AAS Committee on the Status of Women
Issue of June 8, 2007
eds. Joan Schmelz, Geoffrey Clayton, & Hannah Jang-Condell
This week's issues:
1. Even More Moore
2. Support Astronomer W. M. Keck Observatory
3. Even more on the Mercury 13
4. June 2007 issue of STATUS
5. Wikipedia Astronomers
6. New Biography of Maria Mitchell
7. Report on Women in Leadership
8. Nature Physics Editorial on Women in Physics
9. How to submit, subscribe, or unsubscribe to AASWOMEN
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1. Even More Moore
From: Sethanne Howard (sethanneh
msn.com)
For many years I have used Patrick Moore's book "Men of the Stars" to throw
on the floor at the beginning of my talk on over 4,000 years of women in
science. The book is rather battered by now, but I will not buy another
one. It makes the point rather nicely and gets a laugh too.
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2. Support Astronomer W. M. Keck Observatory
From: kathy Muller (kmullerkeck.hawaii.edu)
The W. M. Keck Observatory (WMKO), which operates the world's two largest
optical/infrared telescopes on the summit of Mauna Kea, seeks a Support
Astronomer. The Observatory supports a very active, popular. and exciting
program in Adaptive Optics (AO), including a laser guide star (LGS) facility,
and is interested in expanding its support for this program. We also have
eight facility instruments in regular use: DEIMOS, a wide-field optical
multislit imager and spectrograph; ESI, an optical, moderate resolution
spectrograph with imaging capability; HIRES, a high-resolution optical
spectrograph with UV sensitivity and a new 3-CCD detector mosaic; LRIS, a
low-resolution optical multislit spectrograph and imager with UV and
polarimetry capabilities; NIRC, a near-infrared camera with speckle imaging
capability; NIRC-2, a near-infrared camera and spectrograph used with
natural guide star (NGS-) and LGS-AO; NIRSPEC, a high-resolution
near-infrared spectrograph with lowresolution mode; and OSIRIS, a newly
commissioned integral field unit spectrograph that works with the NGS- and
LGS-AO systems. A number of other instruments are in the design or
development phases for future delivery to the Observatory.
The Support Astronomers are responsible for the support of visiting
astronomers using the instruments; the maintenance, calibration, and
improvement of the instruments; and participation on instrument building
teams during development and commissioning of future instruments. The
Support Astronomers work primarily at WMKO headquarters in Waimea, with
occasional work at the Mauna Kea summit as required. The successful
applicant is expected to spend roughly 80% of their time in this role.
Required minimum qualifications are a Ph.D. in astronomy or physics and
at least two years of experience with astronomical instrumentation at a
major research observatory. The Ph.D. must be held at the time of
appointment. Familiarity with all aspects of modern astronomical instruments,
observing techniques, and data reduction, particularly in AO or other
high angular resolution astronomy, are all extremely relevant.
Candidates must be capable of working effectively with visiting observers and
coordinating multi-disciplinary instrument commissioning and maintenance
teams.
This is a regular position with a competitive, comprehensive benefits
package including relocation assistance and private school (K-12) tuition
support for dependent children. Salary is dependent upon qualifications
and experience. A fraction of the incumbent's time may be designated for
personal research. In particular, the Support Astronomers are encouraged
to take part in a regular program of collaborative research projects with
the Observatory Director and each other, making use of the unique
facilities available at WMKO.
The application deadline is October 1, 2007. Employment is conditional
on successful completion of drug tests and a high altitude physical. Mail
or fax resumes, references, and salary history to: Support Astronomer,
WMKO, 65-1120 Mamalahoa Highway, Kamuela, HI 96743; Fax (808) 885-4464
or employmentkeck.hawaii.edu. Additional information about WMKO may be found on our
web site at www.keckobservatory.org. EEO/M/F/D/V
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3. Even more on the Mercury 13
From: Fran Bagenal (bagenallasp.colorado.edu)
I agree that the story of the Mercury 13 women is often romanticized and
taken out of the political and sociological context of the times (I believe
the 50s and early 60s were a deep, deep low point for women). But Harley
Thronson's recommendation from Space Review seems just as "nuanced" (as
he puts it) in the other direction. I encourage people to read for
themselves about the history of space exploration and the role of women -
I wrote a piece for STATUS called "Apollo Fever" recommending a range of
books that might add up to a more balanced view (January 2006 STATUS
http://www.aas.org/cswa/STATUS.html)
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4. June 2007 issue of STATUS
From: Fran Bagenal (bagenallasp.colorado.edu)
The June 2007 issue of STATUS is available (http://www.aas.org/cswa/STATUS.html).
