Date: Sun, 3 Mar 2002 17:32:16 -0500 (EST)
To: aaswlist
stsci.edu
Cc: aaswomenstsci.edu
Subject: AASWOMEN for March 1, 2002
AAS Committee on the Status of Women
Weekly issue of 03/01/02, eds. Meg Urry & Patricia Knezek
This week's issues:
1. Correction to last week's Warner prize notice
2. An open letter to Dr. Neal Evans about the Warner prize rule change
3. Deadline extended for NASA Summer School for High-Performance Computing
4. Research Funding Opportunity in Astronomy
5. Two interesting articles in the NY Times
6. Response to Kristy Dyer's comments in the AASWOMEN Newsletter of 02/22/02
7. Fellowships for Threatened Scholars, Inst. Of International Education
8. Vera Rubin in the local news
9. A Plea for Inclusion
10. Job position as the Associate Director for SOFIA Education and Public
Outreach (E/PO)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Correction to last week's Warner prize notice
Editors' note:
The sentence in the AASWOMEN Newsletter for 02/22/02, item #1 (1. Warner
prize update) that read "As noted in an earlier AASWOMEN, the rules for the
Warner prize have been changed to allow candidates older than 35 OR less than
8 years since the PhD." should have read "As noted in an earlier AASWOMEN,
the rules for the Warner prize have been changed to allow candidates NO older
than 35 OR less than 8 years since the PhD." We apologize for any confusion
this error may have caused.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. An open letter to Dr. Neal Evans about the Warner prize rule change
From: Beth Hufnagel brhufnagelmail.aacc.cc.md.us
Dear Dr. Evans:
Thank you for getting this change made. As a woman who got her PhD at the age
of 42, it always seemed a slap in the face that I couldn't even APPLY for this
prize.
Further, it's not really important if I do or don't apply; removing the ageism
and sexism inherent in the existance of such barriers is an important
statement I'm happy to see the AAS make ... and hope this continues to be
made. It's too simplistic to measure the effect of this change on who applies
in any one or two or three years, but rather it should be measured in the
cumulative effect of welcoming everyone with merit to the profession. Some
statements are made simply because they're the right thing to do, even if it's
not practicable to measure their effect.
Beth Hufnagel
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. Deadline extended for NASA Summer School for High-Performance Computing
From the Office of Space Sciences on 02/22/02
The opportunity to apply for the summer school in High Performance
Computational Earth and Space Sciences has been extended. The new deadline
is 8 March. The school dates are July 8-26, 2002. The original message can
be found at: http://esdcd.gsfc.nasa.gov/ESS/summer_school.html
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
4. Research Funding Opportunity in Astronomy
The Dudley Observatory Announces the Ernest F. Fullam Award for 2002
The Fullam Award consists of a grant of a maximum of $10,000 provided to
support innovative research in astronomy or astrophysics to be undertaken
by a faculty member, research associate, or post-doctoral associated with a
college, university, non-profit research institution or observatory located
in North America. Details of the application procedure can be found by
visiting the Dudley observatory web site at
http://www.dudleyobservatory.org/fullam_award.htm
Deadline for Submission of Proposal April 2, 2002
Further information is available from
The Dudley Observatory
Suite 201, 107 Nott Terrace
Schenectady, NY 12308
(518)382-7583
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
5. Two interesting articles in the NY Times
From: Jill Knapp gkastro.princeton.edu
Yesterday's (Sun Feb 24) Times has a couple of interesting and relevant
articles, though same problem as for the "Chronicle", you have to have a
subscription to access them electronically:
in the "Book Review" section, Barbara Ehrenreich (author and journalist,
and with a PhD in science) discusses James Watson's latest autobiographical
exercise, "Genes, Girls and Gamow", which sounds like everything you ever
wanted to know about how to make things difficult and miserable for
women in science.
the cover article of the "Magazine" section is "Girls Just Want to be Mean"
about the psychological devastation wrought by teenage girl cliques.
cheers
Jill
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
6. Response to Kristy Dyer's comments in the AASWOMEN Newsletter of 02/22/02
From: Sarah Maddison smaddisomania.physics.swin.edu.au
In relation to Kristy's comments on the CHE article:
> Kristy Dyer (kdyeraoc.nrao.edu) writes:
> Regarding the Chronical article: It could be that fathers are
> more likely to get tenure than men without children because
> they are seen as being a "head of household", a "provider" who
> therefore needs/deserves the stability and income -- or having
I know of a recent example where a man was going for a promotion and as
the deal was being signed, it was mentioned that his wife was pregnant and
as a result he was moved to a higher pay scale. Now he is a good friend
of mine so I was very happy for him and his partner, but I must say I've
personally not heard of the same thing for a woman academic. "I'm about
to give birth (and thus take some maternity leave). How about a pay
rise??"... now I'd like to see *that*!
Cheers,
Sarah.
