AAS Committee on the Status of Women
Issue of June 4, 2010
eds. Joan Schmelz, Caroline Simpson & Michele Montgomery
This week's issues:
1. Too Many Women?
2. Inspiring talk by Bonnie Bassler
3. America COMPETES Act Passed by U.S. House of Representatives
4. National Security Strategy Highlights Importance of STEM Education
5. Winner announced: Luise Meyer-Schutzmeister Memorial Award
*** FOLLOWING JOB POSTINGS TAKEN FROM WIPHYS ***
6. Head, Dept. of Physics And Astronomy, Texas A&M University
7. How to Submit, Subscribe, or Unsubscribe to AASWOMEN
8. Access to Past Issues of AASWOMEN
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1. Too Many Women?
From: Caroline Simpson [simpsonc
fiu.edu]
[A recent posting on Female Science Professor's Blog at
http://science-professor.blogspot.com/
addressed an inquiry from a reader. I thought it was interesting and
thought I'd share. ]
I'm a nearly-done PhD student in engineering. I am a woman. My Master's
thesis advisor was a man. My PhD thesis advisor is a woman... I did a
research abroad program last summer .. and my advisor was a woman. I
will do another research abroad program this summer, this time in
[another country], and my advisor will be a woman.
So here is the question: as I look for a postdoc and I think about my
recommendation letters, I will probably have 3 out of 4 letters be from
women. In my field (engineering/physics) women are still very rare. Will
there be a tendency for people on my reviewing committee to see this as
a warning sign? (i.e., that I work better with women?) Also, I am
starting to make connections for my postdoc, and one of the faculty who
is doing the most interesting research in the area is a woman at an
Extremely Excellent University. If I happen to get an offer and happily
work with her for a few years, will having my last 4 academic advisors
being women be seen as a bad sign?
[For the full post, and to see some interesting comments, go to
http://science-professor.blogspot.com/2010/06/too-many-women.html ]
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2. Inspiring talk by Bonnie Bassler
From: Eric Jensen [ejensen1swarthmore.edu]
This past weekend at Swarthmore's commencement I heard a moving and
inspiring talk by Dr. Bonnie Bassler of Princeton, who spoke about the
importance of mentoring, and of turning self-doubt to one's
advantage. I highly recommend it to all who mentor young scientists:
http://www.swarthmore.edu/x29778.xml
The video is 5 minutes long, or you can read the transcript on the
same page.
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3. America COMPETES Act Passed by U.S. House of Representatives
From: Ann Hornschemeier-Cardiff [ann.h.cardiffnasa.gov]
Ann forwarded this to us:
We are thrilled to report that the America COMPETES (Creating
Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology,
Education, and Science) Reauthorization Act of 2010 .R. 5116) was passed
today by the U.S. House of Representatives by a vote of 262 to 150.
This is a great success for AWIS and for all women as the bill contains
language that recognizes and addresses the persistent gender bias in
science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). In addition to
providing funding for scientific research and training, this landmark
legislation is specifically geared toward ensuring the future of our
nation's diversity and talent pool through outreach to underrepresented groups.
Of significance to our members is the amendment submitted by
Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX), Sec. 124. Fulfilling the
Potential of Women in Academic Science and Engineering. This amendment
provides funding for workshops designed to minimize the effects of
gender bias at federally funded institutions. Your AWIS Advocacy Team in
Washington, D.C., including our new Public Policy Fellow, Alice Popejoy,
has been working tirelessly behind the scenes to make sure that this
amendment was included in the final version of the bill.
The next step is to get COMPETES passed by the Senate. In the coming
months, we will keep you up-to-date about our efforts on "the Hill" and
hope you will engage with us to ensure that gender equity is being
addressed at the nation's highest level. Keep a look out for future
communications about our public policy and education initiatives.
Janet Bandows Koster, M.B.A.
Executive Director
Association for Women in Science
1442 Duke Street Alexandria, VA 22314
Phone: 571.214.6523
Fax: 571.312.5985
Web: www.awis.org
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4. National Security Strategy Highlights Importance of STEM Education
From: Rick Fienberg [rick.fienbergaas.org]
[See the full announcement at
http://www.aip.org/fyi/2010/061.html -- eds.]
