Astronomy
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The AAS Committee on the Status of Women in Astronomy and the AAS Employment Committee have compiled dozens of interviews highlighting the diversity of career trajectories available to astronomers. The interviews share advice and lessons learned from...
- Lady Paragons: Building A Women In Stem Community
Below is a guest post is by Sarah Worsham cofounder of LadyParagons.com describing the goals of her site and how you can get involved. Do you remember what led you to a...
- Reverse Discrimination?
This week I gave a talk about physics education that included a substantial discussion of the benefits of diversity in creating a successful university program. I was presenting in a different country, where the culture is patriarchal although respectful...
- Persistence
I recently heard an interview with Paul Tough, author of How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity and the Hidden Power of Character.The upshot of this book is that success in college in beyond depends less on IQ or however it is you decide to measure academic...
- Aaswomen For November 30th, 2012
AAS Committee on the Status of Women Issue of November 30, 2012 eds. Caroline Simpson, Michele Montgomery, Daryl Haggard, and Nick Murphy This week's issues: 1. Women in War and Peace2. Nature?s Sexism3. Gender, Generations, and Faculty Conflict4....
Astronomy
Latent, Stereotypical Thinking
I got an e-mail from a local high school teacher that I thought I would share with you. Have you gotten one of these recently? If so, what did you decide do?
Hello Mr. Schmelz,
I am a teacher of Honors English at ABC High School. I write you today to ask if you would be so kind as to allow one of my Honors students to contact you, via phone or via email, for a brief interview about Astronomy as a career choice. This young man, XYZ, is very bright and very congenial . . .
DEF
Honors English I Teacher
ABC High School
I am a teacher of Honors English at ABC High School. I write you today to ask if you would be so kind as to allow one of my Honors students to contact you, via phone or via email, for a brief interview about Astronomy as a career choice. This young man, XYZ, is very bright and very congenial . . .
DEF
Honors English I Teacher
ABC High School
After much thought, here is how I replied:
Dear DEF,
I talk to students all the time about careers in astronomy and would be happy to be interviewed by XYZ. However, and this is a bit awkward, there is no _Mr._ Schmelz . . . I am not only a professional astrophysicist, a PhD, and a full professor at the University of Memphis, but I am also a woman! I am not sure if this will change your preconceptions about who can be a successful scientist, but I hope it will. If XYZ would still like to interview me, please have him contact me to set up a time.
Dr. Joan T. Schmelz
Physics Department
University of Memphis
The teacher replied almost immediately. Much to my relief, she fell on her sword:
Oh MY! Even a mature and ardent feminist like myself suffers from latent, stereotypical thinking. My sincerest apologies to you, Dr. Schmelz! XYZ is most sincere in his interest in astronomy . . . Thank you kindly for your offer to give of your time and expertise for this young scholar.
I realize that this was indeed the outcome I was hoping for, but I still worried about the tone. Should I have just deleted the email and not worried about it? I was trying to be a model of tactful assertiveness. Had I succeeded? Way too much creative energy went into this exchange. Of course, I could (and should) have been doing other things, but I admit that prying open the eyes of one self-described ?ardent feminist? makes me feel that it was worth the effort. Hopefully, she will never suffer from her ?latent, stereotypical thinking? again!
--Joan Schmelz
- Career Profiles: Astronomer To Tenured Full Professor
The AAS Committee on the Status of Women in Astronomy and the AAS Employment Committee have compiled dozens of interviews highlighting the diversity of career trajectories available to astronomers. The interviews share advice and lessons learned from...
- Lady Paragons: Building A Women In Stem Community
Below is a guest post is by Sarah Worsham cofounder of LadyParagons.com describing the goals of her site and how you can get involved. Do you remember what led you to a...
- Reverse Discrimination?
This week I gave a talk about physics education that included a substantial discussion of the benefits of diversity in creating a successful university program. I was presenting in a different country, where the culture is patriarchal although respectful...
- Persistence
I recently heard an interview with Paul Tough, author of How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity and the Hidden Power of Character.The upshot of this book is that success in college in beyond depends less on IQ or however it is you decide to measure academic...
- Aaswomen For November 30th, 2012
AAS Committee on the Status of Women Issue of November 30, 2012 eds. Caroline Simpson, Michele Montgomery, Daryl Haggard, and Nick Murphy This week's issues: 1. Women in War and Peace2. Nature?s Sexism3. Gender, Generations, and Faculty Conflict4....