Women in Astronomy III (2009) Proceedings
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
W OMEN I N A STRONOMY AND S PACE S CIENCE Meeting the Challenges of an Increasingly Diverse Workforce Proceedings from the conference held at The Inn and Conference Center University of Maryland University College October 21—23, 2009 Edited by Anne L. Kinney, Diana Khachadourian, Pamela S. Millar and Colleen N. Hartman I N M EMORIAM Dr. Beth A. Brown 1969-2008 i D e d i c a t i o n Dedication to Beth Brown Fallen Star Howard E. Kea, NASA/GSFC She lit up a room with her wonderful smile; she made everyone in her presence feel that they were important. On October 5, 2008 one of our rising stars in astronomy had fallen. Dr. Beth Brown was an Astrophysicist in the Science and Exploration Directorate at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. Beth was always fascinated by space: she grew up watching Star Trek and Star Wars, which motivated her to become an astronaut. However, her eyesight prevented her from being eligible for astronaut training, which led to her pursuing the stars through astronomy. Beth pursued her study of the stars more seriously at Howard University where she majored in physics and astronomy. Upon learning that her nearsightedness would limit her chances of becoming an astronaut, Beth’s love for astronomy continued to grow and she graduated summa cum laude from Howard University. Beth continued her education at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. There she received a Master’s Degree in Astronomy in 1994 on elliptical galaxies and she obtained her Ph.D. in 1998, becoming the first African-American woman to earn a doctorate in Astronomy from the University of Michigan. After completing her graduate work, Dr. Brown came to NASA Goddard as a National Academy of Science/National Research Council (NAS/NRC) Post-Doctoral Research Associate. In 2001, she was appointed as an Astrophysicist Fellow in the NASA Administrator’s Fellowship Program (NAFP) and was named a Visiting Assistant Professor at Howard University. Her most recent position was Assistant Director for Science Communications and Higher Education in the Science and Exploration Directorate at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. The astronomy community mourns the loss of Dr. Brown for her contributions to the field of astronomy and her contributions in inspiring women and minorities to pursue careers in astrophysics. The Women in Astronomy and Space Science Conference 2009 and proceedings book are dedicated to the memory of Dr. Beth A. Brown (1969-2008). D e d i c a t i o n ll Organizing Committees Local Organizing Committee Anne Kinney, Chair, NASA GSFC Pamela Millar, Co-chair, NASA GSFC Amy Simon-Miller, NASA GSFC Howard Kea, NASA GSFC Felicia Jones-Selden, NASA GSFC Hannah Jang-Condell, UMD and NASA GSFC Ann Hornschemeier, NASA GSFC Dara Norman, NOAO Colleen Hartman, George Washington Univ. and NASA HQ Hashima Hasan, NASA HQ Diana Khachadourian, Secretary, ASRC GSFC Jim Gass, Website Curator, SAIntl. GSFC Jay Friedlander, Visualization Technician, QSS INC. GSFC Organizing Committee Rachel Akenson, NASA Exoplanet Science Center Blake Bullock, NGC Geoffrey Clayton, LSU Doris Daou, NASA Lunar Science Institute Andrea Dupree, CfA Kathy Flanagan, STScI Madhulika Guhathakurta, NASA HQ Ilana Harrus, NASA HQ Patricia Knezek, NOAO Chryssa Kouveliotou, NASA MSFC Leslie Livesay, JPL Lisa Storrie-Lombardi, Spitzer Science Center Melissa McGrath, NASA MSFC Deborah Narcisso, AURA Susan Niebur, Niebur Consultants Ann Parsons, NASA GSFC Yvonne Pendleton, NASA Ames Research Center Paige Smith, UMD Meg Urry, Yale Univ. Barbara Williams, Univ. of Delaware Cinzia Zuffada, NASA HQ lll Organizing Committees W O M E N I N A S T R O N O M Y P ROCEEDINGS Table of Contents Foreword—Rob Strain, GSFC Center Director ...................................... 1 Acknowledgements—The Editors ......................................................... 2 I. INTRODUCTION .......................................................................... 5 Opening Remarks—Anne Kinney ...................................................... 7 Welcoming Remarks—Ed Weiler ..................................................... 13 II. KEY TALKS ................................................................................. 23 Mentoring and the Imposter Syndrome in Astronomy Graduate Students—Rachel Ivie and Arnell Ephraim ........................................ 24 Gender Differences at Critical Transitions in the Careers of Science, Engineering and Mathematics Faculty—Claude R. Canizares ......... 35 IAU Study on Statistics—Catherine Cesarsky ................................ 43 Addressing Unconscious Bias—Abigail Stewart ............................. 51 Building the Next Generation of Astronomers—Joyce Winterton .... 