EDGE for women in math
Dear friends of women in science,
I have a lot of kind sources to alert me to stories to share with you, and I subscribe to resources from the White House, NIH, AWIS, AAUW, and other places to help me keep abreast of what's going on of interest to our community. I never expected that my tiny home town newspaper (yes, it still exists!) would cover a story for this forum. But, the January 7 issue of Claremont Courier carried a story on an important organization that happens to be run well by Ami Randunskaya, a math professor at my own college. It's called "EDGE"--Enhancing Diversity in Graduate Education. it was started in 1998, and it produces a summer workshop followed by a mentoring program for women in graduate studies in math each year. It was co-founded by Sylvia Bozeman at Spellman College in Atlanta and Rhonda Hughes at Bryn Mawr College in Bryn Mawr, PA, and Radunskaya has been involved since its inception.
This summer, 22 applicants will be accepted to a 25 day summer workshop at Pomona College, one of the three rotating host-schools. It will offer tools to help them compete in graduate school, creates a support network for the participants, and helps them to identify and work with their own strengths and weaknesses. The post-workshop mentoring is organized into regional clusters that sponsor related activities. The one in Southern California sponsors a Women in Mathematics symposium, a one-day event where women in mathematics can learn from each other, support each other, and network.
In the thirteen year run of EDGE, 163 women have participated. There were 98 who have earned a masters degree and 36 who have earned a doctorate in mathematics. Of course, some are still in graduate programs at this time. Radunskaya, interviewed for the news article, said, "There are several women mathematicians who were about to quit but a little intervention kept them going." She attributed some women's desire to quit to cultural obstacles, not skill-based barriers. That is why a program with support from other women who succeeded can be so successful.
What do you think? Is this program similar to some you know about? Do you think it's a good model for others to follow?
cheers,
Laura
Hi Elsa and Marian for Math,
I also don't know about similar groups, but it seems like a model worth copying! It can't meet all the demand I'm pretty sure, taking only 22 per year. I've gone to a couple of their events at Pomona in the past, and the participants are very enthusiastic about it.
cheers,
Laura
Laura,
This sounds like a great idea! The only thing comparable I am aware of is a program that Stanford used to run for foreign students, which included intensive language but also introduction to culture differences.
I can see an intervention like this making a difference to women in their decision to persevere. Sometimes all it takes is one supportive person to make the difference.
Marian
Hi Laura,
I only wish I did know about similar groups. They only can do 22 per summer, huh? I think we might need more!
