CONTENTS Gender Inequality Gender Inequality Nevertheless, Change Has and Cultural Change Occurred

January 2002

CONTENTS Gender Inequality Gender Inequality Nevertheless, change has and Cultural Change occurred. Gender inequity and Cultural Change may still exist, but today most By Catherine Pilachowski and Anneila Sargent Catherine Pilachowski and Anneila Sargent people recognize it for what 1 A Preface to the it is. Professionally, it is now Women Physicists and accompanying article by Alice Huang unacceptable, and the problems of an inhospitable workplace Chemists are Making ULTURAL change happens slowly. The are being addressed at all Slow Progress in Academe Committee on the Status of Women in levels. At the more personal Catherine Astronomy was formed more than 20 years Valerie Kuck C level, support networks have Pilachowski 1 ago, following two “decadal” studies that grown out of our recognition summarized the status of women in our profession. of the importance of working Things Your Professor Looking back at the statistics from these studies, and together and thanks to Should Have Told You those from the proceedings of the 1992 Women in technology of the internet. Astronomy conference at Space Telescope Science No woman need be isolated Alice Huang Institute, it is hard to avoid the conclusion that in her own institution. We are 3 progress is not just slow, but downright glacial. Add learning to empower ourselves. Women in Academe, and to the statistics all the anecdotal reports of biased or In the accompanying the Men Who Derail Them discriminatory behavior that we still hear today and article, Alice Huang, former conditions today don’t seem very different from Dean of Science and Professor Anneila Wendy Williams those that prevailed in the ‘60’s and ‘70’s. Sargent 10 of Biology at New York Maria Mitchell: A Life in Continued on page 2 Journals and Letters Valerie Kuck is a chemist who recently retired after a 34-year career at Bell Laboratories, Vera Rubin Lucent Technologies. She has been active in the American Chemical Society holding leadership 12 positions at both the national and local level and has received several awards for her activities. Rosalind Franklin This article was given as a talk at the Committee on the Status of Women in Physics and the Double Helix meeting in Washington D.C. on May 1, 2001. Joan Schmelz Women Physicists and successfully attacked, this situation continued. 15 Chemists are Making Today the representation of tenured or Ms. Mentor’s Slow Progress in Academe tenure-track women faculty at Ph.D. granting institutions in the physical sciences remains Impeccable Advice for By Valerie J. Kuck woefully below the doctorates awarded to women. Women in Academia INCE THE MID 1960s, The progress that women physicists have Ann Wherle there has been a steady made in attaining tenured positions has been 17 Srise in the number of well documented by Ivie, Stowe and Czujko women seeking and achieving of the American Institute of Physics (http:// Poetry Collection doctorates in the physical www.aip.org/ statistics/trends/highlite/women/ “A Responsibility to Awe” sciences. In spite of their women.htm). Similar studies on chemists have Alison Campbell success in reaching this been conducted through the years by the staff of 18 level of accomplishment, the American Chemical Society (ACS), with women are still very under- Jordan (Women Chemists 2000 published by the A Publication of the Valerie J. Kuck represented in the ranks of ACS) and Long (Chemical and Engineering News, American Astronomical faculty members in the Sept. 25, 2000) addressing this matter recently. Society Committee on physical sciences at leading institutions. Even in Since comparisons of hiring practices in the Status of Women the 1990s, a decade when many people have physics and chemistry based on the composition in Astronomy argued that gender discrimination has been Continued on page 7 2 STATUS

Gender Inequality continued from page 1 ❊

University, and now Faculty Associate in Anneila I. Sargent is Professor of Astronomy at Biology at Caltech, discusses strategies that can be effective in the professional arena. Most the California Institute of Technology, and importantly, these are not confined to advice Director of Caltech’s Owens Valley Radio on coping with the workplace but describe Observatory and the Caltech/JPL Interferometry how women who have achieved a degree of Science Center. Dr. Sargent’s research has concen- success in their careers can make enormous trated largely on understanding how stars form contributions to improving conditions for in our own and other galaxies, and how extra- those who follow. Among the physical sciences, solar planetary systems are created and evolve. astronomy stands out as having a high percentage Dr. Sargent is the current President of the of women in senior or high profile positions. American Astronomical Society. There is an unusual opportunity here!

Gender inequity may still exist, STATUS Edited by but today most people recognize it for what it is. Meg Urry (Yale University) [email protected] Professionally, it is now unacceptable, and Lisa Frattare (STScI) and the problems of an inhospitable workplace [email protected] Associate Editor are being addressed at all levels. Joannah Hinz (University of Arizona) [email protected]

Published by Senior women in particular have already the American Astronomical Society been helped by other women, as mentors, as 2000 Florida Avenue, NW, Suite 400 role models, or as colleagues. We all share a Washington, DC 20009 responsibility to help those who come after us. © 2001 AAS Make every effort to be a good mentor your- All rights reserved. self. Take advantage of your own success to help bring more women into positions of STATUS is produced at the visibility in your own institutions and in the Space Telescope Science Institute broader community, as invited speakers, as 3700 San Martin Drive prize winners, as members of important committees. Baltimore, MD 21218 Huang’s advice is sound and wide-ranging. We encourage all of you to read what she has to Copyrights for contributed or reproduced say and to think hard about how to incorporate material may rest with the author. These arti- her ideas into your lives and into your careers. cles reflect the opinions of the authors, which Yes, change occurs slowly. But each one of are not necessarily the opinions of the editors, us, by taking on the responsibility for making STScI or the AAS. STATUS is published for changes happen, can also make a difference. ❖ the personal use of AAS members. ❊ The STATUS newsletter is distributed to AAS members at the January and June meetings and Catherine A. Pilachowski studies the chemical sent to home institutions of subscribers during composition of stars and star clusters in the the week of the meeting. Contributed articles Milky Way. She served for more than 20 years are encouraged. Deadlines for submission are on the staff of the National Optical Astronomy October 1 and March 1, respectively. Observatory in Tucson, and now holds the Daniel Kirkwood Chair in Astronomy at For more information on subscribing to Indiana University in Bloomington. Dr. STATUS, submitting articles Pilachowski is President-elect of the American or obtaining back issues, please visit the STATUS website: Astronomical Society. http://www.aas.org/~cswa/status January 2002 3

Alice S. Huang is a Faculty Associate in Biology at the California Institute of Technology. She was previously Professor of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics at Harvard Medical School and Dean for Science at New York University and Professor of Biology. She is a member of the National Academy of Sciences Committee on Women in Science and Technology, the National Science Foundation’s Advisory Committee for Education and Human Resources, the National Aeronautics & Space Agency’s Astrobiology Task Force, and Public Agenda in New York. Dr. Huang received her training at Wellesley College and Johns Hopkins University with honorary doctorates of science from Wheaton College, Mt. Holyoke College, and the Medical College of Pennsylvania. She is a fellow of the Academia Sinica in Taiwan (1991), American Women in Science (1998), the Academy of Microbiology, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (1999).

