Supporting Women Scientists via the NSF ADVANCE Program Georgia A. - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Supporting Women Scientists via the NSF ADVANCE Program

Georgia A. Arbuckle-Keil, Department of Chemistry Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Goals of NSF ADVANCE (NSF 0941 Publication)

• Develop systemic approaches to increase the representation &

advancement of women in academic science, technology, engineering & mathematics (STEM) careers, thereby contributing to a more diverse science & engineering workforce

• 3 Types of Projects: Institutional Transformation (IT); IT-

Catalyst; Partnerships for Adaptation, Implementation & Dissemination (PAID)

• IT: comprehensive programs for institution-wide change; must

include research component to study effectiveness of proposed innovations

• PAID: adaptation & implementation of materials, tools,

research, & practices; dissemination & diffusion of materials, Solicitation: (09-504)

ONE UNIVERSITY: 3 DISTINCT LOCATIONS

• Most well-known campus:

New Brunswick or Piscataway (PhD Chemistry)

• Newark campus (also offers

PhD Chemistry)

• Camden campus:

Predominantly Undergraduate Institution (PUI) (MS Chemistry)

ONE UNIVERSITY: THREE DISTINCT LOCATIONS

Demographics:

• Douglas College –

Women’s College

• Female chemistry faculty

became part of Rutgers University Department of Chemistry

• One of the larger

(percent women faculty) (~35% 2008)

DEMOGRAPHICS

• Campus Campus – originally College of South Jersey
• Predominantly Undergraduate Institution (PUI)

Currently: 25% female (n = 4) Soon to be 20% (n = 5) Over a decade ago: 50% female (n = 6)

Comparison Between Campuses

Compiled for the RU-FAIR Annual Report 2010 NSF HRD-0810978 (D. Valentine)

Number of Faculty in SEM Disciplines

Difference between number of faculty increase with rank

RU-FAIR Annual Report 2010 (NSF HRD-0810978)

Full-time SEM Women Faculty at Rutgers

For Rutgers University as a whole, the percent of women faculty in science, engineering & mathematics (SEM) disciplines decreases with increasing rank

RU-FAIR Annual Report 2010 (NSF HRD-0810978)

Women In Chemistry (3 campuses) (3 years)

• New Brunswick:

~ 30% (n = 40)

• Newark:

~20% (n = 14)

• Camden:

(n = 4) 2009-10 (n = 5) 2010-11

RU-FAIR Annual Report 2010 (NSF HRD-0810978)

Demographics: SEM Disciplines (Camden)

• Comparison

with available pool of PhD degreed women

• Camden

campus needs improvement

RU-FAIR Annual Report 2010 (NSF HRD-0810978)

NSF ADVANCE GRANT FALL 2008

• Office for the Promotion of Women in Science,

Engineering and Mathematics (WiSEM)

• Profiles of Women Faculty: http://

sciencewomen.rutgers.edu/profiles

• Rutgers University for Faculty Advancement &

Institutional Re-imagination (RU-FAIR) http:// rufair.rutgers.edu

• RU-FAIR Mini-grants; RU-FAIR Life Cycle Grants
• RU-FAIR Professors (focus on specific campus

environment)

ACTIVITIES IN CAMDEN

• Focus Group
• Exit Interviews
• Grant Workshop(s)
• Work-Life Balance Workshop
• Mentoring
• Recruitment
• Communication

EXIT INTERVIEW SUMMARY

• Camden only: small group physical science

tenure-track faculty (male & female)

• Resources needed: technicians, administrative

support, grant support, laboratory facilities and equipment

• Professional Development: need for research

collaborations (small departments)

• Promotion Criteria: teaching valued by

departments yet not major part of tenure/ promotion decision (grants/papers required)

FOCUS GROUP

• Invited all science faculty

including social science

• Majority female in social science departments (satisfied with

informal mentoring)

• Resources: grant writing/administrative support needed
• Rutgers has a policy of “stopping the tenure clock” for child

birth

• Women felt more obligated to attend university events
• Supportive role of women in campus functions, but may deter

individual research progress

WORKSHOPS

• Grant Workshop
• Work-Life Balance
• Leadership
• Negotiation
• Coaching

CONCERNS

• Communication (at Camden & between

campuses)

• Challenge of traveling to other campuses
• Video conferencing option
• Time for everything we desire . . .

Advantages of Professional Organizations

• American Chemical Society (ACS)
• COACh (http://coach.uoregon.edu): Committee on

the Advancement of women in Chemistry; excellent, affordable training (Highly recommend!)

• Local section ACS networking: ability to meet other

women faculty from other institutions

• Networking with women at ACS national meetings
• AWIS (http://www.awis.org)
• ASA (http://www.asa3.org)

SUMMARY

• NSF ADVANCE Support
• One University: 3 campuses:

unique concerns/needs

• PUI more like liberal arts

institution

• Mentoring support throughout

career

• Reach out to others
• Care for colleagues

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

• RU-FAIR NSF Award to Rutgers University

(HRD-0810978)

• NB Staff: Christina Leshko, Doreen Valentine,

Natalie Batmanian

• Co-PIs: Joan Bennett, Pat Roos, Nancy Rosoff
• RU-FAIR Faculty: Judith Weis, Maggie Shiffrar,

Helen Buettner

• RU-NB Faculty: Kathryn Uhrich, Lisa Klein
• New Assistant in Camden: Daitza Frydel

Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.