AAS Committee on the Status of Women
Issue of October 30, 2009
eds. Joan Schmelz, Caroline Simpson & Michele Montgomery
This week's issues:
1. What Can I Do? Inspirations from Women in Astronomy III
2. “Female-Friendly” Department/Organization/Institution
3. Ten Things Companies - and Women - Can Do To Get Ahead
4. Special Events for Women at APS Annual Meetings
5. Etta Z. Falconer Award for Mentoring and Commitment to Diversity
***The following position was taken from WIPHYS***
6. Assistant Professor of Space Sciences, Univ. of New Hampshire
7. How to Submit, Subscribe, or Unsubscribe to AASWOMEN
8. Access to Past Issues of AASWOMEN
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1. What Can I Do? Inspirations from Women in Astronomy III
From: Joan Schmelz [jschmelz
memphis.edu]
This suggestion is inspired by the comments of attendees of the
Women in Astronomy and Space Science conference held Oct 21-23,
2009, College Park, MD.
Postdocs and graduate students are extremely busy and should be
spending most of their time doing research. Many of them, however,
would like to do something to promote women in astronomy and help
create a female-friendly workplace, as long as it does not take too
much of their valuable research time. Here is a suggestion, perhaps
the first of several:
Get your department/company/organization to endorse the Pasadena
Recommendations.
Start by going to the CSWA web site and printing out copies of the
brochure:
http://www.aas.org/cswa/pasadenarecs.html
Get your friends/colleagues/professors to discuss and debate the
recommendations. Are you ready to endorse? Just follow the simple
steps on the web site.
Note: these are *recommendations,* and it is not important that
they are all currently followed/implemented at your
department/company/organization. What is important is that the
principles are supported. The very fact that you are discussing
them is a sign of progress!
Help support women in astronomy, one step at a time!
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2. Female-Friendly Department/Organization/Institution From: Joan
Schmelz [jschmelzmemphis.edu]
What Constitutes a Female-Friendly Department/Organization/Institution?
AASWOMEN wants to know what you think.
Is it all about numbers? If the percentage of women at all levels
is typical, is that good enough, or is it only the first step?
How important are things like the family leave policy, nearby
affordable childcare, flexible hours, and the option to stop the
tenure (or equivalent for non-academic positions) clock?
If there are no senior women at the highest level, can a place
really be female-friendly? What about role models and mentoring?
How important are they?
FYI:
Graduate enrollment in US astronomy departments has risen from 25%
female in 1997 to 30% in 2006 (NSF-NIH Survey of Grad Students and
Postdocs in S&E).
Percentage of Astronomy PhDs earned by women in the US has increased
steadily from (20% in 1997 to almost 30% in 2006 (NSF Survey of
Earned doctorates).
Percentage of women faculty at stand-alone astronomy departments
in 2006 was 28% (assistant professors), 24 % (associate professors),
and only 11% (full professors).
The good news: the Grad Student -- Postdoc joint of the leaky pipeline
does not appear to be leaking!
The not so good news: the faculty pipeline continues to leak.
Benchmark: If the percentage of women postdocs at your institution
is significantly lower than 30%, then there may be a problem
Thanks to the members of the Astro2010 DEM study group for helping
to point us toward useful statistical information.
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3. Ten Things Companies - and Women - Can Do To Get Ahead From:
Luisa Rebull [rebullipac.caltech.edu]
A particularly appropriate article came out recently:
http://finance.alphatrade.com/story/2009-10-19/PRN/200910190001PR_NEWS_USPR_____DE94359.html
Ten Things Companies - and Women - Can Do To Get Ahead Lack of
Gender Diversity in Executive Positions and Board Seats to the
Detriment of Companies and Professional Women
Here is a quote from the article: "Research shows there is a strong
correlation between how well top corporations develop and promote
women leaders and how successful those corporations are in the
marketplace."
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4. Special Events for Women at APS Annual Meetings From: WIPHYS Oct
30, 2009
Committee on the Status of Women in Physics (CSWP) will sponsor (or
co-sponsor) a variety of events of special interest to women in
physics at the upcoming APS annual meetings in Washington, DC
(February 13-16, 2010) and Portland, Oregon (March 15-19, 2010).