Things Your How do we gain power? It is not a disgrace Professor Should to want power and to wield power, especially Have Told You when it is for a common good. We tend to forget that having power, being in control, can By Alice S. Huang be exhilarating. To gain it, we can try to shame Learning from 30 others into giving up power, but those men who have it are not likely to give it up voluntarily. years of experiences We can lobby government agencies to pass laws about gaining more that will protect and help women, as we have power for women done effectively in the past. However, such laws scientists cannot effect a transfer of power. We can ask both public and private funding agencies to provide S RECENTLY as thirty years ago, grants as incentives or rewards for hiring and when the Association for Women in promoting women into positions of power, as Science (AWIS) was founded, it was not A has been done with limited success. We can provide uncommon for male professors to ask female a list of “best practices” to help institutions graduate students “Why do you want to go into attract, retain, and promote more women. But science when you can be at home raising beautiful all these efforts depend on persuasion, and babies?” A lot has changed since then. Over effecting real change is likely to take decades. 60% of married women and 78% of women Because external power is not readily within with children now work outside the home. the reach of many women, we need to focus on Many jobs previously thought to be unsuitable self-empowerment. This is within our control for women are now available to them. Women but, unfortunately, it is not often done. Much visibly participate in every part of society. Yet recent can be gained if we practice self-empowerment surveys show some disturbing trends. A larger per- as well as empowerment of one another. Self- centage of women entered the science professions empowerment means celebrating and supporting in the 1970s than in the 1990s. Barriers to women as well as sharing our experiences and women’s career advancement, although they are educating each other about what leads to success. more subtle, still exist. How can we remove those This empowers each other and ourselves. barriers? How can we encourage young women to Let me share with you what I have learned in enter the sciences and become successful science my career as an academic scientist and university professionals? administrator about power and empowerment. It is important to understand power and how to Gaining Opportunity, Equality, and Power gain power in our own right. My examples are In 1995, then Secretary of State Madeleine from the biomedical sciences because that is Albright said in Beijing that women will what I know best. Nevertheless, the ideas are contribute fully when they have opportunity, applicable to women-and some men-in other equality, and power. In reviewing changes over areas of science and beyond academia. the past thirty years, we can say that women have largely gained equal access to opportunity. Learning the Academic Structure But equality and power still elude many. My advice begins with understanding Without full equality and effective power, we the structure and culture of the working cannot contribute fully to society. More environment. In higher education, as in many importantly, we cannot better our own lives or professions, individuals pass through specific those of our daughters. To gain full equality, we gates in the natural progression of careers. Each must gain power. Therefore, power should become our next focus. Continued on page 4 4 STATUS

Your Professor continued from page 3 advancement, security, and recognition. More importantly, these other routes do not lead to of these gates is marked by a title change and an power within the academic structure. increase in salary corresponding to years of experience. We are familiar with the academic Starting Off Right ladder beginning with postdoctoral fellow, Once the structure of the organization is promotion to assistant professor, to associate understood, it is necessary to be successful within professor, and so on. If one chooses not to that organization. To do so means fulfilling the follow this well-defined path, there are other expectations of the organization. The first routes to take, but it means getting off the independent position, usually as an assistant academic ladder. Defining a new career structure professor, is very demanding. It becomes can be rewarding, but often getting off the necessary to teach, attract, and mentor trainees, ladder results in difficulties and disillusionment. to set up a laboratory, and to organize independent For example, a research associate position is research. This is a crucial time for concentrating commonly sold as a job with less stress and on one’s career. Personal issues that intrude at more freedom to pursue research. In truth, there this time may be detrimental. may be less stress, but freedom is illusory. Unlike students and postdoctorates, an Proceeding along this path provides a chance to assistant professor cannot accomplish her gain research experience but not commensurate responsibilities alone. No individual, no matter increases in salary or public recognition. As the how capable, can do all that is needed at this years go by, increased professional isolation stage as a loner. Team sports teach about takes its toll; despite maturity and experience, cooperation and interdependence- use that reversing this projection and getting back on the knowledge. Building support, seeking out academic ladder is extremely difficult. advisors, and forming meaningful relationships Another reason to leave the usual with colleagues are essential at this time in your career path is financial. Sometimes, career. There are many ways to accomplish this. Self-empowerment there may be an offer to be a research First, other women, especially secretaries associate or a laboratory director. and technicians, are there to offer support, and means celebrating and Taking a lucrative but subordinate they can be tremendously helpful, especially if position with a faculty member at they think they are respected in return and are supporting women as the university can be a compelling appreciated for their contributions. Delegate, incentive to jump off the academic delegate, delegate! Delegating routine, time- well as sharing our ladder. Often this move is based on consuming tasks is necessary, no matter how promises of increased responsibility. well or easily you can do them yourself. When experiences and However, the once lucrative salary I was an assistant professor the all-female typing quickly reaches a ceiling. Further pool supported me and worked on my grants educating each other about advancement is limited and job and manuscripts first. Through them, I learned stability depends on the tenure of about the subtle, nontransparent value system what leads to success. the faculty boss at the institution. at Harvard Medical School. When I discovered Should the faculty member not that my starting salary was lower than that of This empowers each gain tenure or decide to move to men hired at about the same time, these long another institution, it may be difficult time staffers helped me to negotiate a salary other and ourselves. to gain an equivalent well-paid adjustment quietly and behind the scenes, so position with another faculty member. that I did not embarrass my supervisor. Leaving academia and joining another They saved me from appearing to be strident structured environment, such as the biotechnology and demanding. industry, offers financial rewards and unusual Support can come from peers as well. All too challenges. However, once this route is taken, often, we compete against other assistant professors, proprietary information may limit publication because in some institutions only a few survive and getting back on the academic ladder the promotion process. A way around this becomes more difficult if not impossible. If one competition is to seek out those at the same stage succeeds in returning to the university, however, in other departments or institutions, particularly there is a substantial reduction in income. women or individuals who share similar scientific Although there may be good reasons for interests. We all need reality checks with peers so taking these different paths, it is important to be that we can judge whether a situation that is new fully aware of the consequences of such choices, to us is unusual or expected. Peer support can especially when they are made early in one’s also provide relief in fulfilling obligations during career. In the academic culture, falling off the emergencies: when I could not give a lecture, a academic ladder means leaving the usual path to Continued on page 5 January 2002 5

Your Professor continued from page 4 career it is necessary to stay focused on the academic ladder. Pick visible, leadership roles fellow faculty member from another institution within the institution as well as those that will filled in for me. The students welcomed this enhance your national scientific reputation. change and my supervisors were none the wiser Join professional organizations and about my dereliction. volunteer for leadership positions in those Support from mentors and senior professors organizations. Professional gatherings provide must be cultivated, especially support of a wealth of informal information beyond the thesis and postdoctoral advisors. I am scientific exchanges and permit you to compare surprised at how many trainees burn those your situation with many others. Information bridges unaware that future employers and gleaned at such meetings will make you more promotion committees will return to old effective on the job and the colleagues you meet advisors and department chairs for recom- may become part of your national support team. mendations. It is not enough, however, to maintain cordial contact with these mentors. Be a Good Mentor Seek out scientific leaders and those whom Learn how to be an effective mentor you respect in your chosen field. Make sure yourself. Do not be more critical of female your department chair and your dean know students than of male students. Do not be a something about your work. It never hurts to perfectionist; many women scientists set send a packet of your reprints to all these extraordinarily high standards for themselves individuals. Even better, send them preprints and for others. Promoting the best in your because those are more likely to be read. Ask students will ensure a stream of trainees. them for advice and help when you need However, being critical of their every effort will them. Most senior faculty are flattered when frustrate and turn off students. At a time when asked and are more than willing to help. students are still unsure of their own capabilities and prioritizing their own commitments, Avoid a Common Pitfall particularly young women, they need all the It is likely that male professors will encouragement they can get in order to stay in become your mentors, so it is important to be the race. They do not need what is called “tough aware that the ugly head of sexual tensions love”. Learn to compliment your trainees and may turn up when you least expect it. Such junior women faculty. Compliment them not topics are usually not discussed because they only in their presence but also in their absence. are difficult. A good mentor is likely to You will empower them by these actions. All too become a friend. Be business-like and often, women faculty and students do not professional at all times. Sometimes it will be receive the positive feedback and recognition up to you to defuse tensions and make the they deserve. men around you feel comfortable. Remember that you can be friends with your mentor’s Make Your Work Visible, Known, and Valuable wife and show that you are not a threat. Do not imagine that by simply working hard Jealousy on her part will inhibit mentoring by and being an excellent scientist you will be her husband. Any sexual innuendo can diminish recognized and promoted automatically. Publishing your credibility and ruin your career. Be very is essential. Do not delay publication waiting for careful! These are sensitive issues and it is that piece of data that will make it more perfect better to be aware of them than to turn a or that will make a more complete story. Your blind eye. work is your life’s blood and communicating it whenever and wherever you have the chance A Word About Extracurricular Activities will advance your career. Assistant professors before tenure need to Even that is usually not enough. Helping use extracurricular time judiciously. Do not someone else get a job done may be gratifying, volunteer to be on any more committees than but unless you lay some claim for what you have you have to. Gauge the value of the committee done, the credit will go to others. Some self- in terms of career networking and advancement. promotion is necessary. Seek credit. Make oral Committees to gather data on other women, to or written annual reports letting department help run joint service centers like animal chairs or deans know about your accomplishments facilities, or to advise graduate students are and awards. Ask for promotions and salary often offered to women faculty. These are increases. Do not expect them to come your time-consuming and should be avoided if way unless your organization has a transparent possible. It may be difficult to say no to some policy applied evenly to everyone. Notify the of these committees, but at this point in your Continued on page 6 6 STATUS

