. Given the nature of the Planck and Herschel Missions, SEED
Grant proposals involving cosmology, galaxy and star formation
studies, solar system investigations, and space science will be given
special consideration. Proposal submission deadline is 31 July 2009,
with announcement of awards by 15 September 2009. To learn more and to
review the simple guidelines for proposals, go to
http://www.astrosociety.org/education/grants/grants.html.
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5. NASA Grant for Informal Education Groups in STEM Areas
From: NASA Office of Education
On July 10, NASA Office of Education, Integrated Division announced
#NNH09ZNE005N, a Competitive grant Program for Science Museums and
Planetariums. This grant is targeted to e.g., observatories,
planetariums, and informal organizations embedded in institutions of
higher education so long as the organization has a separate DUNS
number. Approximately $6 million is available for new awards. Grant
proposals are due September 10. For more information, please see
http://nspires.nasaprs.com/external/solicitations/summary.do?method=init&solId={ABA44634-8D41-50FA-6BF3-9D9EA3D4D792}&path=open.
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6. USRA 2010
From: Barbara Hammond [hammondepo.usra.edu]
The NASA Reduced Gravity Student Flight Opportunities Program provides
a unique academic experience for undergraduate students to
successfully propose, design, fabricate, fly and evaluate a reduced
gravity experiment of their choice. Application deadline, flight
dates, and other important dates for the 2010 Campaign have been
announced.
Letters of Interest (Optional) Due: September 16, 2009
Proposals Due: October 28, 2009
Announcement of Selected Teams: December 9, 2009
Information about the program and the application process can be found
on the microgravity website:
http://microgravityuniversity.jsc.nasa.gov/.
USRA Point of Contact:
Barbara Hammond
Program Manager
Education Programs Office
hammondepo.usra.edu
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7. IAU Women in Astronomy Meeting
From: iAU
The IAU XXVII GA Women in Astronomy Meeting luncheon will be held on
Monday 10 August. The WAM will run from 12.30 to 2.00pm and all IAU
delegates are invited. The meeting will be held in the SulAmerica
Convention Center, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The format of the WAM will be similar to previous meeting, with a
keynote address followed by break out groups of 10-12 who will discuss
various issues over lunch and then report back to the group over
coffee. The keynote speakers will be Duilia de Mello of the Catholic
University of America and the Goddard Space Flight Center and Thaisa
Storchi Bergmann of the Instituto de Física-Universidade Federal do
Rio Grande do Sul who will give their perspectives of life as a
Brazilian astronomer. The focus of the break out discussions will be
on the current status of women in astronomy and to recommend future
actions that will improve the environment for all astronomers.
Registration for the WAM is available via the IAU GA registration website.
http://www.astronomy2009.com.br/registration.html
There is a limit of 250 attendees, so please be sure to register avoid
disappointment!
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8. Women in Astronomy and Space Science Meeting 2009
From: Anne Kinney [anne.l.kinneynasa.gov]
The next Women in Astronomy and Space Science 2009 meeting is to be
held October 21-23, 2009 in College Park, MD. Registration is now
open! Travel grants through the AAS are available for early-career
attendees (graduate students and recent graduates).
The focus of the meeting is on the challenges of an increasingly
diverse workforce. The goal of the conference is to provide
individuals and institutions in the sciences with strategies and
skills to succeed. At the conclusion of the conference, those who
have attended will have a better understanding and awareness of:
- How to foster a work environment that promotes success.
- The role of minority-serving institutions in preparing future scientists.
- How professional societies can aid in recruiting, retaining and
advancing scientists
- What it takes to succeed in our competitive workforce
- The different career path choices in Astronomy and Space Science
- How to prepare for hiring or for promotion
- Managing expectations in work life balance
For more information, please see
http://wia2009.gsfc.nasa.gov/index.html.
For copies of the poster, please see
ftp://crucible.stsci.edu/WIA_2009_Poster/.
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9. SOAR Postdoctoral Fellow
From: Nicole S. van der Bliek [nvdbliekctio.noao.edu]
The Southern Astrophysical Research (SOAR) consortium invites
applicants for a three-year postdoctoral fellow position at its
facilities in Chile. The 4.1-m SOAR Telescope is a state-of-the-art
observatory located on Cerro Pachón adjacent to Gemini-South. For
details on the telescope and instrumentation see:
http://www.soartelescope.org
The position has equal components of research and functional time.
Functional duties will include assisting the Director, and other SOAR
staff, with monitoring and optimizing the performance of the
telescope, maintaining and calibrating the existing instruments,
commissioning new instruments and telescope capabilities, and helping
develop plans to maximize the scientific productivity of the facility.
The successful candidate will be expected to spend 50% of their time
pursuing an active program of research, preferably including use of
SOAR and its instruments. Every effort will be made to align the
scientist's functional duties with his or her research interests, and
scientific support includes a modest annual research budget and
coverage for page charges.
The ideal candidate will be an observational astronomer with hands-on
experience of instrumentation. Specific interest in optical
spectroscopy, infrared imaging and
spectroscopy, and/or adaptive optics is advantageous, but all skill
sets relevant to SOAR will be considered. Familiarity with modern
observatory operations and scientific data management, as well as
experience in the use and development of data reduction procedures
will also be favorably considered in the selection process.
