Mary Anne HolmesEarth & Atmospheric Sciences

University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Women in the GeosciencesA Data-Based Assessment

1966

1969

1972

1975

1978

1981

1984

1987

1990

1993

1996

1999

2002

2005

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

Geoscience Bachelor's Degrees

Per

cen

t o

f D

egre

es t

o W

om

en

(1646)

(1485)

(1354)(922)

(161)

(n)

Data from NSF

1966

1969

1972

1975

1978

1981

1984

1987

1990

1993

1996

1999

2002

2005

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

Geoscience Bachelor's Degrees

3-yr Moving Average

Per

cen

t o

f D

egre

es t

o W

om

en

Data from NSF

Data from NSF

1974

1976

1978

1980

1982

1984

1986

1988

1990

1992

1994

1996

1998

2000

2002

2004

2006

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

Geoscience Degrees to Women

Bachelor's PhD

Per

cen

t o

f D

egre

es t

o W

om

en

1974

1976

1978

1980

1982

1984

1986

1988

1990

1992

1994

1996

1998

2000

2002

2004

2006

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

Women in Geosciences

Bachelor's PhD Assistant Professor

Degree data from NSFAcademic data from AGI

Where are they going??

female male

49%

36%

I’ve Considered Leaving the Geosciences

32

67

Female Responses

Why Would You Leave?

8

21

2

Male Responses

Three Levels of Gender Identity

Individual Interactional Institutional

Risman, 2004

InteractionalProblems with Advisor Family Issues

InstitutionalFamily IssuesProblems with Advisor

Interactional

Problems with Advisor + + + + +

Implicit Bias

A Scientist

Identical CVs evaluated by male and female psychology professors

Karen

Steinpreis, Anders, & Ritzke (1999) Sex Roles, 41, 509.

Brian

2x

Identical Resumes

“Non-mother”

Mother

Correll, Benard and Paik (2007) American Journal of Sociology, 112 (5), 1297-1338.

2x

25 December 2099To Whom It May Concern:Four score and seven years ago I met the candidate and discovered that the enemy is us. When in the course of human events it becomes necessary for the slick brown fox to jump over the lazy dog, a righteous and self-absorbed people must rise up and take the bull by the tail.

Turning and turning in the widening gyre, the falcon cannot hear the falconer. Things fall apart. The center cannot hold. Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world and everywhere the ceremony of innocence is drowned. If I can be of any other assistance to you, please do not hesitate to ask.

25 December 2099To Whom It May Concern:Four score and seven years ago I met the candidate and discovered that the enemy is us. When in the course of human events it becomes necessary for the slick brown fox to jump over the lazy dog, a righteous and self-absorbed people must rise up and take the bull by the tail.

Turning and turning in the widening gyre, the falcon cannot hear the falconer. Things fall apart. The center cannot hold. Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world and everywhere the ceremony of innocence is drowned. The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity. Surely the second coming is at hand. The second coming! Hardly are the words out when a vast image of spiritus mundi troubles my sight.

It’s unbelievable how he took off running and I never had to give him any supervision at all. If you don’t hire this guy you are a fool.

If I can be of any other assistance to you, please do not hesitate to ask.

excellent pretty good

lots of papers

works with The Gods

is friends with my wife

gets along with people

Trix & Psenka (2003) Discourse & Society, Vol 14(2): 191-220.

Letters of Recommendation for Successful Medical School Faculty Applicants

Reduce the Impact of Implicit Bias

KarenBrian

Family Issues

Institutional

(de Wet, Ashley, and Kegel, 2002)

Temporary Leaves from Work

24%

40%

Hewlett and Luce, 2005

96% return to workforce

Hewlett and Luce, 2005

Average Length of Time Away from Work

1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35

Years in Career

2 Years

Hewlett and Luce, 2005

1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35

“It’s cheaper to keep her”

Shirley Malcom, AAAS

Flexible FacultyParental Leave

Adoption, birth

“Stop the Tenure Clock”Assignment Shift / Modified DutiesTemporary part-time

Service 10%

Service 10%

Research 50%Teaching

40%

Research 90%

Suppose We Intervene?

Marshke et al., 2007.