Your Professor continued from page 5 •Avoid overloading women faculty with teaching and committee responsibilities. school paper or magazine when an award comes your way so that it will be properly publicized. •Provide effective mentoring and Ask supportive colleagues to make award timely reviews. nominations or to suggest you for better positions. Finally, do not ignore the finances of every- •Nominate women for awards and other thing you do. Money talks. Bringing in an extra kinds of recognition. grant or an umbrella grant will empower you. Obtain a fair salary that reflects your importance •Develop complete intolerance for the casual in the organization. If your salary provides extra discrediting or minimizing of women’s income, try contributing to your own institution contributions and accomplishments. or to philanthropy and see the added benefits such actions will bring. In fact, understanding •Make sure that the bar is not set higher for and using the power of money is one of the first women than for men. steps to rising into powerful management positions. •Cooperate with other institutions to provide jobs for accompanying spouses. Once in Power . . . Although some power will accrue at every level in •Provide a menu of benefits for all. academia, the power to change institutions really exists at the full professorial or administrative •Provide well-run, inexpensive daycare positions. There is a caveat. Polly Bunting, a past centers, as well as emergency childcare. president of Radcliffe, said, “Once you are in a position of power do not forget that you are still Many of these recommendations are found a woman.” She was afraid that in climbing the in recent national reports on the status of academic ladder women would adopt the mas- women and resonate with women who have culine culture and identify only with the male long been in the academy. Some institutions power structure. I advised that early in your have already incorporated some of these “best career you need to focus primarily on the practices” and have found that doing so did not imperatives of the academic ladder, but once in bankrupt the institution. Practicing all these power there are many things a woman can do to recommendations will go a long way in help other women. Besides hiring and promoting improving the “chilly climate in academia for more women, the lives of women faculty can be women” and will help retain more women for empowered by powerful individuals acting in the long haul. Only when more women gain ways noted in the following list: and use power can we bring about real and lasting change. ❖ •Review compensations, start-up packages, office and laboratory spaces, and access to institutional resources every now and then Recommended Readings: to ensure equity between male and N. Barcelo. National Initiative for Women in Higher female faculty. Education: Improving campus climates and the status of women in higher education. Executive Summary •Provide discretionary dollars to faculty (see www.umn.edu/women/wihe/home.html). from an institutional source when special S. Estrich. Sex and Power. New York: Riverhead Books, circumstances dictate the need. Penguin Putnam, 2000. E. J. McCaffrey. Taxing Women. Chicago: The University of •Introduce faculty to lucrative consulting Chicago Press, 1997. activities or other extramural opportunities V. Valian. Why So Slow? Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, 1998. as appropriate. *This manuscript was presented, in part, at the •Make women faculty aware of such oppor- Conference on Shaping a National Agenda for Women in Higher Education, University of Minnesota, March tunities and how to qualify for them. 27-29, 2000. Reprinted with permission from AWIS Magazine, Vol 30, Num 2. January 2002 7

Making Slow Progress continued from page 1 number of tenured and tenure-track female faculty members is about the same for physics and chemistry. of the entire faculty would be biased towards This is striking because four times as many women the past, this study focuses on recent hiring at have earned Ph.D.’s in chemistry since 1966. the assistant professor level. For the physics These findings bring into serious question departments, Schabel of Bell Laboratories, the validity of the often-voiced statements justifying Lucent Technologies directly contacted each the low number of women faculty members in school by phone and/or ascertained the the physical sciences at these institutions on the information on the Internet. Long’s faculty small size of the available pool of women. analysis by gender was used for chemistry. Currently, for all Ph.D. granting institutions, Preliminary work using the ACS 1999 female faculty members are about 6% in physics Directory of Graduate Research for the top and 11% in chemistry. The challenge of having twenty-five Ph.D. granting institutions in faculties mirror the female composition of the chemistry showed that a significant number of the graduate student population (14% for physics faculty members had received their doctorates and 32% for chemistry), requires that dramatic from a small number of schools, about half changes be made in the hiring, retention, and having received their degrees from one in the mentoring of women. top ten. (The 1995 National Research Council The Ph.D. attainment rate for men and rankings were used.) At the top ten universities, women in graduate school was also examined. 70% of the faculty members had obtained their The yield of women scientists for a school was Ph.D. degrees from that elite group of schools. determined by dividing the number of doctorates Strikingly, nearly 80% of recent hires, the earned by women between the years 1994-98 by assistant and associate professors, had doctorate the number of full-time female graduate students degrees from that same group of schools. Since enrolled between 1988-92. The data used in these ten universities had such a great impact, these calculations were also obtained from the we concentrated on the hiring practices in the National Science Foundation. Corresponding chemistry and physics departments at these yield values were determined for men, and same institutions. a parity index was then calculated by dividing As a conservative approximation for the the yield for women by that for men. candidate pool used in filling these assistant At the top ten ranked universities, the yield for professor positions in 2000, the gender distribution women physicists was somewhat greater than of the doctorates awarded by the top ten schools that for chemists. In both disciplines women between 1988-92 was provided by Joan Burrelli graduate students were slightly less successful at the National Science Foundation. than men in achieving a doctorate (see Figure 2). In physics, the percentage of women assistant Expanding the study to the top twenty-five professors hired at the top ten schools was universities, female doctorate yields changed slightly, higher than their representation in the candidate decreasing for chemistry and increasing for physics; in pool (see Figure 1). In chemistry, even though both fields, women continue to lag behind men in the pool of women was more than 2.5 times receiving a Ph.D. At the 11-25 ranked universities, larger, the percentage of women hired was female graduate students in chemistry fared smaller than for physics, and substantially smaller more poorly than their male counterparts. than their representation in the candidate pool. Considering the total number of tenured or Continued on page 19 tenure-track women faculty members at the top Figure 2: ten institutions, the representation of female Women Lag Behind Men in Receiving Doctorates physics faculty members was 9.1% of the total in the year 2000, giving an average of 3.5 women Physics Chemistry per school. In chemistry the average was 2.8 At Universities Ranked 1-10: (9.0%). For all Ph.D. granting universities, the Female Ph.D. Yield 79.2 % 68.7 % Figure 1: Hiring of Tenure-Track Women by the Top Ten Ranked Universities Male Ph.D. Yield 88.0 % 78.1 %