Applications received prior to September 15, 2009 are assured of full
consideration; however, the position is open until filled. The
position is open to candidates from all countries and AURA is an equal
opportunity/affirmative action employer. We actively support efforts
to broaden participation in all Observatory activities. Women and
candidates from underrepresented minorities are particularly
encouraged to apply. For full advertisement see:
http://www.ctio.noao.edu/
Applicants should submit electronically (preferred) to
hrnoaonoao.edu, or by
mail to the address below: a curriculum
vita; a statement of current research interests, details of
experience, and the name of three references. When applying for this
position please reference SOAR Postdoctoral Fellow, Job #963.
Further details can be obtained from the Director of SOAR, Dr. Steve
Heathcote, sheathcotectio.noao.edu.
Send resume to:
Human Resources Office
National Optical Astronomy Observatory
P.O. Box 26732
Tucson, Arizona 85726-6732
Email: hrnoaonoao.edu
FAX: 520-318-8456
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10. NRAO Assistant Scientist/A
From: Dee Boyd [dlboydnrao.edu]
The Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope (GBT) is the world's largest
fully steerable telescope. Working at wavelengths ranging from 100cm
through 3mm, the GBT supports a diverse range of scientific research.
Additionally, the GBT has a dynamic program of research and
development which keeps the telescope at the cutting edge of science
and technology.
The National Radio Astronomy is looking for an energetic person to
join the scientific staff in Green Bank. The successful applicant will
join the team of scientists at the Green Bank telescope to provide
full scientific support to the GBT and the NRAO.
Responsibilities of the successful applicant will include supporting
observers who use the telescope as well as working on a diverse
variety of projects, which may include the development and
commissioning of new instrumentation on the telescope, working with
the engineering staff to improve the overall telescope performance,
and aiding with the data reduction pipelines needed for the GBT. Must
have strong knowledge of radio and/or millimeter astronomy and two to
three years experience.
The successful candidate will have 25% of their time available for
independent research. Support for research and travel are provided, as
well as vacation accrual, health insurance, and a moving allowance.
Position will be filled at the assistant, associate, or scientist
level, depending on experience.
Minimum education required is a Ph.D. in astronomy, physics or a
related field.
Benefits include medical and dental insurance, retirement benefits,
vacation and sick leave accrual.
Applicants can apply online at
http://careers.nrao.edu/applicants/Central?quickFind=50399
and should include a description of relevant experience, a curriculum
vitae including a publication list, a statement of research interests,
and the names of three scientists who have agreed to provide letters
of reference.
Letters of recommendation may be submitted separately via email to
scurrynrao.edu. Please
reference "Assistant Scientist/A, GB00131"
in the subject line. Review of applicants will begin immediately;
however, applications will be accepted until the position is filled.
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11. Faculty Openings, Carnegie Mellon University
From: WIPHYS, July 20
The Department of Physics at Carnegie Mellon University invites
applications for tenure-track faculty positions at the junior or
senior level associated with the Bruce and Astrid McWilliams Center
for Cosmology.
The McWilliams Center for Cosmology, which has benefited from a major
endowment gift to the university, joins efforts in particle physics
and astrophysics within the Department of Physics at Carnegie Mellon.
Historically, the Department has had a strong effort in particle
theory and high-energy experiment. More recently, the Department has
built up a theoretical and observational cosmology group, much of
whose research is related to uncovering the nature of the dark part of
the universe. The McWilliams Center synergizes these efforts within
Physics and capitalizes on unique collaborative opportunities both
within and outside Carnegie Mellon.
Powerful computing clusters have been created both within the
McWilliams Center and in collaboration with the Department of Computer
Science. Carnegie Mellon joined the LSST collaboration, has faculty
working on BOSS in SDSS-III, and is engaged in trying to build a new
type of radio telescope to explore the universe using the 21 cm
radiation of neutral Hydrogen. Physical space for the McWilliams
Center has been renovated within the Department of Physics. The first
two McWilliams Postdoctoral Fellows are at the Center this year, and
the first of several new faculty members has been hired. Please visit
the Centers website at
http://www.cmu.edu/cosmology
for more details.
The research areas for the search include: theoretical astrophysics,
with emphasis on computation and simulation; experimental
astrophysics, with emphasis on the dark part of the universe and data
mining; and theoretical particle physics, especially as related to LHC
physics. We seek candidates with significant accomplishments and
promise for further achievement in exploring the nature of dark matter
and dark energy. Tenure-track appointments at the junior or senior
level will be considered. Successful candidates are encouraged to
enhance links between the Department of Physics and the School of
Computer Science and the Department of Statistics at Carnegie Mellon,
the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center, and the Department of Physics
and Astronomy at the University of Pittsburgh.
Candidates should submit a curriculum vitae, publication list,
statement of research plans, and arrange for three letters of
recommendation sent to
Cosmology Search Committee
Department of Physics
Carnegie Mellon University
5000 Forbes Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15213.
For full consideration, all materials should be received by October 15, 2009.
Carnegie Mellon University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action
Employer.
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13. Access to Past Issues of AASWOMEN
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