Women in Physics: Few but Fantastic! Advancing • Marie Curie (1867-1934): Natural radioactivity Women in Physics, • Lise Meitner (1878-1968): Nuclear fission, beta decay IldiYOU!Including YOU! • Maria Goeppert Mayer (1906-1972): Nuclear shell model • Bonnie Fleming: Neutrino physics Third Conference for UdUndergra dua te Women in PhiPhysics • Linda Godwin : Low temperature physics & astronaut Yale University, New Haven, CT • Catherine Kallin: Theory of quantum materials 16 January 2009 • Young-Kee Kim: Experimental particle physics BlKlHtliBeverly Karplus Hartline • Luz Martinez-Miranda: Materials science, liquid crystals University of the District of Columbia, USA Carol Scarlett: Axion physics [email protected] • • SStSuzanne Staggs: CiiCosmic microwave bkdbackground • Yevgenia Zastavker: Physics of biological structures • YOUR NAME HERE Hartline 100116-Advancing Women in Physics, Including Yourself 1 2 Women in Physics Girls Approaching Half of High School Physics Students First the numbers and trends Source: AIP Hartline 100116-Advancing Women in Physics, Including Yourself 3 Hartline 100116-Advancing Women in Physics, Including Yourself 4 ~50% Increase in Girls Taking AP Slowly Rising Bachelor’s Physics Tests Since 1986 Percentages to Women Since 1966 But much lower than their presence in HS physics classes Physics ~21% Hartline 100116-Advancing Women in Physics, Including Yourself 5 Hartline 100116-Advancing Women in Physics, Including Yourself 6 Rising Female Percentage of Ph.D.s in STEM: Physics is at the Low End (1958-2003) Statistics on Women in Physics (USA) 50% 2005 47% Bio • 47% of high school students taking physics (2005) 45% 45% All • 21% of undergraduate degrees (class of '06) 40% 34% Chem • 17% of PhD recipients (class of '06) 35% All Fields 43 K Biological Sciences 7.4 K 6% of full pp()rofessors (2006) 30% Chemistry 21K2.1 K • Mathematics 1.2 K 25% Physics 1.3 K • 0% of faculty in 43% of physics departments (2006) Engineering 6.4 K 20% 27% Math • < 20 departments graduating ≥ 5 female BS (1999-03) 18% Engr 15% • ~10 departments producing ≥ 5 female PhD (1999-03) 17% Phys 10% 5% • Minorit y women? Almost none ! 0% 1958 1963 1968 1973 1978 1983 1988 1993 1998 2003 Data from AIP reports; summarized by Y. Zastavker National Science Foundation. Data compiled by AIP Statistical Research Center. & NSF 07-315 Hartline 100116-Advancing Women in Physics, Including Yourself 7 Hartline 100116-Advancing Women in Physics, Including Yourself 8 Significant Global Differences, AlmostNumber No of HispanicMinority and African-American Women female Earn PhDs Phyypsics Ph.D.s;in physics, But 1974-2003. Up 600% from ~1980 But Low Everywhere African-Americans 1976 - 1982 3 1983 - 1989 4 1990 - 1996 8 The problem for 1997 - 2003 20 minorities, especially Hispan ic- Amer icans minority women, 1976 - 1982 5 is MUCH 1983 - 1989 10 WORSE than the 1990 - 1996 23 problem for 1997 - 2003 19 women: 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 Number of Female PhDs Please help! National Science Foundation. Data compiled by AIP Statistical Research Center. Hartline 100116-Advancing Women in Physics, Including Yourself 9 Hartline 100116-Advancing Women in Physics, Including Yourself 10 A "Glass Ceiling" in All Countries Physics Needs MORE Women • Very few women in leadership • Women bring talent, ideas and approaches that positions enrich and advance physics. Yet . • Very few women full professors - Women are SCARCE. • Some assistant and associate - Senior women are VERY SCARCE. professors • Several post-docs • Some woman has to be the FIRST ONE in each • More graduate students department, subfield, program committee, • Even more undergraduates directorship, etc • Efforts by women & men are • A classically forbidden state, helping some women through the glass ceiling into leadership in • Often meeting colossal resistance some countries Physics needs YOU! Source: Economist 7/05 Hartline 100116-Advancing Women in Physics, Including Yourself 11 Hartline 100116-Advancing Women in Physics, Including Yourself 12 Barriers to Women in Physics • Expectations of society WHY SO FEW? • ImImageage ooff pphysicistshysicists ((nerdynerdy aandnd geegeeky)ky) • Few visible female role models http://www.see-sciencecenter.org/ • Parents, teachers, & neighbors What’s going on and how the world works • Family responsibilities: children, Whe ther we lik e it or not home, & husband • Limited physics career opportunities in develop ing countries • Covert or overt discrimination or harassment Hartline 100116-Advancing Women in Physics, Including Yourself 13 Hartline 100116-Advancing Women in Physics, Including Yourself 14 Bringing Up Girls & Boys Understanding the Challenges • Get dirty • Stay clean • Take things apart and put • Keep things whole, neat and • According to Dr. Virginia Valian (author of them toge ther (or mayb e no t) pritiistine Why SSl?So Slow? ) two kthlkey concepts help • Work with tools • Use paintbrushes artistically explain the difficulties girls and women face • Explore and build • Read and write entering and advancing in science and • Do sports and outdoor games • Play quietly indoors • In team projects: be the • In team projects: be a follower engineering leader and innovator and note-taker “Gender schema " • Be energetic & rambunctious • Cook following recipes • Think for himself • Don't question Accumulation of advantage Preparation for interest and success in science and engineering? • These hidden challenges are likely to be aggravated for under-represented minorities Hartline 100116-Advancing Women in Physics, Including Yourself 15 Hartline 100116-Advancing Women in Physics, Including Yourself 16 Gender "Schema" Accumulation of Advantage • Gender and ethnic "schema" are widely held • "Accumulation of advantage" refers to the cumulative beliefs about men, women, and people from long-term effect of small differences in the way males ethnic groups with respect to their competence , and females from different ethnic groups are treated career roles, and leadership ability throughout their lives – Lead us to overrate white men • At home and in school k – Lead us to underrate women and minorities • On the sports field You're the Thank you. • In the workplace smartest But IIm'man an Overheard secretary physicist. • In restaurants, stores, theatres,... I've met. at the Physics • If majority males experience "1.001" and others conference: experience "0.999" the difference accumulates profoundly • White males' experience ("1400" after 20 years) • Others' experience 0 ((0"0. 00067" after 20 years) Drawing © UFS, Inc, 3/6/04 Hartline 100116-Advancing Women in Physics, Including Yourself 17 Hartline 100116-Advancing Women in Physics, Including Yourself 18 Spouses of Women Physicists have Balancing Family and Career High Professional Commitments • Career/family conflicts are a serious challenge for women physicists around the world - Women have c hildren a t the age a p hys ic is t mus t s tar t her career, working long hours in temporary positions, often abroad • In most countries, women are responsible for children, home, cooking, laundry, . • It helps when men and women together share family and household duties and pleasures • Both boys and girls must be taught to expect this lifestyle • In some countries and cultures the expectations of females CLASH sharply with the requirements to succeed in physics Hartline 100116-Advancing Women in Physics, Including Yourself Hartline 100116-Advancing Women in Physics, Including Yourself 19 Bagenal 2004; from Zastavker 20 Other Tensions for Women in Science Or Business Leadership, Law, etc. • Being oneself versus fitting into the science culture • Making connections: political relationships versus meaningful relationships and performance ACTIONS • Controlling your destiny versus conforming to others' expectations ("Agency " ) PROGRESS - Moreover, expectations about women conflict with exppgectations about scientists and engineers • Achieving wholeness: freedom to align your ideas, OPPORTUNITIES personality, and passions while being and being perceived as professionally successful • Gaining self clarity: knowing what you need to do and be Adapted from M. Ruderman and P. Ohlott: Standing at the Crossroads Hartline 100116-Advancing Women in Physics, Including Yourself 21 Hartline 100116-Advancing Women in Physics, Including Yourself 22 Perspective 23rd IUPAP General Assembly (1999) • Concerned about very low participation of women Every public action which is not customary, in physics in most countries eihither is wrong, • Passed a resolution to form IUPAP Working Group on Women in Physics (WIP) or if it is right, - Marcia Barbosa (()Brazil), Chairp erson is a dangerous precedent. - Judy Franz (USA) IUPAP Liaison - 13 members from 12 countries It follows that nothing should ever be done • WIP mandate to survey the situation, report to for the first time. IUPAP, and suggest strategies to improve the --Francis M. Cornford (1908) situation Classics Professor in UK - Conducted international survey That hasn’ t stopped Women in Physics… - Organized 3 Int'l Conferences: Paris 2002; Rio 2005; Seoul 2008 Hartline 100116-Advancing Women in Physics, Including Yourself 23 Hartline 100116-Advancing Women in Physics, Including Yourself 24 IUPAP's Women in Physics Conferences: Women in Physics: The Third IUPAP I: Paris, 2002 II: Rio, 2005 International Conference • Seoul, Korea: October 7-10 WYP 2005 Event • Context: 57 IUPAP countries! Rio de Janeiro 2005 • Unanimous resolution ~150 physicists from approved by IUPAP General ~40 countries;