Date: Tue, 23 Jan 2001 19:10:47 -0500 (EST)
To: aaswlist
stsci.edu
Subject: AASWOMEN for 01/24/01
Sender: owner-aaswliststsci.edu
AAS Committee on the Status of Women
weekly issue of 01/24/2001, ed. by Meg Urry and Patricia Knezek
This week's issues:
1. New Issue of STATUS Available
2. Annie Jump Cannon Award nominations sought
3. Celebration of Margaret Burbidge at the San Diego Meeting
4. Letter to the University of Chicago Press - Women Astronomers in History
5. Assistant Professor position at Princeton University
6. Tenure Track positions at the University of Hawaii
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1. New Issue of STATUS Available
From: Meg Urry
The AAS Committee on the Status of Women in Astronomy publishes
the STATUS newsletter twice per year. The January 2001 issue is
now available online (www.aas.org/~cswa/pubs.html). If you would
like to receive future issues in hardcopy form, send your mail
address to ssavoyaas.org. Students would probably find STATUS
particularly useful (especially women students), so please encourage
them to subscribe and/or make sure your department gets a copy.
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2. Annie Jump Cannon Award nominations sought
From: Lynn Scholz
The Annie Jump Cannon award in Astronomy honors a woman postdoctoral scholar
for significant research in astronomy. The award was established by the AAS
in 1934. Its administration was transferred in 1974 to the American
Association of University Women (AAUW) Educational Foundation, which oversees
it in cooperation with AAS. The award is $5,000. Nominees must be women in
the early stages of a career in astronomy. Preference is given to nominees
who have held a doctorate in astronomy or a related field for at least one
year. There are no restrictions on the nominee's nationality or the location
of her research. Deadline is 12 Feb. 2001. More info can be found at
http://www.aauw.org/3000/awards/ajc.html. A list of recipients can be found
at http://www.aas.org/grants/awards.html#cannon.
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3. Celebration of Margaret Burbidge at the San Diego Meeting
From: Meg Urry
Eminent astronomer and UCSD Professor Margaret Burbidge was the
highlighted speaker at the CSWA session in San Diego. She spoke
about recent scientific work and about her earlier career,
including some of the obstacles she faced as a woman entering
an almost exclusively male profession. One of the biggest
barriers to women being taken seriously, Prof. Burbidge suggested,
is the high pitch of the female voice. These and other observations
were met with sympathetic laughter and more than a few affirming
nods from the large audience.
During the extensive discussion that followed the talk, several
women described what Margaret Burbidge had meant to them
personally --- in some cases, before they had even had a chance
to meet her! For many, just knowing that another woman was
having an impact on astronomy was encouragement enough. The
testimonials about Prof. Burbidge demonstrated just how important
role models can be.
The CSWA session was followed by a special luncheon honoring
Margaret Burbidge's outstanding scientific career and her unique
contribution as a role model for other women. More than 100 people
attended the luncheon, which was sponsored by the CSWA, AAS, AURA,
AUI, NASA, CIW, and STScI. Remarks by Anne Kinney, Don Osterbrock,
Vera Rubin, Anneila Sargent, and Meg Urry, as well as words from
a number of prominent astronomers who could not be present, recalled
some of the many ways in which Margaret has had an impact. She was
given several mementos of the occasion, including a Tiffany
interlocking-star pin, a signed, framed photo montage, and an
album of letters and reminiscences from her colleagues.
Prof. Burbidge was touched and pleased by the event, and by the
tremendous outpouring of gratitude and affection from everyone there.
A scientist to the core, she had to leave promptly at 1:25 to attend
one of the final oral sessions of the AAS meeting, in which she was
presenting a paper. For many at the luncheon --- most especially the
students --- this evidence of undiminished enthusiasm for and dedication
to astronomy was probably the most important lesson Margaret Burbidge
could offer: to follow one's dream and to keep one's eye on the ball.
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4. Letter to the University of Chicago Press - Women Astronomers in History
From: Meg Urry
The following letter was addressed to the University of Chicago Press,
to the attention of the editor for History, Philosophy, and Social
Studies of Science. The authors are noted historians of science, and
Londa Schiebinger in particular is an expert on 17th and 18th century
European women scientists (among many other things). Her presentation
at the 1992 conference on Women in Astronomy was fascinating and is
well worth re-reading (see proceedings at www.stsci.edu/stsci/meetings/WiA/).