Features of the latest issue include:
- Women in Canadian Astronomy: 15 Years of Hard Data
- Center for Astrophysics Gender Equity Report
- Every Other Thursday
- CSWP Site Visit Program
- Review of Two Paths to Heaven's Gate
- Dorrit Hoffleit
Recommendations for future issues are welcomed. A "celebration" of
Patrick Moore, perhaps?!
Fran Bagenal
Editor of STATUS
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5. Wikipedia Astronomers
From: Luisa Rebull (rebullipac.caltech.edu)
I recently stumbled across this listing in Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:American_astronomers
It's kind of a weird collection of people on this list.
This seems to be a different listing than this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_astronomers
which seems to be a more general listing. It's not clear to me if many
people listed on the former list are also listed on the latter.
I haven't checked for that, nor have I counted the fraction of women
on either list.
You might wish to check this out, see if you have an entry (you might be
surprised), correct your entry if you have one, or create your own entry
(or a colleagues)!
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6. New Biography of Maria Mitchell
From: WIPHYS
AMONG THE STARS : THE LIFE OF MARIA MITCHELL
By Margaret Moore Booker
2007 Hardcover
Few avenues of high achievement were open to American women in the
mid-nineteenth Century, but a young librarian on Nantucket Island, off
the coast of Cape Cod, sent a startling signal through the male-dominated
world of science when she emerged as a world-class astronomer. Maria
Mitchell, from the roof of the family's home overlooking Main Street,
peering into the heavens with a hand-me-down telescope, showed that she
could not only discover a comet, but compute its orbit and exchange
scientific observations with the world's leading astronomers. She became
an admired figure on the international scene, then a much-beloved professor
at Vassar College, and finally a leader in the emerging women's rights
movement.
In her mind, these achievements seemed all part of a logical whole: the
education and expansion of women's minds far beyond the stereotypes of
the time, and the projection of this new power into modern society. Not
a radical, not an establishment figure, but a unique and innovative force
in her time Mitchell is meticulously and expertly portrayed by Margaret
Booker in this first comprehensive biography.
http://www.eganmaritime.org/MariaMitchell.html
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7. Report on Women in Leadership
From: WIPHYS
The Double-Bind Dilemma for Woman in Leadership: Damned if You Do, Doomed
if You Don't
This is part of the Catalyst series examining barriers to women's
advancement. In this report, we analyze responses to the open-ended
questions from two previous Catalyst studies, Women "Take Care," Men
"Take Charge:" Stereotyping of U.S. Business Leaders Exposed and Different
Cultures, Similar Perceptions: Stereotyping of Western European Business
Leaders. These new analyses allow us to explore the contours of the
misleading beliefs documented in the previous reports; they also provide e
xamples and anecdotes from respondents' experiences. We supplement these
data with in-depth interviews of 13 women working at a large
U.S.-headquartered global company, all of whom held leadership positions
at the time of the interviews.
http://www.catalyst.org/knowledge/titles/title.php?page=lead_doublebind_07
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8. Nature Physics editorial on Women in Physics
From: Meg Urry (meg.urryyale.edu)
I attach a Nature editorial about the recent meeting on Women in Physics (
May 6-8, 2007, in College Park, Maryland). Please note the reference to
the Pasadena Recommendations on Gender Equity in Astronomy -
congratulations to the CSWA for this recognition of leadership!
Meg is referring to the editorial in the June 6, 2007 issue of Nature
Physics (3, 363). Here is an excerpt:
Last month, a workshop entitled Gender Equity: Strengthening the Physics
Enterprise in Universities and National Laboratories took place at the
headquarters of the American Physical Society in Maryland, with the
stated aim of facilitating a doubling of the number of women in physics
over the next 15 years. The under-representation of women in research
careers in physics is proving a tough nut to crack. Why would this workshop,
ahead of many other well-meaning efforts, come any closer to a solution?
What was remarkable about the Maryland workshop was its participants:
chairs from 50 major physics departments across the USA, 14 division
directors of national laboratories units, and leaders from the National
Science Foundation and the Department of Energy. After all, if there is
to be change, it has to come from the top.
In the list of preliminary recommendations from the workshop, many begin
with the words "leaders should". Leaders should "set a code of conduct",
"make expectations clear", "be aware of subtle biases" and so on. Many of
these recommendations are easily recognizable as good management practice.
A good manager creates the appropriate atmosphere in which all team
members can thrive, each being encouraged to play to their strengths, and,
through their collective effort, carry the interests of the team forwards.
That picture doesn't necessarily describe the average physics research
group - although it probably should.
Times are changing. Team work and collaboration are increasingly prevalent
in research,and demand wider skills of even the most brilliant physicists.
This move away from the more traditional, competitive scientific
culture" -- as recognized in The Pasadena Recommendations on Gender
Equality in Astronomy of 2003 -- is likely to benefit women in research,
as is increased emphasis on effective mentoring.
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