Astronomy
My wife attended a conference last week in Scotland where opportunities for women in technical fields of the oil and gas industry was one of the themes. The 2013 Offshore Europe Conference was held in Aberdeen and is a huge biennial event for the oil and gas industry, with more than 31,000 attendees this year. Ellen is the Chief Scientist for one of the large oil and gas companies and spoke in a technology session. A number of the other sessions also highlighted women speakers, and there was a Women in Energy luncheon at which the Princess Royal spoke. She is Princess Anne, the second child of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. She is patron of Women Into Science and Engineering (WISE), which is an organization supporting women "from the classroom to the boardroom".
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Astronomy
Women and Oil Can Mix
My wife attended a conference last week in Scotland where opportunities for women in technical fields of the oil and gas industry was one of the themes. The 2013 Offshore Europe Conference was held in Aberdeen and is a huge biennial event for the oil and gas industry, with more than 31,000 attendees this year. Ellen is the Chief Scientist for one of the large oil and gas companies and spoke in a technology session. A number of the other sessions also highlighted women speakers, and there was a Women in Energy luncheon at which the Princess Royal spoke. She is Princess Anne, the second child of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. She is patron of Women Into Science and Engineering (WISE), which is an organization supporting women "from the classroom to the boardroom".
The oil and gas industry has historically not been the place to find many women employees in technical jobs. This is partly related to the general weak interest in science and tech fields stemming from preferences and social pressure in schools, but also due to the perceived danger and physical labor in the energy sector. Princess Anne made a strong case that the world should change, and is changing. She told the attendees that their industry would greatly benefit from contributions by all people, regardless of gender. She hit right at the bottom line, saying "?Improving your performance in promoting women will improve your profitability."
The numbers are starting to look promising. Women now make up one-third of undergrad and graduate degree earners in geoscience and petroleum engineering. There is also growing appreciate in the companies of the benefits of expanding job searches to a wider diverse pool.
Ellen's experience has been positive. There is a wide range of science and technology problems in the industry, and employees generally rotate among different assignments to develop a broad understanding of the different activities that are needed to deliver value. A growing number of women are advancing into leadership positions, but it will take quite a few years for the wave of young women graduates to wash up in large numbers to the top jobs.
The numbers are starting to look promising. Women now make up one-third of undergrad and graduate degree earners in geoscience and petroleum engineering. There is also growing appreciate in the companies of the benefits of expanding job searches to a wider diverse pool.
Ellen's experience has been positive. There is a wide range of science and technology problems in the industry, and employees generally rotate among different assignments to develop a broad understanding of the different activities that are needed to deliver value. A growing number of women are advancing into leadership positions, but it will take quite a few years for the wave of young women graduates to wash up in large numbers to the top jobs.
See web article for my source material.
- Funding Diversity Efforts
Last year several major tech companies released data revealing their lack of workplace diversity compared with the general population. This year three of the best-known companies have committed substantial funding to increasing the numbers and success...
- Uk's 'your Life' Campaign: Government, Industry, And Universities' Concrete Steps To Recruiting Women In Stem
In early May the UK launched its ?Your Life? campaign, a new STEM initiative focused on spreading the message that science and math are the pathway to a successful and well-paid career*. The initiatives concrete goals are to:Increase the total number...
- 2 Careers, 2 Kids, 1 Marriage: Part 1
My wife, Ellen, and I are both scientists, married in graduate school, got jobs in the same city, had two kids and survived to tell about it. Here is the story of our schooling and jobs. Next time, I'll write about childrearing....
- Challenging The Status Quo In Utah
I read an interesting article in the on-line Daily Herald about efforts to attract more women to science and technical fields at Utah Valley University (UVU) in Orem, Utah. The study contains a number of specific and reasonable suggestions for how...
- Up Against The Boards
This blog is close to home for me, from University of Maryland. It is about a study by UMd faculty member Waverly Ding showing the lack of women on corporate boards. Along with co-authors Fiona Murray of MIT and Toby E. Stuart of University...