Note the quote below: "We will invest more in STEM education so students
can learn to think critically in science, math, engineering, and
technology; improve the quality of math and science teaching so American
students are no longer outperformed by those in other nations; and
expand STEM education and career opportunities for underrepresented
groups, including women and girls." Ordinarily we might brush this off
as mere political rhetoric, but it's part of the Obama Administration's
National Security Strategy, which can't be brushed off! Hooray!
From http://www.aip.org/fyi/2010/061.html :
Last week the Obama Administration released a document outlining a
broadly encompassing strategy for rebuilding the nation's strength
and influence that looks beyond military might. In a cover letter
accompanying the strategy, President Obama declares "Simply put, we
must see American innovation as a foundation of American power."
The 60-page "National Security Strategy" is divided into four
sections: Overview of National Security Strategy, Strategic Approach,
Advancing Our Interests, and Conclusion. The section entitled Advancing
Our Interests includes a subsection "Prosperity" which states
the following under the heading Strengthen Education and Human Capital:
"Invest in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Education
(STEM): America's long-term leadership depends on educating and
producing future scientists and innovators. We will invest more in
STEM education so students can learn to think critically in science,
math, engineering, and technology; improve the quality of math and
science teaching so American students are no longer outperformed by
those in other nations; and expand STEM education and career
opportunities for underrepresented groups, including women and
girls. We will work with partners - from the private-sector and
nonprofit organizations to universities - to promote education and
careers in science and technology."
--
Dr. Richard Tresch Fienberg
Press Officer / Education & Outreach Coordinator
American Astronomical Society
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5. Winner announced: Luise Meyer-Schutzmeister Memorial Award
From: WIPHYS, June 4, 2010
Rhiannon Meharchand is this year's winner of the Luise
Meyer-Schutzmeister Memorial Award. Meharchand earned her undergraduate
degree from Florida State University and is doing her doctoral work in
nuclear physics at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory.
The Luise Meyer-Schutzmeister Memorial Award was established by the
Association for Women in Science Educational Foundation with donations
made in memory of nuclear physicist Luise Meyer-Schutzmeister, Senior
Physicist at the Argonne National Laboratory. The $1,000 award is
presented annually to an outstanding woman graduate student in physics.
For a list of other sources of financial assistance see the Association
for Women in Science web page on Non-AWIS Resources, at the address
http://www.awis.affiniscape.com/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=66.
For general information on AWIS go to www.awis.org .
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6. Head, Dept. of Physics And Astronomy, Texas A&M University
From: WIPHYS, June 2, 2010
[Note the last sentence of this ad. Does your organization have a formal
policy on dual career couple hiring? If so, let us know. We are thinking
of compiling a list to put on the CSWA website -- eds.]
An international search is underway to identify outstanding candidates
for Head of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Texas A&M
University. Texas A&M, one of the two flagship research universities in
Texas, is among the largest universities in the United States. The
Department of Physics and Astronomy recently underwent tremendous growth
in research faculty and moved into two beautiful new buildings.
The Department has research programs in astronomy, atomic physics,
condensed matter physics, high energy physics, nuclear physics, and
quantum optics. The Department collaborates with the Cyclotron
Institute, the Institute for Quantum Science and Engineering, the
Munnerlyn Astronomical Laboratory, and the Mitchell Institute for
Fundamental Physics and Astronomy. Candidates with drive, vision, and
effective management skills are sought to lead this diverse
department. The new head need not fit into one of the existing research
areas but must have the broad background to lead the entire department.
Applicants should send a CV and a statement of research accomplishments
and administrative philosophy via e-mail to headsearchphysics.tamu.edu
(.pdf, .doc, or .docx). Application review will begin on 1 Sept. and
continue until position is filled.
Texas A&M University is an equal opportunity and affirmative action
employer. The university is dedicated to the goal of a culturally
diverse, pluralistic faculty and staff and encourages applications from
women, minorities, individuals with disabilities, and veterans. The
university is particularly responsive to the needs of dual-career
couples.
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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.
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