Physics Chemistry Parity Index 0.90 0.88

Number of Female Ph.D.’s 1988-92 138 364 At Universities Ranked 11-25: Female Percent of Pool 10.7 21.6 Female Ph.D. Yield 60.9 % 54.9 %

Assistant Professors (women/total number) 11/61 8/49 Male Ph.D. Yield 64.1 % 67.8 % Percent Female 18.0 16.3 Parity Index 0.95 0.81 8 STATUS

Addendum: more Ph.D.s in 1994-1998 than graduate students in 1988-1992.) Still, a few “Yields” and “Parity straightforward conclusions are possible. Indices” for Top The yield of Ph.D.s relative to entering Astronomical Institutions graduate students varies tremendously for By Meg Urry and Valerie Kuck individual top-10 departments, ranging from 43% to 200% for women and OW DOES astronomy 47% to 210% for men2. (Yields compare to physics and It greater than 100% occur if Hchemistry in the people transfer into the pro- advancement of women? In gram after the first year or the accompanying article appears that take less than 5 years to Kuck finds that top finish.) The overall yield physics departments the situation in top for women is lower than graduate a smaller for men (81% compared fraction of women than astronomy departments, to 101%). The parity are in the graduate index overall is 0.80, student pool, yet hire a while perhaps not ideal, considerably below the slightly higher fraction true-parity index of 1. than in the relevant Twenty-four percent Ph.D. pool. In contrast, is at least better than in of graduate students top chemistry depart- 1988-1992 were ments graduate relatively our sister fields of women while only 20% more women yet hire far of the Ph.D.s 1994-1998 fewer women than the chemistry [...] and went to women. As found percentage in the Ph.D. in previous studies, the pool. Statistics for astronomy physics.... attrition of women astronomy (Urry, STATUS, January graduate students appears to 2001) suggest that the top be greater than that of men. ranked astronomy departments Several institutions have are as likely, and possibly more graduated a relatively large frac- likely, to hire a significant percentage tion of women: 9 of 33 Ph.D.s (not of female astronomers (relative yields of shown in table) at the University of Texas graduate schools were not investigated in at Austin in 1988-1992 (and 6 of 35 in that work), but an astronomy study compa- 1994-1998), and 10 of 27 Ph.D.s at the rable to Kuck’s analysis of chemistry and University of California at Santa Cruz physics has not previously been done. 1994-1998. A few others are at the other Here we look at the top astronomy end of the distribution, such as the departments and evaluate the same University of Chicago (5 women of 37 statistics as in Kuck’s article, namely Ph.D. Ph.D.s, 1994-1998) or Cornell University completion rates of male and female graduate (4 women of 29 Ph.D.s, 1994-1998) — students in a 5-year period, 1993-1997; the perhaps surprisingly, as both had admitted corresponding number of first-year graduate 1988-1992 graduate school classes that students (1988-1992); and the number of were 1/3 female. women recently hired as assistant professors Women are hired as assistant professors 1 at the top astronomical institutions . by the top 25 astronomy departments at We caution that the results have large roughly their presence in the Ph.D. statistical uncertainties, there being far candidate pool: they are ~20% of possible fewer astronomers in the U.S. than either candidates and ~20% of recently hired chemists or physicists. Furthermore, the assistant professors, with large statistical simplistic analysis attempted here is errors. In this respect, astronomy compares distorted by the influx of graduates from favorably to chemistry and similarly to physics (and elsewhere), and by the incredible physics in terms of producing new women growth of astronomy in the 1990s. (As just assistant professors. one example of this growth, there were Continued on page 9 January 2002 9

Addendum continued from page 8 assistant professors are being hired) and physics (where a smaller percentage of It appears that the situation in top women are getting Ph.D.s). The number astronomy departments, while perhaps not of women astronomers is growing, and ideal, is at least better than in our sister provided we are not complacent about it, fields of chemistry (where too few women should continue to do so. ❖

Table 1:

Doctorate Yields and Parity Indices for Top Ranked Schools in Astronomy

Graduate Students Doctorates sum 88-92 sum 94-98 Yield % Yield % Parity Total Female Male Total Female Male (Female) (Male) Index Total3 325 77 248 313 62 251 80.5 101.2 0.795 CalTech 32 8 24 44 10 34 125.0 141.7 0.882 Princeton 59 10 49 29 6 23 60.0 46.9 1.278 UC Berkeley 29 6 23 48 7 41 116.7 178.3 0.654 Harvard 28 3 25 27 5 22 166.7 88.0 1.894 U Chicago 31 10 21 37 5 32 50.0 152.4 0.328 UC Santa Cruz 38 10 28 27 10 17 100.0 60.7 1.647 U Arizona 57 21 36 37 9 28 42.9 77.8 0.551 MIT * * * 25 6 19 * * * Cornell 18 6 12 29 4 25 66.7 208.3 0.320 U Texas at Austin 33 3 30 35 6 29 200.0 96.7 2.069

Correction Numbers in the dotted lines were inadvertently transposed in the original printed version and have been corrected here.

Footnotes: References: 1 Numbers of doctorates earned are from NSF • AIP (1999). Graduate Programs in Physics, Astronomy, Doctoral Records File 1966-1999 (Survey of Earned and Related Fields. New York: American Institute of Doctorates), WebCaspar, National Science Foundation. Physics, 1999. The student enrollments are from the NSF Graduate Student Survey, Fall 1972-1999 (Survey of Graduate • NSF Doctoral Records Files . WebCaspar, National Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering), Science Foundation, 1966-1999. WebCaspar, National Science Foundation. The ranking are from NSF Research Doctoral Programs based on • NSF Graduate Student Survey, (Survey of Graduate scholarly quality of faculty ranking. These rankings were Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering). compared with the U.S. News and World Report results WebCaspar, National Science Foundation, Fall 1972-1999. which list the same top ten programs as the NSF ranking.

2 Yield is number of Ph.D.s received 1994-1998/number of graduate students 1988-1992 for each department. (Four of the top 25 schools were excluded due to missing data.) Parity index is the ratio of the yield of women to the yield of men.

