Physics Women in Liberal Arts Colleges
Dear friends of women in science,
This is part 2 of the background information on the status of women in physics, this time focused on liberal arts colleges. Part 1 is here.
In summer, 2010, NSF sponsored a meeting in Washington, DC for women in physical sciences at liberal arts colleges in connection with their ADVANCE (PAID) program. An article Sonia Fuentes sent to me about this meeting featured Mariana Sendova, a professor at New College, FL. "Only eighteen out of the top 100 liberal arts colleges in the U.S. have one female full professor of physics," says Sendova. "Only two of these campuses have two female full professors of physics." NSF invited 51 women from 46 liberal arts colleges, all senior professors in chemistry or physics, to the discussion.
The meeting was to identify ways to improve the situation. As stated in the article, "During the summit, participants considered the practices, infrastructure and campus climate needed to support and enhance the professional careers, visibility and leadership of female science faculty on liberal arts campuses. They also examined time and stress management and identified institutional resources and personal career support networks."
I was surprised by the low number of women who were found to be professors of physics at liberal arts colleges, although there is only 1 female professor of physics (and 1 female professor of chemistry) in my own institution. Judging from how things were when I was the only female professor of biology at Occidental College, I wonder how easy it would be for the lone woman to advocate for more women. She is an outlier already, and espousing such a position, when the men of the department think they have checked off women in physics by hiring her, could make her look like a dangerous radical. Or maybe not, I'm not sure. Things may have changed, conversations may have occurred since the days when my situation was similar.
cheers,
Laura Hoopes
What do you think?
A Things are better now for women in physics/chemistry, they can advocate for more diversity in hiring without getting cold looks
B Things are still unsafe for at least some women in physical sciences at liberal arts colleges
C Things are very shaky for women in physical sciences at liberal arts colleges; they cannot make any wrong moves and remain collegial with the men in their departments.
I heard at the conference this week that there is an active community of physics profs who want to increase diversity, but also that at least some people think astronomy is a lot more woman-friendly than physics. I've met quite a few female astronomers but the ones at my school are male.
cheers,
Laura
I didn't have a welcoming experience with physics. The prof hung out with the guys during labs, making jokes that irritated me. In class, he did call on both men and women, but there weren't very many women in the class. So all this talk about physics male profs who are on board for diversity doesn't ring true to me.
In early January, Claremont Colleges will host a women in science workshop funded by the Mellon Foundation for a small group of women from liberal arts colleges. Stay tuned, I am sure to be inviting some of the speakers to post and/or refer me to good materials on this subject.
cheers,
Laura
Be sure to read Amy Bug's guest posting on women in physics; she's a physicist and has more insight than I do into what's going on for women in her field.
cheers,
Laura
It sounds like physicists are on board to help make women comfortable and successful in liberal arts colleges. That's good to hear. I believe it's true where I am, but one never knows whether something is true out there in the world at large.
Nevertheless, I know they have been trying to diversify for 15 years and still, the same only one woman is a member of the department. Meanwhile, mathematics has been able to hire and keep many women. Puzzling.
cheers,
Laura
I'm not surprised by the low numbers of women in physics and chemistry at liberal arts colleges. We have not found a way to even get a decent number of women applicants. It's totally frustrating to the committees that want to increase faculty diversity, and even to some of the men in physics and chemistry.
Where I am, things are not particularly better for women in physics, there are almost none. I'd say B, though, because when we have discussions about attracting more women to science, some of the men in physics come to them.