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Dear Editor,
We would like to call your attention to the cover of your recent catalog
entitled "the life of science." The catalog features a well-known
illustration from Johannes Hevelius's Machinae coelestis (Danzig, 1673,
facing p. 222). The illustration has been cropped to cut out Elisabetha
Hevelius. Johannes's face is shown but Elizabetha appears only as a pair
of hands. For many, the interesting thing about the original graphic is
that it shows a husband and wife collaborating in astronomical work.
It illustrates, in fact, the very strong showing of women in seventeenth-
century German astronomy, where roughly 1 in 7 practitioners was female.
It is ironic, and unfortunate, that while 17th illustrators took pains
to represent both the male and the female, a 21st-century catalog has
taken equal pains to cut her out of the picture.
Best,
Londa Schiebinger and Robert Proctor
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5. Assistant Professor position at Princeton University
From: Gillian Knapp
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
DEPARTMENT OF ASTROPHYSICAL SCIENCES
PRINCETON UNIVERSITY
Princeton University anticipates appointing a tenure-track Assistant Professor
in the Department of Astrophysical Sciences, to begin in September 2001. The
primary selection criteria will be a demonstrated capability for original
research and exceptional promise of future activity and growth. The ability
to teach and supervise research at the undergraduate and graduate level is
also an important criterion. The search will be focused on researchers
specializing in theoretical astrophysics, but outstanding candidates from all
areas of astronomical research are encouraged to apply. Departmental resources
and research programs are described at http://www.astro.princeton.edu.
Candidates should send a curriculum vitae, bibliography, and research
statement of three pages or less to Professor S. Tremaine, Chair, Department
of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University, Peyton Hall, Princeton, NJ
08544-1001 USA. They should also arrange for at least three
referees to send letters of recommendation to the same address.
Consideration of applications will begin immediately; all material should
arrive by March 1, 2001 at the latest.
Princeton University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.
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6. Tenure Track positions at the University of Hawaii
From: Ann Boesgaard
The Institute for Astronomy at the University is expanding its faculty due to
retirements and new positions given to us when our new Director, Dr. Rolf
Peter Kudritzski, was hired. We currently have ads in the AAS Job Register for
5 positions at any level (Assistant, Associate, or Full); closing date March
16, 2001. Next year we will be advertising 2 more positions.
This could be an excellent opportunity for astronomers with a "two-body
problem." Imagine SEVEN tenure-track positions!
Here's a combined version of the ads:
UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI`I
INSTITUTE FOR ASTRONOMY
FACULTY POSITION, TENURE-TRACK
ASSISTANT, ASSOCIATE OR FULL ASTRONOMER
The Institute for Astronomy (IfA) at the University of Hawai`i invites
applications for five state-funded tenure-track faculty positions (pending
position approval). The appointments will be made at the Assistant,
Associate, or Full Astronomer level depending on the qualifications and
experience of the candidates. The University of Hawaii has a 10-15% share of
time on all the telescopes on Mauna Kea, as well as its own 2.2-m and 0.6-m
telescopes.
A. For 2-3 of these positions preference will be given to candidates with
backgrounds in high-resolution instrumentation and techniques for optical and
infrared astronomy, including optical interferometry and adaptive optics.
B. For 1 of the positions preference will be given to candidates with an
interest in stellar astronomy in other galaxies.
C. For 1 of the positions preference will be given to candidates with the
expertise to exploit the Submillimeter Array (SMA) on Mauna Kea in pursuit of
science goals related to NASA's "Origins" themes. The SMA is scheduled to be
in operation in early 2002.
The individuals chosen are expected to conduct a first-class research
program, teach one undergraduate or graduate course per year and participate
in the academic and scientific life of the Institute for Astronomy.
Minimum Qualifications: Ph.D. in astronomy or physics, demonstrated research
excellence and teaching ability. Additionally, at the Associate level: four
years at the Assistant level or equivalent; at the Astronomer level: four
years experience at the Associate level or equivalent. The salary will be
commensurate with qualifications and experience. To apply applicants should
submit a curriculum vitae, bibliography, and a description of research
interests to Dr. Rolf Kudritzki, Director, Institute for Astronomy, 2680
Woodlawn Drive, Honolulu, HI 96822. Applicants should arrange for three
letters of recommendation to be sent to the above address. Closing date:
March 16, 2001. For additional information, please see our website:
www.ifa.hawaii.edu, call Dr. Kudritzki at 808-956-8566 (FAX 808-946-3467)
and/or send email to kudifa.hawaii.edu. EEO/AA employer.
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