3 Numbers do not include “MIT” statistics, due to incomplete data. 10 STATUS

Wendy M. Williams is an associate professor of human development at Cornell University. Her books include Escaping the Advice Trap, written with Stephen J. Ceci (Andrews McMeel, 1998). Women in Academe, distance of the city where her partner worked. and the Men Who Derail Them He certainly could have found an equivalent job in any major city, but he made it clear that he By Wendy M. Williams wanted to remain where he was. Besides, he ACH SPRING, graduate students who are noted, his city contained lots of colleges – why about to receive their Ph.D.’s hunt far and should they have to move? Ewide for tenure-track jobs. Last year, one The student was convinced by his argu- student in the program I teach in applied for 86 ments. She wound up with a one-year appoint- positions. Competition for assistant professor- ment at a mediocre college; the job had low pay ships in psychology and human development is and a heavy workload. After a couple of years in so fierce that often several hundred applicants that position, she will have destroyed her vie for a single position. The process weeds out chances of ever achieving the career for which anyone but the most committed. she spent many grueling years preparing. Unfortunately, male and female graduate Readers may wonder why the student could students respond differently to the demands of not make do with a bad job for a few years, or the academic job market. Although 70 percent even take a few years off, rejoining the career of the students in my graduate program are track later. Unfortunately, each research-oriented, female, it is the men who compete most tenure-track academic job attracts so many aggressively for jobs – the student who sent out top-notch applicants who have logged one 86 applications last year was male. My informal impressive accomplishment after another that tally reveals that 90 percent of the men apply most search committees rule out candidates who for virtually every job that remotely matches have done less well for even one year. their qualifications, while only about half of the Committees often look first at the quality and women do so. When women apply for jobs, they number of an applicant’s publications. do quite well – but they are far more likely than Graduates whose temporary jobs require them to men not to compete for positions. That pattern teach eight or more courses a year and don’t is confirmed anecdotally by my colleagues at give them adequate institutional resources to other institutions. Many intelligent and talented conduct high-level research cannot pass that women substantially reduce their chances for first hurdle. (Of course, some graduates want career success, prestige, and financial security by teaching-oriented positions. But the students I being unwilling to participate in a national job am describing had prepared themselves for search, usually because the men in their lives research jobs in academe.) don’t want to move. We rarely see male gradu- How do the female graduate students who ate students severely limiting their job searches narrowly limit their job searches explain their because of their partners’ desires. behavior? They describe in detail how impossible it When brilliant women allow their careers to would be for their men to move. They state, be derailed, everybody loses: the women, the usually erroneously, that they may still get pres- scholars who might have been their colleagues, tigious, tenure-track jobs, and that even if they and society at large. Why, in this era of greater do not succeed at first, they can try again later. equity for women, are we experiencing such a After spending five, six, or more years preparing sorry state of affairs? themselves to conduct research as well as teach, Consider one example (with identifying the women end up losing the chance to reach details changed): A brilliant female student, on their goals when their partners insist on staying put. a trajectory toward a remarkable career, began a Most of the partners do not realize that they love affair with an attorney late in her graduate are permanently derailing the women’s careers; training. She had built a terrific vita, filled with they think that they are asking the women to impressive publications; she was a great teacher make reasonable compromises, or just to post- who gave wonderful talks on important and pone searching for the perfect jobs. The women interesting research. Her chances of landing a are crippled by a lack of accurate information prestigious job were high. But to get the kind of about the academic job market, which prevents position that she had prepared for throughout them from rebutting their partners’ arguments graduate school, she would have to participate that a move shouldn’t be necessary. in a national search and be willing to relocate. It is one thing if a woman decides to focus All fall, her advisers sent her dozens of job her life on her family, perhaps choosing to work announcements, encouraging her to apply for part time or to relocate if that would be good each position. Yet she requested only five letters of recommendation, all for jobs within commuting Continued on page 11 January 2002 11

Women in Academe continued from page 10 I have led discussions in a professional- development seminar for first-year graduate for her partner’s career. But the women I am students about how to land an academic job. concerned about declared their career intentions Topics included the specific steps and sacrifices when they applied to graduate school. Their involved in getting a research position, the types enrollments kept other promising candidates out of careers available and the constraints of each, of programs with limited numbers of slots. The how to choose a faculty mentor, how to choose women accepted thousands of dollars each year a research topic designed to win a job, and how in stipends from their universities, as well as to present yourself to professors as a good forgiveness of tuition charges. And at the last potential colleague. minute, they abandon the careers for which they More attention to research careers in such have trained so long – typically without even seminars, in informal meetings, and during realizing how much they are sacrificing. classes would prepare women to communi- How can we help female graduate students cate more effectively with their partners. For stay on the path they have chosen? The key is to example, female graduate students should make sure that from the start, when they apply make clear early in their to graduate programs, the women have adequate romantic relationships information about academic careers. that they may have to Each graduate program should distribute to move. If their partners Women must be told all applicants written descriptions of the steps are not flexible and involved in getting a job as an assistant professor, supportive, the women bluntly what they and information about the resources the can attempt to educate program offers to help with a job search. Some them – or find new need to do to examples of meaningful help are advice about partners. Professors choosing a research topic likely to lead to jobs, should explain the succeed in the assistance in developing a vita, opportunities to choices and compromises participate in national academic meetings, and they’ve made in their careers they have coaching for interviews. own lives, whether or Professors must talk explicitly with graduate- not they’ve managed chosen, and we must school applicants trying to choose advisers about to combine careers and the steps involved in landing a job. Women (and families. teach them to expect men) who find academic careers unappealing Professors know once they realize what job searches involve may what an academic of themselves a level withdraw their applications, making room in the career entails, but many programs for applicants who are willing to relo- of them are simply too of commitment that cate after they earn their Ph.D.’s. busy discussing research For the most part, detailed information to talk about real- we take for granted about getting a job becomes clear only after world issues. Others students have been in a program for five or six believe that such practi- in men. years, when mentors can no longer ignore the cal issue and when fellow students only a little more matters are not their advanced in the program serve as examples of responsibility. In a society that does not success or failure. At that point, male graduate implicitly prepare women to compete aggres- students step naturally up to the plate. Our sively for jobs, we must explicitly pick up the society expects men to compete for jobs, and slack with our female students. The process men learn from childhood how to be assertive, of landing a job should not be a secret, nor to play to win but to cope with losing, to place should the consequences of failing to partici- personal success at least sometimes above the pate in the search. Women must be told needs of friends and relatives. bluntly what they need to do to succeed in On the other hand, many female graduate the careers they have chosen, and we must students are shocked to learn what they must do teach them to expect of themselves to get a good research position. Women need a level of commitment that we take for extra help from their academic mentors: more granted in men. ❖ meetings dedicated to discussions of life after graduate school, and opportunities to talk about the implications of the job-search *This article first appeared in The Chronicle of Higher process for their personal lives and their feelings Education (Copyright © 2001 http://chronicle.com) in the July 20, 2001 issue. It has been reprinted in STATUS with about competing. permission from the author. 12 STATUS

Vera Rubin has astronomy degrees from Vassar College and Cornell University and a Ph.D. from Georgetown University. She has been on the staff of the Department of Terrestrial Magnetism of the Carnegie Institution of Washington for over 35 years. Dr. Rubin has been honored extensively for her work in observational cosmology, and is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and a recipient of the National Medal of Science. [See Rubin Symposium announcement on page 20.]