Some of these events require pre-registration.
-Professional Skills Development Workshops for Women in Physics,
Feb 12 and Mar 14
http://www.aps.org/programs/women/workshops/skills/index.cfm
http://www.aps.org/meetings/april/events/receptions/cswp-dpf.cfm
-CSWP/FIAP Networking Breakfast, March 16
http://www.aps.org/meetings/march/events/receptions/cswp-fiap.cfm
We are pleased to be able to offer modest child care grants to
assist meeting attendees who are bringing small children (or who
incur extra expenses in leaving them at home). Details are given
on the APS meetings websites under Services and Support.
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5. Etta Z. Falconer Award for Mentoring and Commitment to Diversity
From: Luisa Rebull [rebullipac.caltech.edu]
The Infinite Possibilities Conference (IPC) Steering Committee
established the Etta Z. Falconer Award for Mentoring and Commitment
to Diversity to recognize individuals who demonstrate a commitment
to mentoring and diversity in the mathematical sciences. The award
recipient receives a monetary prize, a commemorative plaque, and
covered travel expenses to attend the 2010 IPC. Nominations are due
Nov 20, 2009.
The award will be presented during the Infinite Possibilities
Conference on March 20, 2010. IPAM is a co-sponsor of the conference,
which will be held on the UCLA campus. For more information about
Etta Falconer, award criteria, eligibility, and nomination procedures,
go to:
http://www.ipcmath.org/DrEtta.html
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6. Assistant Professor of Space Sciences, Univ. of New Hampshire
From: WIPHYS Oct 29, 2009
The Department of Physics at the University of New Hampshire (UNH)
invites applications for a tenure-track position at the rank of
Assistant Professor in the area of space physics. Exceptional
candidates at a higher rank will also be considered. The position
will have half the normal teaching and service load, and will be
partially funded by NASA projects. Projects include: the Cosmic Ray
Telescope for the Effects of Radiation on the active Lunar
Reconnaissance Orbiter mission, the Energetic Particle, Composition,
and Thermal Plasma instrument suite on the in-development Radiation
Belts Storm Probe mission, and the Energetic Particle Detector on
the in-development Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission.
We seek faculty who are qualified to teach in the Department of
Physics, who will strengthen the research program of the Space
Science Center (SSC) of the Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans,
and Space (EOS), and who will contribute substantially to the
above-noted projects. All candidates with research interests on the
science goals of the above missions will be considered, but preference
will be given to candidates with strong research background and
broad experience specifically in: galactic cosmic rays, solar
particles, and their radiation effects; particle acceleration and
transport throughout the heliosphere; and the physics of magnetic
reconnection and plasma turbulence in space plasmas.
Successful candidates will be expected to develop externally funded
research programs and strengthen interdisciplinary research activities
in the SSC and EOS and to contribute significantly to the teaching
mission of the Department of Physics. Information regarding research
and educational interests and programs in the Department of Physics
may be found at www.physics.unh.edu and on the SSC at
http://www.eos.unh.edu/resctr/ssc.shtml
UNH is a Land Grant, Sea Grant and Space Grant institution with
approximately 13,000 undergraduate and graduate students. There are
numerous departments and research institutes that provide excellent
opportunities for interdisciplinary research. See:
www.ceps.unh.edu
and
www.eos.unh.edu
Application review will begin on January 7, 2010 and continue until
the position is filled. Electronic applications are strongly
preferred, but paper applications are also acceptable. Applicants
should send a CV, a statement of research accomplishments and plans,
a statement on teaching, and also arrange for three electronic
letters of recommendation to be sent directly to: Ms. Katie
Makem-Boucher, DeMeritt Hall 237A, 9 Library Way Durham, NH 03824
Email: Katie.Makemunh.edu Inquiries about the position should
be addressed to Professor Harlan Spence at Harlan.Spenceunh.edu.
UNH is an equal opportunity employer, and strongly committed to
achieving excellence through diversity. The University actively
encourages applications and nominations of women, persons of color,
persons with disabilities, and members of other underrepresented
groups.
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8. Access to Past Issues of AASWOMEN
Past issues of AASWOMEN are available at
http://www.aas.org/cswa/AASWOMEN.html
Each annual summary includes an index of topics covered.