AAS Committee on the Status of Women
Issue of March 21, 2008
eds. Joan Schmelz, Hannah Jang-Condell & Caroline Simpson
This week's issues:
1. Why Can't a Woman Be More Like a Man?
2. Women's Networking Breakfast
3. CSWP/DPF Networking Luncheon for Women in Physics
4. COM/CSWP Dessert Reception
5. How to Submit, Subscribe, or Unsubscribe to AASWOMEN
6. Access to Past Issues of AASWOMEN
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1. Why Can't a Woman Be More Like a Man?
[Last week, AASWOMEM posted a link to an article by Christina Hoff Sommers,
a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. It generated two
very different responses which appear below -- eds.]
From: Annie Weeks [aw346
cam.ac.uk]
Thanks so much for including the link to the Christina Hoff Sommers article.
Really! I appreciate the balance that comes from having an occasional
conservative voice in the discussion of women in science. The editorial
caveat amused me.
[The so-called caveat was an edited-down description of AEI from the Source
Watch web site. We're not sure why this would be amusing, but we are happy
to provide amusement whenever we can! -- eds.]
I think that using Title IX to enforce quotas in majors or classes at the
university level would ultimately be counterproductive, potentially
detrimental to society. (Do we really want to force droves of men into the
field of nursing?) A little self-selection can benefit all involved. Far
better to simply remove obstacles and then let people go where they want
to go. And if more men than women choose to go into SET fields, so be it!
Don't hinder ANYONE from entering their chosen field! We will all be better
off for it.
From: Doug Duncan [dduncancolorado.edu]
I think it would be wrong to assume that the typical commentator at the
American Enterprise Inst. is open to learning. They are funded to present
a certain point of view, period.
The article is quite an amazing and sophisticated example of how smart
people at the American Enterprise Institute slant truth and rewrite history.
It essentially says that the female MIT professors who complained about
support and salary were baseless - that there's no data supporting them.
Just because salary data are confidential and MIT didn't publish them,
doesn't mean the claims weren't factual. Did they have a basis for
complaint?
The author is famous for her book "The War Against Boys." A review of her
previous book is here:
http://www.aei.org/publications/bookID.517/book_detail.asp
- and that's a fairly FAVORABLE review!
This is the email I sent to Christina Hoff Sommers (I have not heard back
from her):
I'm a Caltech grad, class of '73. My classmates were smart, hardworking,
able to be aggressive at meetings, and highly successful. The number of women?
Zero. They weren't admitted until '74. Not one professor I knew saw any
problem with the student body.
If you want to find out how women are treated in academia, I suggest that
you ask women, not the professors who teach them, nor theoretical brain
scientists! The study has, in fact, been done:
"Talking About Leaving," done by Elaine Seymour and Nancy Hewitt of CU,
tracked and interviewed 460 students to find out what REALLY happened to
them. Around half the students stayed in a STEM major and half left. The
study purpose was to find out why. That's a LOT of interviews, not
anecdotal but meaningful. Take a look.
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2. Women's Networking Breakfast
From: Jennifer Grier [jgrierpsi.edu]
A Women's Networking Breakfast was held this March at the Lunar and
Planetary Science Conference (LPSC) with 109 women attending. A summary of
the event follows, including where to go for more information, and to join
a newly created blog.
Each table at the breakfast was given a topic to break the ice and start
discussion, and at the end of the breakfast, leaders from each table shared
their perspective on the most urgent issues facing women in planetary
science, as well as some possible solutions. A summary of each working
group's results has been posted on a brand-new blog, Women in Planetary
Science:
http://womeninplanetaryscience.org.
At the request of the attendees, a discussion email list has also been
created. To join in the discussion via email, sign up for the list at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/womeninplanetaryscience
or send a message to womeninplanetaryscience-subscribeyahoogroups.com
from your desired email account. Issues on the minds of the women present
included recruitment and retention of women in the field, on-ramps to
mission teams, acceptable paths to becoming a mission PI or deputy PI, grant
availability and flexibility, information sharing, networking, graduate
student involvement, the two-body problem, and the question of work-life
balance.
Many thanks to the organizer, Susan Niebur!
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3. CSWP/DPF Networking Luncheon for Women in Physics
From: WIPHYS March 19, 2008
The Committee on the Status of Women in Physics (CSWP) and the Division of
Particles and Fields (DPF) will co-sponsor a buffet luncheon for women in
physics from 12:00-1:30 pm on Sunday, April 13, 2008 at the APS meeting in
Directors Row 43, Adams Mark Hotel, St. Louis, Missouri. The luncheon is
open to all: both men and women are welcome to attend. This is an excellent
opportunity to enjoy a full buffet lunch and network with colleagues!
Patricia Rankin of University of Colorado will offer some informal remarks
on women in physics entitled "From Pipeline to Pathways - How to Demolish
the Labyrinth". Cost: $20. Students are $5, thanks to the generosity of DPF.
Please pre-register by April 7 at
http://www.aps.org/meetings/april/others/events/cswpdpf_lunch.cfm .
Only walk-ins can be accepted after that. (Note: After April, the hotel
will be known as the Hyatt Regency St. Louis Riverfront).
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4. COM/CSWP Dessert Reception
From: WIPHYS March 19, 2008
Enjoy a dessert buffet, learn about the work of the Committee on Minorities
in Physics and the Committee on the Status of Women in Physics, network
with colleagues, and unwind after a long day of sessions at the APS Meeting
in St. Louis. This event will be held on Sunday, April 13, 7:30-9:00 pm in
the Adams Mark Hotel.
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5. Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory - Two Positions
From: WIPHYS March 19, 2008
The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory is seeking qualified applicants
for two positions with its Submillimeter Array Project. These are federal
positions with full benefits packages.
Director of Site Operations, Hilo, HI - will direct the operations of the
SMA to ensure that planned scientific observations and engineering tests are
carried out efficiently. In addition, he/she will provide administrative,
technical, and scientific guidance to Hilo-based SMA staff. As an
internationally-recognized authority in millimeter or submillimeter radio
astronomy, he/she will also conduct his or her own program of research in
submillimeter observational astronomy and support development of enhanced
capabilities for the SMA. (JP 28-20)
Electronics Engineer or Physicist, Cambridge, MA - will lead an effort to
implement receiver control hardware and software algorithms to better enable
remote operations of the array; will lead the production, testing, i
nstallation, and commissioning of receiver instrumentation for the SMA;
will coordinate and further develop a test program to verify instrument
performance and readiness and will participate in ongoing and future receiver
developments. He/she will be expected to help identify, define, and select
specific areas of scientific opportunity to guide ongoing development of
the SMA. (JP 28-19)
For further information and complete application procedures regarding
these positions, please visit (JP 28-19 and JP 28-20) at:
http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/hr/postings/
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6. How to Submit, Subscribe, or Unsubscribe to AASWOMEN
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7. 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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