# years for faculty %s to

reach PhD pool of 40%

Maximum % Women on

Faculty

# years to reach Maximum % Women on

Faculty

no interventionnever 34%

40 years

eliminate unequal attrition

55 40% 55 years

address recruitment: 50% of new hires ♀

but not attrition28 43% 49 years

= attrition, 50% of new hires are ♀

20 50%30% in 9 years50% in 57 years

“Immodest Proposal”only ♀ hires

7 100%50% in 11 years100% in 70 years

Marshke et al., 2007.

1.Summary

Summary

A Scientist2.

Summary3.

References American Geological Institute, Directory of Geoscience Departments. Correll, S. J., Benard, S. and Paik, I., 2007. Getting a job: Is there a motherhood penalty? American Journal of Sociology,

Vol. 112, No. 5 (March 2007): 1297–1338. De Wet, C.B., Ashley, G. M., and Kegel, D. P. 2002. Biological clocks and tenure timetables: restructuring the academic

timeline. GSA Today, 12:24. Hewlett, S.A., and Luce, C.B. Off-ramps and on-ramps: keeping talented women on the road to success. Harv Bus Rev.

2005;83(3):43-46, 48, 50-54. Holmes, M.A., O’Connell, S., Frey, C., and Ongley, L. 2008. Gender imbalance in U.S. geoscience academia. Nature

Geosciences, 1(2), 79-82. http://www.nature.com/ngeo/journal/v1/n2/abs/ngeo113.html Marschke,R., Laursen, S., Nielsen, J.M.C., and Rankin, P. 2007. Demographic inertia revisited: an immodest proposal to

achieve equitable gender representation among faculty in Higher Education. Journal of Higher Education, Vol. 78, No. 1 (January/February 2007), pp. 1-26.

National Science Foundation, Division of Science Resources Statistics Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering: 2004 NSF 04–317 (NSF, Arlington, Virginia, 2004); available at http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/women .

National Science Foundation, Division of Science Resources Statistics Science and Engineering Doctorate Awards: 2009 (NSF, Arlington, Virginia, 2009).

Risman, B. J. 2004. Gender as a Social Structure: Theory Wrestling with Activism. Gender & Society, 18(4):429-450. DOI: 10.1177/0891243204265349.

Steinpress, R. E., Anders, K.A., and Ritzke, D., 1999. The Impact of Gender on the Review of the Curricula Vitae of Job Applicants and Tenure Candidates: A National Empirical Study. Sex Roles, Vol. 41, Nos. 7/8509-528.

Trix,F., and Psenka,C. 2003. Exploring the color of glass: Letters of recommendation for female and male medical faculty. Discourse & Society 14(2) 191-220. DOI: 10.1177/0957926503014002277

Valian, V. (1999). Why so slow? The advancement of women. Cambridge: MIT Press.

What Geoscientists Think: Why are Numbers of Women so Low?

16

10

4 4

Male Responses

Need more time - pipe-

line

lack of female mentors

family issues climate issues

53

9

5

Female Responses

Accumulation of DisadvantageMartell, Lane & Emrich, American Psychologist, 1996

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 820

30

40

50

60

Level

Pe

rce

nt

Wo

me

n 0%

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 820

30

40

50

60

Level

Pe

rce

nt

Wo

me

n

1%

Accumulation of Disadvantage

Martell, Lane & Emrich, American Psychologist, 1996

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 820

30

40

50

60

Level

Pe

rce

nt

Wo

me

n

5%

Accumulation of Disadvantage

Martell, Lane & Emrich, American Psychologist, 1996

Research Network

1974

1976

1978

1980

1982

1984

1986

1988

1990

1992

1994

1996

1998

2000

2002

2004

2006

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

Geoscience Bachelor's Degrees

3-yr Moving Avg + 7 yrs

Per

cen

t o

f D

egre

es t

o W

om

en

Data from NSF

1974

1976

1978

1980

1982

1984

1986

1988

1990

1992

1994

1996

1998

2000

2002

2004

2006

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

Women in Geosciences

Bachelor's PhDAssistant Professor Associate

Degree data from NSFAcademic data from AGI

1974

1976

1978

1980

1982

1984

1986

1988

1990

1992

1994

1996

1998

2000

2002

2004

2006

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

Women in Geosciences

Bachelor's PhD Assistant ProfessorAssociate Full

Degree data from NSFAcademic data from AGI