Maria Mitchell: A Life in Whittier, Alcott, and Peabody. October 1, 1847, Journals and Letters, while her parents were entertaining guests at edited by Henry Albers, dinner, MM was using the telescope as she College Avenue Press, did most nights, sweeping the sky in search of comets. But this night she discovered one. Clinton Corners, NY, 2001 Ultimately, she received a gold medal from Book Review by Vera C. Rubin, the King of Denmark, offered for the discovery Department of Terrestrial Magnetism, of a telescopic comet. Carnegie Institution of Henry Albers, for 32 years Washington a professor of astronomy at Vassar College, has combed her HEN VASSAR diaries, journals, and letters Female College from all over the world and opened in 1865, W compiled a wonderfully one of its few buildings was informative and entertaining an observatory, and its first story of the intellectual growth professor of astronomy was of this wise and witty woman. Maria Mitchell (MM). She, Thus it is mostly in Mitchell’s like other brilliant women words that we follow the life of her generation, had an of a brilliant woman who was international reputation and offered opportunities never an impressive list of achieve-

Courtesy of the Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association Maria Mitchell Courtesy of the Nantucket before offered to an American ments, but no college degree. woman scientist. In return, her These women had been taught Hermione Dassell portrait horizons broadened, and she their professions by a supportive of Maria Mitchell at grew to play a major role in father, brother, husband, or the telescope. the founding years of Vassar male friend; they would teach College, in the lives of her the first generation of U.S. women who obtained students, in the larger domain of education college degrees in science. In turn, these college- for women, and ultimately in the political educated women would become science profes- arena of women’s rights. Always, she was sors at colleges for women. Their students searching for truth. would break open the doors of American uni- The discovery of the comet changed versities, and obtain the first science Ph.D. Mitchell’s life. She became in the U.S. a symbol degrees for women in the United States. of the emergence of women into the public Mitchell was born in 1818 on Nantucket world of science; worldwide, the community of Island, where women played a significant role in male scientists and literary figures opened to the intellectual and fiscal life while the men her. She was elected into the American Academy were at sea. From her father, a banker and of Arts and Science (AAAS) in 1848, one of its amateur astronomer, she learned astronomy first woman members, and she was an active with a telescope on the roof of their home. After member of the AAAS. She accepted a job offered graduation from school at age 16, she organized by the Nautical Almanac Office when it opened a school for girls, each of whom paid a penny a in 1849; her responsibility was computing the day to attend. This may have been the first positions of the planet Venus. Mornings she racially integrated school in the U.S. calculated orbits, afternoons she was the librarian At age 18, she accepted a position as the first in the Atheneum, and evenings were spent librarian at the Atheneum, the intellectual center sweeping the sky for comets. As the only of the island. Her very special talents must have unmarried child in a family of 10 children, her been apparent, even as a teenager. As librarian, days and months were sometimes filled with she had access to books from which she educated caring for sick relatives. At those times, she herself in subjects as diverse as literature, calculus, carried her calculations into the sick room. Her and statistical computational astronomy. financial independence and her accomplishments, Through lectures on Nantucket and visits to Boston, she made friends with Emerson, Continued on page 13 January 2002 13

Mitchell continued from page 12 progress, like an American. He really seemed to me all alive, and is either a genius or crazy - the rare for a woman at that time, offered her shade between is so delicate that I can’t always unique opportunities to travel. tell to which a person belongs.” On observatories: Living at a time when a trip from New York “All the early observatories of Europe seem to City to Nantucket was an ocean voyage, her have been built as temples to Urania, and not of travels for her own education and for science working chambers of science.” After discussing inspire awe. Apparently wanting more in her life their individual failings (including pillars that than computations and books, in 1857 she quit hide stars) she concludes, “Well might Struve her job as librarian and journeyed alone to the say... ‘an observatory should be simply a box to West. As the escort of a young woman from hold instruments.’” On travel: “Nothing can be Chicago, she traveled down the Mississippi more dreary than the (14 hour) day passed River and up the east coast of the U.S. She between Civita Vecchia and Rome, in a vettura. carried letters of introduction to important Had (Mr. Hawthorne) spoken between the two and interesting people; her comments are towns, I did not hear him... there came on a always insightful. From a slave market in drizzling rain, we had no food and were all New Orleans, she wrote, “I could hold my quite devoid of enthusiasm when we entered tongue and look around without much outward Rome in the darkness of midnight.” On show of disgust, but to talk pleasantly to the customs: “Manners and customs differ in every trader I could not consent.” From Mammoth place... You buy apples by the pound, and hooks Cave, where they ascended and descended and eyes by the ounce. Not having a very definite ladders, and crossed rough bridges over gaping idea of weight, I bo’t a pound of one and was abysses, “if two ladies travel alone, they must surprised by the small amount, an ounce of the have the courage of men.” other and found I had hooks Her travels continued for and eyes enough for the rest one year more, to England, “We especially need of my life.” France, Italy, and Austria. Her return voyage started There was hardly an important imagination from London, where she heard observatory she did not visit, Charles Dickens read “The nor an important scientist Cricket on the Hearth.” MM she did not meet. Sir George in science. asked the ship’s captain if he Airy and Sir John Herschel would put her ashore at and their families became her It is not all Nantucket, as they passed within friends. To Airy she presented 30 miles of the Island. His a photograph of the stars taken mathematics, reply, “... that I ought not to live by the Bonds at Harvard. The there, if I can’t go the long way English astronomers had then nor all logic, around to New York,” concludes only photographed the moon. her engrossing and detailed Herschel presented her with a but it is travelogue. sheet from Caroline Herschel’s It was in her role as an (his aunt) notebooks in which educator of women that MM she had recorded William somewhat revealed her greatness. Vassar Herschel’s observations. College opened in 1865 with Mitchell describes her social beauty and poetry.” eight professors, two of them interactions with astronomers –MM women, and ten teachers, eight Leverrier, Enke, von of them women. From the Humboldt, Secchi, Mary start, she believed that the Somerville, and father Wilhelm and son Karl students should be doing meaningful scientific Struve. Much of the travel in France and Italy work. “We are students learning together.” She was with Nathaniel Hawthorne and his refused to lecture to the students what they family. During this time, she was also making could find in textbooks. calculations for the Almanac Office, for they The students published a column in Science had refused her request to retain her position Monthly (shortly to become Scientific American) but do no work during her travels. which contained their calculations of the rising Mitchell’s comments concern many whose and the setting of the planets and other celestial names we recognize today. At a reception in phenomena. They calculated orbits, determined London: “Several gentlemen spoke to me without local times with a transit telescope, and counted a special introduction... Dr. Toynbee is a young meteors, including those of the great meteor man not over thirty, full of enthusiasm and Continued on page 14 14 STATUS