*===============================================================*
Dr Sarah Maddison smaddisonswin.edu.au
Swinburne Astronomy Online Coordinator
(visit http://astronomy.swin.edu.au/sao)
Centre for Astrophysics & Supercomputing tel: 61-3-9214 5971
Swinburne University of Technology fax: 61-3-9214 8797
PO BOX 218, Hawthorn, VIC 3122, AUSTRALIA
http://astronomy.swin.edu.au/maddison/
*===============================================================*
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
7. Fellowships for Threatened Scholars, Inst. Of International Education
>From WIPHYS posting of 02/28/02:
The Institute of International Education (IIE) announces the creation of the
Scholar Rescue Fund. The Scholar Rescue Fund will provide fellowships to
support threatened scholars, including support for temporary visits to
universities, colleges or other institutions in a safe country or region.
Academics, researchers, and independent scholars from any country, field or
discipline may qualify. In most cases, a graduate degree will be required.
Preference will be given to scholars with a Ph.D. or other highest degree in
their field; who have been employed in scholarly activities at a university,
college or other institution of higher learning during the last 4 years
(excluding any period of suspension, ban or prohibition); and whose selection
is likely to benefit the scholarly community in the home and/or host country
or region. Applications for support of female scholars and scholars who are
members of ethnic, racial, cultural or religious minority groups, or those
otherwise underrepresented in their field, are strongly encouraged.
Fellowships ranging from three months to one calendar year will be considered.
Awards may be renewable for a second term. Up to 20 fellowships will be
awarded for the 2002-03 academic year.
Candidates may apply directly or be nominated by a third party. Applications
for fall 2002 fellowships should be submitted as soon as possible, but not
later than April 1, 2002. Decisions will be announced by June 1, 2002.
Complete information on the program and how to apply can be found at
http://scholarsatrisk.uchicago.edu/IIESRF.htm
Robert Quinn
c/o Scholars at Risk Network
Telephone: (USA) 1-773-834-4659
rquinnuchicago.edu
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
8. Vera Rubin in the local news
From: Kris Sellgren sellgrenastronomy.ohio-state.edu
A local newspaper reporter wrote a story for the Columbus Dispatch, on
people who choose a career path early. She rattled off short biographies
of Sarah Hughes (2002 gold medal, women's figure skating), Rachmaninoff,
Britney Spears, Faith Hill (the last three musicians), Steven Jay Gould
(scientist), and... our very own Vera Rubin! The reporter quotes from
"Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention" by
M. Csikszentmihalyi: "Vera Rubin looked out of her bedroom window and
saw the starry skies for the first time when she was 7 years old, after
her family had moved to the edge of the city. The experience was
overwhelming. From that moment on, she says, she could not imagine not
spending her life studying the stars."
The reporter is Kirsten Chapman (kchapmandispatch.com), if you'd like
a copy of the entire article. I was just blown away by Vera Rubin's
name coming up in an article written by a reporter who usually writes
about home and family.
Kris Sellgren
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
9. A Plea for Inclusion
From: Rachel Pildis pildis.com>
After reading all the posts recently on this list about "family issues", I
wish to respectfully point out that not all women are mothers. What all of us
do have are family, friends, or interests (or even all three!) that exist
outside of the work world. A humane workplace gives us all time to deal with
and enjoy the entirety of our lives, and does not sanction some activities
(e.g. parenthood) above others (e.g. volunteer work or ailing friends). Can
we work together to allow mothers and fathers to spend time with their
children AND to let childfree men and women to spend equal amounts of time
with their friends, relatives, and other interests? Let's move from "family
issues" to consider "life issues", and include everyone - male and female,
married and single, parent and childfree, and all the people who don't fit in
these tidy dichotomies - in the discussion.
Rachel Pildis
rachelpildis.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
10. Job position as the Associate Director for SOFIA Education and Public
Outreach (E/PO)
From: Edna DeVore edevoreseti.org
Associate Director for SOFIA Education and Public Outreach (E/PO)
Position Description: Lead SOFIA's E/PO program. Manage the development of
all E/PO programs for NASA's SOFIA (Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared
Astronomy). When operations commence in 2005, the Associate Director for
E/PO directs ongoing development, implementation and evaluation of the
programs and projects for formal and informal education and public outreach.
The E/PO program also supports observatory outreach and public affairs in
coordination with NASA.
Qualifications:
Ph.D. or Ed.D. preferred; minimum of MA or MS degree in astronomy or science
education. Knowledge of astronomy and astronomy education required. Five years
related experience preferred with demonstrated project management
responsibilities including project planning and implementation, budget
management, and supervision of staff. Requires ability to work effectively in
research environment with scientists, engineers and technologists. Experience
in formal and/or informal education preferred.
Public contact and travel (domestic & international) required. Work
location: USRA/SOFIA Office, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA.
Compensation commensurate with education and experience. Generous benefits.
Employer is SETI Institute. SOFIA's E/PO program is conducted by the SETI
Institute and the Astronomical Society of the Pacific for USRA, the prime
contractor for NASA. Further information on this position is available at the
SOFIA web site:
http://sofia.arc.nasa.gov/Employment/employment.html
--
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
Edna DeVore
Deputy CEO
Director of Education and Outreach
SETI Institute
2035 Landings Dr.
Mountain View, CA 94043
650-960-4538 voice
650-961-7099 fax
edevoreseti.org
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
----------------------------------------------------------------------------