AAS Committee on the Status of Women
Issue of August 28, 2009
eds. Joan Schmelz, Caroline Simpson & Michele Montgomery
This week's issues:
1. Dr. Helen Walker Recognized
2. "She Is An Astronomer" 2010 Calendar
3. Poster Solicitation for Women in Astronomy and Space Science Conference
4. Sky Ranger Workshop at Bryce Canyon National Park
*** FOLLOWING JOB POSTING TAKEN FROM WIPHYS ***
5. PostDoctoral Fellowships, Michigan Society of Fellows
6. How to Submit, Subscribe, or Unsubscribe to AASWOMEN
7. Access to Past Issues of AASWOMEN
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1. Dr. Helen Walker Recognized
From: Pat Knezek [pknezek
noao.edu]
An astronomer from the Science and Technology Facilities Council
(STFC) is leading a world-wide push to encourage organizations to do
more to support and encourage female astronomers.
Earlier this month, in her role as Chair of the group 'She is An
Astronomer', Dr. Helen Walker, from STFCs Rutherford Appleton
Laboratory (RAL), successfully presented a new resolution to the world
renowned International Astronomical Union (IAU) General Assembly in
Brazil.
The new resolution states that IAU members should encourage and
support the female astronomers in their communities and that national
representatives should encourage national organizations to break down
barriers and ensure that men and women are given equal opportunities
to pursue a successful career in astronomy at all levels and career
steps.
Even though astronomy continues to attract women, there is wide
geographical diversity, with some countries having none and other
countries having more than 50% female professional astronomers. These
numbers drop towards more senior levels, suggesting that scientific
careers are heavily affected by social and cultural factors, and are
not determined solely by ability.
Dr. Helen Walker said, "The resolution is a great result which will
help to ensure that organizations world-wide do more to support the
careers of female astronomers. Ensuring that women have the same
opportunities as men is not only beneficial to the increasing numbers
of talented female scientists but also to the advancement of science
which relies on continued interest by talented people, dedicated to
pushing its boundaries. It?s great that STFC, which funds the majority
of Astronomy here in the UK, is supporting the work of the 'She is an
Astronomer' group."
She is an Astronomer is one of the International Year of Astronomy
(IYA 2009) Cornerstone projects. The overall aim of the project is to
provide information to female professional and amateur astronomers,
students and those interested in the gender equality problem in
science. An objective of the project is to build and maintain an
easy-to-handle forum and database, where people can get information
about the subject, ask questions and find answers. The website
http://www.sheisanastronomer.org/
is the main tool to address the aims and objectives of this IYA2009
Cornerstone.
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2. 'She Is An Astronomer' 2010 Calendar
From: Andrea Schweitzer [schweitzfrii.com)]
The 'She Is An Astronomer' cornerstone project of the International
Year of Astronomy has produced a colorful calendar for 2010 featuring
accomplished women astronomers from around the world. "With this
calendar we aim to help reconstruct the history of women in astronomy,
which, as in other fields of knowledge, is poorly known. We have
highlighted exceptional women whose contributions to the advancement
of science deserve to transcend anonymity and occupy a place in
history. We have tried to give visibility and to value the
contributions of women astronomers from different epochs and
countries." The illustrated calendar can be downloaded from:
http://www.sheisanastronomer.org/index.php/downloads/calendar
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3. Poster Solicitation for Women in Astronomy and Space Science Conference
From: Women in Astronomy 2009
The Women in Astronomy and Space Science Conference on Meeting the
Challenges of an Increasing Diverse Workforce is to be held October
21-23, 2009 at The Inn and Conference Center in College Park,
Maryland. Poster submissions are invited on all topics related to the
general theme of the conference including
For Institutional Success:
- Best practices for an effective mentoring program
- What it takes to recruit a diverse pool of excellent applicants
- Avoiding unconscious bias for research committees, promotion review,
recommendation letters, etc.
- How to set up family friendly facilities and policies, i.e., for
lactation, childcare,
long term care, etc.