63 Panel Discussion: How the Professional Community can Impact Percentages and Retention—Meg Urry .......................................... 75 HBCU Perspectives and Research Programs: Spelman College as a Model for Success in the STEM Fields—Lily D. McNair ............. 85 Women in Science and Engineering: Exploring what aMAZEs us— A.B. Carlson and K.L. Olsen ........................................................ 99 Panel Discussion: To Boldly Go: Paths to Non-Academic Careers— Colleen Hartman ...................................................................... 109 Managing and Supporting Career Breaks in the Sciences— Elizabeth D. Freeland ................................................................ 119 Panel Discussion: Parenthood: The Elephant in the Laboratory— Anne Douglass .......................................................................... 129 The Myerhoff Scholars Program—Earnestine Baker ..................... 133 Remarks—Chris Scolese ............................................................ 141 Unearned Advantage and Disadvantage as Work Impediments— Peggy McIntosh ........................................................................ 149 Panel Discussion: What it Takes to Become a Principal Investigator, Project Scientist or Instrument Scientist—Diana Khachadourian ..... 161 Table of Contents IV7 W O M E N I N A S T R O N O M Y P ROCEEDINGS Images from the Conference ............................................................. 168 III. PROPOSAL WRITING GUIDES .............................................. 177 Writing Research Proposals for NASA—Paul Hertz et al .................. 178 NSF Proposals: How Not to Get Funded—Dana Lehr and the NSF Division of Astronomical Sciences ...................................... 183 IV. PROGRAMS FOR SUCCESS ..................................................... 187 Astrobiology Research Experience for Undergraduates: An Interdisciplinary REU Program at the SETI Institute— Cynthia B. Phillips and Edna K. DeVore .................................... 188 Women in Astronomy at Gemini: A Success Story— Berndette Rodgers et al. ............................................................ 193 The Fisk-Vanderbilt Masters-to-PhD Bridge Program: Broadening Participation of Underrepresented Minorities in Astronomy through Research-Based Partnerships with Minority- Serving Institutions— Keivan Stassusn and Kelly Holley-Bockelmann ........................... 197 Recent Hiring Trends at Goddard’s Sciences and Exploration Division—Nick White .............................................................. 205 V. GENDER IMBALANCE, DIVERSITY, AND LGBT ISSUES ................ 209 Physics and Astronomy at the University of Western Ontario: A Case Study in Building a Gender-Balanced Department— Sarah C. Gallagher et al. ........................................................... 210 Transitional States: Addressing the Gender Imbalance among Postdoctoral Researchers at UC Berkeley—Jennifer L. Hoffman et al.... 213 LGBT Workplace Issues for Astronomers—Laura Kay .................. 217 Tough Talk: Women Giving Colloquia—Dara Norman et al. ........ 222 Diversifying the Next Generation of Astronomers; One Institution at a Time—Antonella Nota et al. ................................................ 227 The 30% Benchmark: Women in Astronomy Postdoc at US Institutions—Joan Schmelz et al. .......................................... 234 The Mysterious Disappearance of Women: The Origin of the Leaking ..... Pipe—Cumulative Bias Gender Equity in the First EURYI Scheme —Darach Watson, Anja C. Andersen, Jens Hjorth ....................... 237 VI. CAREER CHOICES AND WORK-LIFE BALANCE ................... 243 Setting the Treadmill—Kelly Fast ............................................... 244 Relating Educational Experience and Career Choices—Alyssa Gilbert ..... 248 How to Set Up a Lactation Facility—Florence Tan and Pamela Millar ..... 252 V Table of Contents W O M E N I N A S T R O N O M Y P ROCEEDINGS VII. WIA II 2003, CSWA, IYA ........................................................ 257 International Year of Astronomy 2009 NASA Programs: Diversity Highlights—Hashima Hassan et al. .............................. 258 The Pasadena Recommendations: Outcome of WIA II 2003— Patricia Knezek et al. ............................................................... 262 The International Year of Astronomy 2009—Pedro Russo ........... 267 Celebrating 30 Years of Advancing the Status of Women in Astronomy: The AAS Committee on the Status of Women in Astronomy—Caroline E. Simpson et al. ...................................... 272 The IYA2009 Cornerstone Project: She is an Astronomer— Helen J. Walker ....................................................................... 275 VIII. HISTORY .............................................................................. 281 Scholars