Mitchell continued from page 13 she had received it. Would she have preferred a Doctor of Science diploma? shower of 1866. “Are there 17 students in During the last decades of her life, Harvard College who take Mathematical disappointed that women professionals were still Astronomy do you think?” (1865). “I asked second-class citizens, MM reached out to a (Prof. Pierce of Harvard, after MM had attended wider audience. She and Dr. Avery, the only one of his classes) if a young lady presented woman professors at Vassar, were paid less than herself at the door if he could keep her out and one-half the salary of the male professors. Their he said ‘No and I shouldn’t’. I told him I would continual salary disputes with the college were send some of my girls” (1866). “It is better to never resolved. MM became President of the be peering in the spectrograph than on the Association for the Advancement of Women pattern of a dress... it is better to spend an hour (AAW) in 1874, an organization she helped to in watching the habits of an insect then in trying found. Julia Ward Howe was an executive of the to put up their hair fantastically” (1872). Association. In 1876, at the Fourth Congress of She traveled in 1869 with current and previous the AAW, MM presented a paper on The Need students to observe an eclipse in Iowa, and again of Women in Science. From it, Albers has in 1878 to an eclipse in Colorado. Each student included a hauntingly poetic paragraph. had a task: to count half seconds from the “Does anyone suppose that any woman in all chronometer in order to time each contact, to the ages has had a fair chance to show what she observe and sketch the corona, to observe planets could do in science?… The laws of nature are and stars. MM’s account of the Iowa eclipse in not discovered by accidents; theories do not Hours at Home included, “My assistants, a come by chance, even to the greatest minds; party of young students, would not have turned they are not born of the hurry and worry of from the narrow line of observation assigned to daily toil; they are diligently sought, they are them if the earth had quaked beneath them... patiently waited for, they are received with Was it because they were women?” She taught, cautious reserve, they are accepted with reverence “We especially need imagination in science. It and awe. And until able women have given is not all mathematics, nor all logic, but it is their lives to investigation, it is idle to discuss somewhat beauty and poetry.” She taught, “The the question of their capacity for original step, however small, which is in advance of the work.” Maria Mitchell left Vassar in 1888 due world, shows the greatness of the person, to ill health, and never returned; she died the whether that step be taken with brain, with following year. heart, or with hands.” Her students reported Those of us who now attempt to open that they “went out of her class room alive with science to more women have never faced the energy and purpose.” By 1873, when she questions that MM was asked, and the questions traveled to Russia with her nephew, her visit to that were then debated at scientific societies: the Pulkova Observatory was secondary to her Can women’s brains and bodies survive doing visits relating to education for women. science? Are women capable to doing science? At an 1873 meeting of the Woman’s Club of Henry Albers has produced a remarkable book Boston, Prof. Pierce admitted that Marie Agnesi, that follows the intellectual growth of a young the Italian mathematician, was the single original Nantucket girl, passionate about astronomy, woman in science. In her diary, MM commented, who developed into a brilliant woman devoted “It seems to me if, in 1800 years with every to educating younger women to become scientists. advantage some 12 men have been original in As an astronomy student at Vassar College, I science, and with every disadvantage one woman could not understand why her astronomical has been, the woman’s mind must be truly interests led ultimately to her extensive activities wonderful.” Yet MM herself was surprisingly on behalf of women. After reading Alber’s book modest. Following the award of an honorary about this extraordinary woman, I understand. ❖ Ph.D. from Rutgers in 1870, she wrote the Vassar president, “I submitted to my title twenty four whole hours, after which I announced that Autographed copies of the book, Maria Mitchell: A the joke was old, and have resumed the brief Life in Journals and Letters, may be obtained by one of MM” She did not mention in her diary sending $25 directly to: the LL.D degree conferred on her by Hanover College in 1882. And the diploma awarding her Dr. Henry Albers, a Doctor of Laws degree in April 1887 (sent to 8810 Leabrook Street, her by Columbia College in October, 1887) was Fairhope, AL 36532. followed by a letter in November asking if January 2002 15

Joan T. Schmelz is an Associate Professor of Physics at the University of Memphis. She received her Ph.D. from Penn State University in Astronomy in 1987. Her research involves the investigation of properties and dynamics of the solar corona, using spectroscopic and imaging data in the X-rays and EUV. Her most recent work provides observational constraints for the coronal heating problem.

Rosalind Franklin chercheur at the Laboratoire Central des and the Double Helix Services Chimiques de l’Etat. Anne Sayre suggests that it was probably the happiest time By Joan Schmelz of her life – she was young, she was living in post- N THE SPRING OF 1953, Rosalind war Paris, and she was learning the techniques Franklin of King’s College, London was per- of X-ray diffraction from Jacque Méring. Iilously close to unraveling the mystery of Méring was an acknowledged expert in DNA structure – the famous double helix. But crystallography with an interest in the structure before her analysis was complete, she was beat- of graphite, an amorphous substance that en to the punch by challenged the state-of-the-art techniques in James Watson and everything from sample preparation and Francis Crick of handling to data acquisition and interpretation. Cambridge, who later Franklin’s apprenticeship with Méring soon won the Nobel Prize turned into a collaboration. The experience for their efforts. We all prepared her for the scientific challenges of know the story, right? unraveling the structure of DNA, but nothing Watson himself wrote could have prepared her for the personal his colorful recollec- antagonism she was about to encounter at tions in the book enti- King’s College. tled The Double Helix, Franklin returned to England in 1951 to and some of us may take up a position in the laboratory of Professor have even read this John Randall at King’s College, London. Her Joan Schmelz book as part of an job was to use her newly acquired skills in advanced biology crystallography to organize, supervise, and carry course back in our high school days. out X-ray diffraction work on DNA. Here, she Watson writes extensively about Franklin was on an equal footing with Maurice Wilkins in The Double Helix. More precisely, he who specialized in the biochemical and biophysical introduces us to a fictional character he calls aspects of DNA. The DNA work did not belong “Rosy”, a lab assistant to Maurice Wilkins (who to Wilkins, as Watson misinforms shared the Nobel Prize with Watson and Crick), us; if it belonged anywhere (in with a disagreeable, cantankerous personality the English research tradition that and a frumpy unladylike way of dressing. has no American equivalent), it Watson obsesses about Rosy’s appearance, belonged at Randall’s Lab. musing what she might look like if she did Franklin and Wilkins clashed something with her hair and took off her glasses. almost from the beginning. We may According to Anne Sayre, the author of Rosalind never know the reasons, but we do Franklin and DNA, Rosy was not recognizable as know the implications: Franklin Rosalind Franklin. In fact, Franklin worked on worked essentially in isolation (with an equal footing with Wilkins, her hair was ele- graduate student, Raymond gantly styled, and she never wore glasses! What’s Gosling), while Wilkins developed Watson up to? we find ourselves wondering. a friendship with Watson and Rosalind Franklin was born on July 25, Crick that led to the Nobel Prize. 1920 in London to a happy family with a What did Franklin have to do Rosalind Frankin in France circa long history of socialist rather than scientific with the successful Watson-Crick- 1950. Photographed by Vittorio accomplishments. She was educated at Wilkins collaboration? Watson all Luzzati. © CWP and Regents of Cambridge and worked for British Coal during but admits in The Double Helix that the University of California the war. Her early research papers on the he nursed his friendship with http://www.physics.ucla.edu/~cwp microstructures of coal are still referenced today. Wilkins in order to get his hands on Peter Hirsch of Oxford University called her Franklin’s proprietary data. It seems work “remarkable. She brought order to a field that whenever he was in need of inspiration, he that had previously been in chaos,” and she did was off again on the train to London to have it all between the ages of 22 – 26. lunch with Wilkins and gossip about Franklin’s In 1947, Franklin went to France (she spoke excellent French) to begin working as a Continued on page 16 16 STATUS

Franklin continued from page 15 again discussing Franklin’s results, but this time, Wilkins went one step further. When Watson latest results. (If this sound unbelievable, read asked his friend what Franklin’s new form of the books and draw your own conclusions.) DNA looked like, Wilkins showed him the Franklin’s progress is well documented in picture! He did this not only without Franklin’s her own laboratory notes as well as in the permission, but also without her knowledge. reports she submitted to Randall. She spent the Watson raced back to Cambridge to share this greater part of her first eight months at with Crick. There was a month or two of King’s College assembling the equipment frenzied activity, and, in April 1953, Watson and Watson necessary for cutting-edge X-ray Crick announced the double helix structure of diffraction work. By the autumn of DNA. The race was over. and Crick announced 1951, she had succeeded in isolating Franklin took up a position at Birkbeck Lab and imaging a new form of DNA. At soon after the announcement. She spent the rest the double helix that point, Franklin knew that the of her few remaining years working on the DNA molecule was a large helix structure of viruses and left a legacy of over a structure of DNA. The with multiple chains, that the dozen journal publications. She died of cancer phosphate backbones were on the on April 16, 1958, without ever knowing of the race was over. outside of the structure, and that there enormous contributions she made to the discovery were phosphate bonds available to link of the structure on DNA. to proteins. She had also measured some In 1962, Watson, Crick and Wilkins won the of the key angles of the helical structure. Nobel Prize for Medicine and Physiology. ❖ What she did not know was that she was in a race with Watson and Crick who were using her results to build a model of the References: DNA structure. She continued with her careful • James Watson.The Double Helix. New York: detailed analysis, unaware that the team from Atheneum, 1968. Cambridge was missing just one crucial piece of • Anne Sayre. Rosalind Franklin and DNA. data. In early 1953, Watson and Wilkins were London: Norton, 1987. Illustration by Ann Feild, STScI January 2002 17

Ann Wehrle is a staff scientist at the Interferometry Science Center (JPL and Caltech) where she does strategic planning for science for the Space Interferometry Mission. She leads the SIM Key Project “Binary Black Holes, Accretion Disks, and Relativistic Jets: Photocenters of Nearby Active Galactic Nuclei and Quasars.”

