AASWOMEN for August 5, 2011
AAS Committee on the Status of Women
Issue of August 5, 2011
eds. Joan Schmelz, Caroline Simpson, and Michele Montgomery
This week's issues:
1. CSWA Resources Web Page
2. How to Solve the 'Women in Science' Gap? Teach Girls to Love Science
3. Female students in high school physics
4. Overcoming the imposter syndrome
5. Women in Science Work for Less Money
6. Call for Nominations: 2012-2015 MIT Pappalardo Fellowships in Physics
7. Call for Nominations - 2012 Alan T. Waterman Award
8. How to Submit to the AASWomen Newsletter
9. How to Subscribe or Unsubscribe to the AASWomen Newsletter
10. Access to Past Issues of the AASWomen Newsletter
1. CSWA Resources Web Page
From: Nancy Morrison [nancy.morrison_at_utoledo.edu]
In March 2011, a new section on "Resources" was added to the CSWA web site. This section debuted with a page of general resources for women in science as well as separate pages on the two-body problem and work-life balance.
Today, we announce the addition of a new page in the Resources section on sexual harassment:
http://www.aas.org/cswa/harassment
CSWA continues to receive reports of sexual harassment from members of the astronomy community. We hope this new page will assist both victims and their mentors in dealing with this sensitive issue.
Pages on additional topics are planned, including mentoring, unconscious bias, and re-entering the work force after a career break. Readers of the AASWOMEN newsletter are invited to send interesting articles, web pages, and resources on these or any relevant topic to the CSWA webmaster at the address above.
Back to top.2. How to Solve the 'Women in Science' Gap? Teach Girls to Love Science
From: Joan Schmelz [jschmelz_at_memphis.edu]
[For Ed Bertschinger's solution, see his Aug 4, 2011 blog post at http://womeninastronomy.blogspot.com -- eds.]
By General Electric Company, Friday, July 29, 2011
"Women in sciences -- or the lack thereof -- is a topic that draws constant controversy. No matter what's causing such a low number of women to enter science-related fields, the numbers speak for themselves: women make up 46.5 percent of the U.S. workforce, but hold only 25 percent of math and computer science jobs, and 11 percent of engineering jobs.
One solution for changing this ratio sounds simple, but is often overlooked: Make more of an effort to interest girls in hard sciences from an early age. Which was precisely the goal of the inaugural GE Girls at MIT Summer Education workshop, held this July."
See the entire story at http://www.rdmag.com/News/Feeds/2011/07/manufacturing-how-to-solve-the-women-in-science-gap-teach-gir
Back to top.3. Female students in high school physics
From: Waves and Packets, Aug. 3, 2001
[http://multibriefs.com/briefs/nsbp/index.php]
Writing on results of a nationwide survey of high school physics teachers, AIP's Susan White and Casey Tesfaye, report that the number of girls taking physics in U.S. high schools increased 161 percent between 1987 and 2009; the number of boys was up 88 percent over this same period. In this report, we examine female students taking high school physics. They also report on the female representation by type of physics course.
The full report is available at http://www.aip.org/statistics/trends/hstrends.html
Back to top.4. Overcoming the imposter syndrome
From: Waves and Packets, Aug. 3, 2001
[http://multibriefs.com/briefs/nsbp/index.php]
At one time or another nearly every graduate student and new faculty member wonders about his or her competence. This is a common fear often referred to as the impostor syndrome. The impostor syndrome runs rampant in academia -- and women are especially prone to it. How do you get over the impostor syndrome? Easier said than done.
More here: http://gradschool.about.com/od/survivinggraduateschool/a/impostor.htm
Back to top.5. Women in Science Work for Less Money
From: Joan Schmelz [jschmelz_at_memphis.edu]
ScienceInsider - breaking news and analysis from the world of science policy Women in Science Work for Less Money by Jeffrey Mervis on 4 August 2011
"Study hard, receive a science or engineering degree, and your reward will be a well-paying job in your chosen field. That's part of the sales pitch for those trying to attract more women into science. But according to a new US government study, the 'reward' includes earning 12% less than your male counterparts.
The 11-page report, 'Women in STEM: A Gender Gap to Innovation,' is the first analysis of women working in technical fields (STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) by the Commerce Department's Economics and Statistics Administration (ESA). The study is based on data from the 2009 American Community Survey, an ongoing questionnaire by the U.S. Census Bureau that supplements the decennial census."
The full story is here:
http://news.sciencemag.org/scienceinsider/2011/08/women-in-science-work-for-less.html?ref=hp
Back to top.6. Call for Nominations: 2012-2015 MIT Pappalardo Fellowships in Physics
From: WIPHYS, Aug. 4, 2011
Faculty and senior researchers within the international community of physics, astronomy or related fields are invited to nominate candidates for the 2012-2015 MIT Pappalardo Fellowships in Physics competition. The nomination deadline is Friday, September 9, 2011.
Nominees must be young men or women of exceptional ability who have, or will have received, a doctoral degree in physics, astronomy or related fields by September 1, 2012. Nominations must be submitted using the program's secure, on-line nomination form on the MIT Department of Physics web site: http://web.mit.edu/physics/research/pappalardo/competition.html
Back to top.7. Call for Nominations - 2012 Alan T. Waterman Award
From: WIPHYS, Aug. 4, 2011
Deadline is October 31, 2011
The Alan T. Waterman Award is the highest honor awarded by the National Science Foundation. Since 1975, when Congress established the award to honor the agency's first director, the annual award has been bestowed upon individuals who have demonstrated exceptional individual achievement in scientific or engineering research of sufficient quality to place them at the forefront of their peers.
The annual award recognizes an outstanding young researcher in any field of science or engineering supported by the National Science Foundation. In addition to a medal, the awardee receives a grant of $500,000 over a three year period for scientific research or advanced study in the mathematical, physical, biological, engineering, social or other sciences at the institution of the recipient's choice.
http://www.nsf.gov/od/waterman/waterman
Back to top.8. How to Submit to the AASWOMEN newsletter
To submit an item to the AASWOMEN newsletter, including replies to topics, send email to aaswomen_at_aas.org
All material will be posted unless you tell us otherwise, including your email address.
Please remember to replace "_at_" in the e-mail address above.
Back to top.9. How to Subscribe or Unsubscribe to the AASWOMEN newsletter
To subscribe or unsubscribe to the AASWOMEN newsletter, please fill in the required information at:
http://lists.aas.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/aaswlist
If you experience any problems, please email itdept_at_aas.org
Back to top.10. Access to Past Issues
http://www.aas.org/cswa/AASWOMEN.html
Each annual summary includes an index of topics covered.
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