ACADEMIC SCIENCE:A GOOD CAREER CHOICE FOR WOMEN? Baltimore AWIS October 6, 2009 Phoebe S. Leboy President ASSOCIATION FOR WOMEN IN SCIENCE (AWIS)
CONGRATULATIONS CAROL & LIZ 2009 Nobel laureates Dr. Carol Greider Dr Elizabeth Blackburn Director of Molecular Biology and Genetics Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Long-time AWIS member
YOUR CHOICES 1) How to survive in academic science 2) An overview of major issues for women in STEM With an emphasis on biomedical fields 3) Work-life balance (and why you should stop looking for it)
WOMEN IN STEM*: THE BIG PICTURE * STEM = Science, Technology, Engineering, Math Only a few STEM disciplines lack female undergraduates Engineering, Computer Science, Physics Numbers of PhDs to U.S. women have leveled off in most STEM disciplines % women among PhDs is still increasing because fewer U.S. men are going into science http://www.awis.org/ RESOURCES Statistics
DIFFERENT DISCIPLINES 0.6 0.6 HAVE DIFFERENT ISSUES Few women enter these fields, but those that do are likely to persist PROPORTION OF WOMEN 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.1 BIOLOGY CHEMISTRY EARTH SCI MATH COMPUTER SCI 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.1 PHYSICS ENGINEERING 0.0 0.0 BA/BS MA/MS PhD
EMPLOYMENT OF WOMEN IN STEM More than half of PhD women (and men) are going into industry jobs. In academia: Too few women are hired as junior facultythe reasons are discipline-specific. In all disciplines, advancement of women to senior positions lags behind.
SOME DISCIPLINES RECRUIT ENOUGH JUNIOR FACULTY WOMEN % WOMEN TENURE-TRACK FACULTY 50 40 30 20 10 0 2006 DATA Pol Sci * Math *Econ Physics ** *Computer Sci Engineering * *Chem Sociology *Biology *Biomed 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 % WOMEN AMONG PhDs * 50 40 30 20 10 0 and some do not!
WHY ARE FACULTY HIRING PROBLEMS DISCIPLINE-SPECIFIC? Are engineers, physicists, and computer scientists less sexist? Less threatened? Are the survivors in engineering and physics all superstar women? Is it easier to discriminate with a large pool of women? Does success in STEM fields require women to be superstars? Are there characteristics of some science fields that make them woman-unfriendly?
% JUNIOR FACULTY WOMEN BIOMEDICAL SCIENCE FACULTY JOBS ARE AMONG THE WORST FOR WOMEN 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 * Nelson Diversity Survey, 2007 ** PhDs awarded 2000-06 FOUND EXPECTED 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 SOCIOL ANTHRO BASIC SCI POL SCI 0
THE PROBLEM IN BIOMEDICAL FIELDS IS THE OBSTACLES Women have been >40% of PhDs for at least 20 years BUT the faculty positions are extreme jobs Unrealistic work expectations Excessive competition Few family-friendly policies
THE MISSING WOMEN AMONG TENURED & TENURE-TRACK FACULTY IN 24 MEDICAL SCHOOLS (Academic Year 2007) 50 BASIC SCIENCE DEPARTMENTS % women earning PhDs in 1994-96 50 % WOMEN 40 30 20 10 Assistant Professors Senior Faculty 40 30 20 10 Rank based on NIH funding of medical schools in 2005 0 SCHOOL RANK: 1-20 40-97 0
WHY THE LACK OF WOMEN AMONG BASIC SCIENCE FACULTY? Possibilities: Only the superstar women can get hired. Only the superstar women can survive. or- or- Many women find these jobs unacceptable.
WOMEN ARE NOT APPLYING FOR BASIC SCIENCE ASSISTANT PROF JOBS % WOMEN AMONG APPLICANTS 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.1 [FALL 2007] n= 10 p= 0.001 (Biochem vs Cell/Dev Bio) p= 0.02 (Med vs non-med) n= 20 n= 5 n= 9 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.1 PhD pool 1997-05 Cell/Dev=48.6% Biochem/MB=43.3% Perez, L. AWIS Magazine 37 (3); Summer 2008 0.0 MED SCHOOL NON-MED BIOCHEM/MOL BIO MED SCHOOL NON-MED CELL/DEV BIO 0.0
DO WE SETTLE FOR HALF A LOAF? Assumptions: ~half of women considering extreme jobs will be so highly motivated they will pursue the goal regardless of: personal cost Result: macho cultures 50 discrimination Do we accept a situation which is suitable for most men, but only super-achieving women? % WOMEN ON FACULTY 40 30 20 10 0 0 10 20 30 40 50 % WOMEN AMONG PhDs 50 40 30 20 10 0
WHERE BIOMEDICAL PhDs ARE WORKING: Current employment of NIH trainees with PhDs earned between 1978 and 1994 MEN (n=62) NON-MED ACADEMIC 11% MED SCHOOL FACULTY 44% OTHER 13% 44% of men but only 24% of women are faculty in medical schools. WOMEN (n=53) COLLEGE FACULTY 4% NON-MED ACADEMIC 19% FOR-PROFIT CORP 32% MED SCHOOL FACULTY 24% OTHER 21% 13% Self-employed + 1 woman unemployed FOR-PROFIT CORP 36%
THE WOMEN IN SCIENCE ISSUES Women avoid academia not to opt out, but because of obstacles. Workplace obstacles: Are most apparent in disciplines with many women, e.g. life sciences Some can be fixed with family-friendly policies Many are structural- a result of a system designed for men A search for work-life balance discourages many women
WORK-LIFE BALANCE FOR STEM (and probably ALL PROFESSIONS) Successful, satisfied women in STEM: Negotiate a personal life with shared responsibilities Aim for a job that maximizes flexibility Invest in child care and household help Take good care of themselves Choose their partners/husbands very carefully Do not set work -life boundaries Results of an AWIS work-life survey, May 2009
ELIMINATING OBSTACLES 1. A CHILLY CLIMATE, ISOLATION, AND LOCKER-ROOM BEHAVIOR Women are still demeaned and undervalued particularly in some clinical specialties 2. A CULTURE OF WORK DESIGNED FOR MEN Excessively competitive and entrepreneurial Expectation of >12hr workdays & working weekends Relying on unsalaried wives at home The really successful academics work on Christmas day. ScienceCareers
WHO WILL RID US OF THE OBSTACLES? Younger men with working wives? Enlightened deans and department chairs? NSF and NIH? You, me, and our friends in AWIS
DEALING WITH THE OBSTACLES Successful research is a joy, but is also consuming: It does not fit neatly into 8 hours/day Your best ideas may occur in the shower Your spouse/partner/children can share your joy of discovery Do not try to set work/life boundaries Phoebe s personal opinion
MANAGING THE OBSTACLES IN ACADEMIC SCIENCE (I) Get a really fast start: Maximize publications while in training Become a successful grant writer, starting with fellowships Apply for career development awards and research grants before you start applying for faculty positions The first year in a faculty job is no time to relax!
MANAGING THE OBSTACLES IN ACADEMIC SCIENCE (cont) Choose trainers who will provide strong support The good academic jobs are filled by applicants with connections The subject of your postdoc research is less important than the mentors put prestige to work for you! Develop a network of mentors To: test research ideas review first drafts of grants as well as later drafts organize lecture invitations evalute cv. frequently
AWIS GOALS 1. Mentor students and entry-level women in STEM about realistic career expectations. 2. Work with institutions to change their culture. 3. Improve recognition of successful women in STEM. www.awis.org