For Individual Success;
- Best practices for writing a winning proposal and giving an
effective science talk
- Things to accomplish during your postdoc that will help you land
your first real job
- Navigating the challenges of various workplace environments,
particularly when
you are a member of a non-dominant group
- Managing your first graduate student and postdoc: What should your
goals be?
To register your poster or to find more information on the meeting,
please see
http://wia2009.gsfc.nasa.gov/contributed_posters/ .
Note that travel grants through AAS are also available and information
can be found at the above listed website.
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4. Sky Ranger Workshop at Bryce Canyon National Park
From: Michele M. Montgomery
Sky Rangers workshops, which are part of the Astronomy from the Ground
Up program, are designed for educators and interpreters from parks,
nature centers, and other informal outdoor and environmental
educational facilities. The Astronomical Society of the Pacific will
offer two types of Sky Rangers workshops:
- Four-day workshop (October 13-16, 2009) at Bryce Canyon National Park
This workshop covers hands-on astronomy activities for outdoor
settings, sky navigation, and telescope operation. A stunning dark sky
location, Bryce Canyon NP is a leader in astronomy in the parks. There
is no workshop or materials fee, and participants will be allotted a
$500 stipend toward transportation, food, and lodging for all non-NPS
employees.
- Six-week online workshop
This workshop covers hands-on astronomy activities for outdoor
settings and sky navigation. Participants will become comfortable
locating and interpreting objects in the night sky and will create a
personal interpretive sky tour. There is no workshop or materials fee.
Both workshops are intended for beginners in astronomy, but will also
appeal to those with more experience. Participants of all Sky Rangers
workshops will receive a free toolkit of materials for outdoor
astronomy activities, participate in short online follow-up sessions
that cover seasonal skies, and become members of the Astronomy from
the Ground Up online community of over 450 informal astronomy
educators around the U.S.
Sky Ranger workshops and materials are developed and delivered by the
Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP), in partnership with the
National Park Service (NPS), the National Association for
Interpretation (NAI), and the Association of Science-Technology
Centers (ASTC), thanks to generous funding from NASA.
Additional eligibility and application information can be found at
http://www.astrosociety.org/afgu/skyrangers/ .
All materials must be submitted by August 30, 2009.
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5. PostDoctoral Fellowships, Michigan Society of Fellows
From: WIPHYS, August 25
Post Doctoral Fellowships in the Humanities, Arts, Sciences, and
Professions: 2010-2013
The Michigan Society of Fellows was founded in 1970 through grants
from the Ford Foundation and Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate
Studies for the purpose of promoting academic and creative excellence
in the humanities, the arts, the social, physical, and life sciences,
and in the professions. In 2007, the Mellon Foundation awarded a
grant to add four Mellon Fellows annually in the humanities, expanding
the number of fellowships awarded each year from four to eight. The
objective of the Society is to provide financial and intellectual
support for individuals selected for outstanding achievement,
professional promise, and interdisciplinary interests. We invite
applications from qualified candidates for three-year postdoctoral
fellowships at the University of Michigan.
Candidates should be near the beginning of their professional careers.
Those selected for fellowships must have received the Ph.D. degree
or comparable artistic or professional degree between June 1, 2007,
and September 1, 2010. Fellows are appointed as Assistant Professors
or Research Scientists in appropriate departments and as Postdoctoral
Scholars in the Michigan Society of Fellows. They are expected to be
in residence in Ann Arbor during the academic years of the fellowship,
to teach for the equivalent of one academic year, to participate in
the informal intellectual life of the Society, and to devote time to
their independent research or artistic projects. Applications from
degree candidates and recipients of the Ph.D. from the University of
Michigan will not be considered.
Applications will be reviewed by Society members and University
faculty. Final selections will be made in late January by Senior
Fellows of the Society. Eight Fellows will be selected for three-year
terms to begin September 1, 2010. The annual stipend will be $51,500.
The online application is available at:
http://www.rackham.umich.edu/sof
email: society.of.fellowsumich.edu
Application Deadline: September 30, 2009.
MICHIGAN SOCIETY OF FELLOWS
Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studies
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1070
An Equal Opportunity Program
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