Women Navigating STEM Careers
Women in Science: Then and Now. by
In this newly revised twenty-fifth anniversary edition, acclaimed writer and journalist Vivian Gornick interviews famous and lesser-known scientists, compares their experiences then and now, and shows that, although not much has changed in the world of science, what is different is women's expectations that they can and will succeed. Everything from the disparaging comments by Harvard's then-president to government reports and media coverage has focused on the ways in which women supposedly can't do science. Gornick's original interviews show how deep and severe discrimination against women was back then in all scientific fields. Her new interviews, with some of the same women she spoke to twenty-five years ago, provide a fresh description of the hard times and great successes these women have experienced.
Call Number: Gorgas Library Q130 .G67 2009
Women's Work: Gender Equality Vs. Hierarchy in the Life Sciences by
Women scientists working in small, for-profit companies are eight times more likely than their university counterparts to head a research lab. Why? Laurel Smith-Doerr reveals that, contrary to widely held assumptions, strong career opportunities for women and minorities do not depend on the formal policies and long job ladders that large, hierarchical bureaucracies provide. In fact, highly internally linked bio technology firms are far better workplaces for female scientists (when compared to university settings or established pharmaceutical companies), offering women richer opportunities for career advancement. Based on quantitative analyses of more than two-thousand life scientists careers and qualitative studies of scientists in eight biotech and university settings, Smith-Doerr s work shows clearly that the network form of organization, rather than fostering old boy networks, provides the organizational flexibility that not only stimulates innovation, but also aids women's success.
Call Number: Gorgas Library QH305.5 .S53 2004
A Lab of One's Own by
A riveting memoir-manifesto from the first female director of the National Science Foundation about the entrenched sexism in science, the elaborate detours women have taken to bypass the problem, and how to fix the system. If you think sexism thrives only on Wall Street or in Hollywood, you haven't visited a lab, a science department, a research foundation, or a biotech firm. Rita Colwell is one of the top scientists in America: the groundbreaking microbiologist who discovered how cholera survives between epidemics and the former head of the National Science Foundation. But when she first applied for a graduate fellowship in bacteriology, she was told, "We don't waste fellowships on women." A lack of support from some male superiors would lead her to change her area of study six times before completing her PhD. A Lab of One's Own documents all Colwell has seen and heard over her six decades in science, from sexual harassment in the lab to obscure systems blocking women from leading professional organizations or publishing their work. Along the way, she encounters other women pushing back against the status quo, including a group at MIT who revolt when they discover their labs are a fraction of the size of their male colleagues'. Resistance gave female scientists special gifts: forced to change specialties so many times, they came to see things in a more interdisciplinary way, which turned out to be key to making new discoveries in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Colwell would also witness the advances that could be made when men and women worked together--often under her direction, such as when she headed a team that helped to uncover the source of the anthrax used in the 2001 letter attacks. A Lab of One's Own shares the sheer joy a scientist feels when moving toward a breakthrough, and the thrill of uncovering a whole new generation of female pioneers. But it is also the science book for the #MeToo era, offering an astute diagnosis of how to fix the problem of sexism in science--and a celebration of the women pushing back.
Call Number: ebook
Organizations
- Society of Women EngineersSWE provides women engineers a unique place and voice within the engineering industry. The organization is centered around a passion for its members’ success and continues to evolve with the challenges and opportunities reflected in today’s exciting engineering and technology specialties.
- 500 Women Scientists500 Women Scientists works to build communities and foster real change that comes from small groups, not large crowds. Our Local Pods help create those deep roots through strong, personal relationships. Local Pods are where members meet regularly, develop a support network, make strategic plans, and take action. Pods focus on issues that resonate in their communities, rooted in our mission and values.
- Association for Women in ScienceFor individuals seeking equity for women in science, engineering, technology and math, AWIS provides career development, networking, mentorship, and leadership opportunities. In addition, our thought leadership, research, and advocacy benefit all women in science.
- Graduate Women in ScienceOur mission is simple: to build a global community that inspires, supports, recognizes, and empowers women in science. We accomplish that mission by staying true to our three guiding principles: Connect, Lead, and Empower.
Career Guides
Women Rock Science: A Pocket Guide for Success in Clinical Academic Research Careers by
Studies of women leadership consistently illustrate that women demonstrate strengths in leadership across communities and have skills in bringing together groups towards a common goal. The role of women in context is an important one in science, but has not been the focus of previous texts about careers in science or medicine. This first of its kind book develops an understanding of research careers occurring within a greater community of colleagues and academicians as well as the fact that women themselves lead within a group, a community, and a context. The book focuses on women who are pursuing research careers in academic medicine with specific emphasis on women in science and research as well as lessons learned from fellow female scientists. It also provides key strategies and skills centered on the social ecological model as well as a sense of community with other women scientists. The book is organized thematically using the social ecological model as a framework in which we all live and complete our work.
Call Number: ebookISBN: 9783030104986
Every Other Thursday: Stories and Strategies from Successful Women Scientists by
A book about the power of not trying to navigate a career path alone. This book tells the story of a professional problem-solving group that for more than 25 years has empowered its members by providing practical and emotional support. The objective of "Group," as Ellen Daniell and six other members call their bimonthly gatherings, is cooperation in a competitive world. And the objective of Every Other Thursday is to encourage those who feel isolated or stressed in a work or academic setting to consider the benefits of such a group--a group in which everyone is on your side.
Call Number: Gorgas Library Q130 .D36 2006