Ms. Mentor’s Impeccable A perennial issue raised in women’s job Advice for Women in Academia, books is how to dress professionally. Ms. by Emily Toth Mentor recommends elegant rather than earthy or ethnic, and excoriates miniskirts, gray banker Book Review by Ann Wehrle suits, and “little-girl dresses.” “Dress like the HIS BOOK IS FUNNY, thought-provoking, highest ranking female member of your institution” practical, and wise in the ways of the (not your department!) is her pragmatic advice. Tacademic world. Most women who have And then there’s handling the illegal questions borrowed my copy read it through in a single asked by job interviewers – are you married and gleeful sitting. Professor Emily Toth, disguised do you have children? Advice: the interviewers as “Ms. Mentor,” writes an advice hold all the winning cards; if you do want the column (available on-line at The Chronicle for job, answer the questions calmly. Higher Education’s website, Why buy this book? As a grad http://www.chronicle. student, to learn what really goes com). The format is question- on in the academic world. As a and-answer, drawn from six years job-hunter, to read her pithy of enquiries, and backed up with advice on presenting yourself twenty-five years of experience in and negotiating a good deal. As academia. Topics include graduate a tenure track faculty member, school, job hunting, conferences, to figure out where to put your first year of teaching, the struggle energy (hint: do not serve on for tenure, and post-tenure, among seven committees simultane- others. Examples include how to ously). As a professor, to learn negotiate startup funding, how to Machiavellian techniques such as find out what to ask for, and orchestrating a meeting. Ms. getting agreements in writing Ann Wehrle Mentor reminds us that men learn from the Dean or department how to self-promote, compete and chair. Graduate students often eagerly win as part of their socialization as boys. The anticipate giving their first paper at a confer- question-and-answer format allows Ms. Mentor ence, but are baffled by how few senior people to show by example how women can learn ❖ attend the oral sessions. Ms. Mentor clues the game and play to win. them in, “... the major purpose of academic conferences is to network, gossip and conspire with one’s peers.” She solves academic dilemmas, University of Pennsylvania Press: Philadelphia, 1997, such as how and why a panel chair must alert $15.95 paperback, speakers near the end of their allotted times and when to cut them off. The hilarious conference available via amazon.com scene illustrating “peacocking” will be recognizable and in university bookstores to many astronomers.

“Once upon a time, the statement “I am an astronomer” defined my very being. Everything else was secondary. This seemed to me to be the minimum acceptable level of devotion in astronomy. In the “real world”, a place where people have families, mortgages, hobbies, and free time, this would be considered a form of mental illness.” Anne Turner, AAS Newsletter 107, 7 (2001) 18 STATUS

Dr. Rebecca Elson, a native of Quebec, was a graduate of Smith College and the ABERRATION University of Cambridge, England. She The Hubble Space Telescope did extensive and landmark work on the before repair. globular clusters of the Larger Magellanic Cloud, and on the cluster systems of other, more distant galaxies. As well as being a successful astronomer she was a The way they tell it published poet, a soccer player and a Photograph by Richard Sword Photograph by Richard keen organic gardener. She died in All the stars have wings Cambridge in 1999, aged 39. Rebecca Elson 1960-1999 The sky so full of wings There is no sky Dr. Alison Campbell is on staff at the And just for a moment Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of St Andrews, Scotland. She You forget was a close friend of Becky Elson from graduate school until Elson’s death in 1999. The error and the crimped Announcing the Poetry Collection Paths of light “A Responsibility to Awe” And you see it By Alison Campbell EBECCA ELSON’S POETRY collection, The immense migration “A Responsibility to Awe”, was launched in ROctober 2001 in Cambridge, England. And you hear the rush Nearly 50 people were present, including her husband, friends and colleagues. Gerry Gilmore, Craig Mackay and Poshak Gandhi each read one of The beating her poems, while others were spoken by friends and by staff of the publishers, Oxford Poetry. The book is receiving rave reviews in the UK; a typical comment is “This is the most From “A Responsibility to Awe,” this work important poetry collection of the last ten “Aberration” by Becky Elson is reprinted with years.” Some are calling it unique, because many permission from the publisher. of Becky’s poems bridge the gap, so seldom spanned, between science and emotion. If only Becky could hear these wonderful comments! She was always so reticent about the “other side” of her life. I (and I am sure others) tried many times to persuade her to publish Elson’s poetry collection, “Aberration,” her 1990 poem about the HST PSF, but she worried that her colleagues would A Responsibility to Awe, no longer take her seriously. is available from Carcanet Press, Manchester, UK. Part of the reason publication of a major collection of Becky’s poetry has come so soon is that, tragically, her work is complete. But had she lived, I believe recognition was only a matter of time, for Cost: £ 6.95, ISBN: 1-903039-54-1. among these poems are many that illuminate the Web: http://www.carcanet.co.uk. deep connections between our rational and our primal understanding of the universe. Other, equally Phone: +44-161-834-8730 ext.21; stunning pieces on more personal themes use email: [email protected]. powerful imagery to evoke emotions ranging from loneliness through tenderness to passion. ❖ January 2002 19

Making Slow Progress continued from page 7 suggests that institutional environments play a significant role in women’s decisions to complete a An unexpected but significant finding Ph.D. Coupled with the parity index analysis, it from this study of graduate school performance suggests that women receive varying degrees of was the wide variation in female Ph.D. yields. support and/or encouragement in obtaining a In physics, the doctoral yield at the top 25 doctorate. It would be interesting to see whether universities for women varied from 108% to there are initiatives that can affect the yield, such as 13.3% (see Appendix 1), while in chemistry the the American Physical Society site visit program admin- yield ranged from 85.3 to 28.7%. (The greater istered by the Committee on the Status of Women than 100% yield can be attributed to the transfer in Physics. There is no such program in chemistry. of small number of women into a physics department All of the above data reiterates the point that after the first year, or to women completing gender discrimination continues to persist in their doctoral studies in less than five years.) academic physics and chemistry. It is past the The wide range in yields within a discipline time to eliminate such unfair treatment. ❖

january 2002 STATUS Periodical American Astronomical Society 2000 Florida Avenue, NW, Suite 400 Postage Paid at Washington, DC 20009 Washington, DC Permit No. 1725 4:00 pm on Thursday, January 10,2002. 4:00 pmonThursday, January Dr. Vera C.Rubin'smanycontributions a two-day symposiumwillbeheldat a two-day the Washington, DC headquarters of the Washington, DC The CarnegieInstitutioninhonorof Following the January AAS meeting, AAS Following theJanuary For more information,visit: Dr. AllanSandageoftheCarnegie to astronomy. Apubliclecture by carnegie institution.org/ Observatories willbeheldat Observatories rubinsymposium.html. All are welcometoattend. Symposium Vera Rubin of Washington,D.C. The CarnegieInstitution and SpaceAdministration The NationalAeronautics Sponsored by: www.

Poster produced at STScI. Reprinted with permission.