By Joyce LeeContributing Writer
All too often we look at a child and say to ourselves, “Now there is a future scientist.” How often is that young person female?
The current dearth of women as professors and researchers in science and engineering has been attributed to a variety of factors, including lack of innate ability and industry bias.
There are more women studying science and engineering today, but the number of women in higher ranks has plateaued. According to the National Academy of Science, women make up 20 percent of American engineering graduates, but only 9 percent of engineers are women.
A panel of mostly female science and engineering professors organized by the National Academy of Science released a report in September about women working in these areas. The panel, which convened for a teleconference in Washington, D.C., reported that cognitive differences do not account for the absence of women in high-end science and engineering positions.
The discrepancy is caused by women leaving these fields because of outdated promotion and family-leave policies in academic institutions and the unconscious bias against women held by the people within them, according to the report.
But Northwestern professors and campus leaders have their own opinions about what causes the gender gap.
“This is a systemic problem,” said Mary Silber, the sole female faculty member in the applied mathematics department. “I don’t like that there aren’t other women. It’s not a great environment for me. It’s lonely.”
Silber said she believes there is a subtle gender prejudice, as well as an insecurity among female faculty that comes with being in the minority. There are fewer women in the upper ranks, especially in mathematics, because no one expects them to be interested in that field, she said.
“But the engineering school has been very good (with female faculty),” she said. “There is a will to be fair.”
NU works hard to give everyone who has the skills the same opportunities, said Joseph Schofer, associate dean of the McCormick School of Engineering.
“It makes no sense to isolate half the population,” he said. “Women do really well in engineering.”
Schofer attributed the lack of females pursuing jobs in science and engineering to insufficient encouragement during the elementary and high school years. “Leveling the playing field” must begin at a young age so that females can grow aware of their potential, he said.
“It’s really challenging if you look at the numbers,” said Xu Li, an assistant professor of electrical engineering and biomedical engineering. “I would like to see more women.”
Li, who often is mistakingly called “sir” when contacted by colleagues through e-mail, said “some women may not appear as assertive as men” in the classroom. Women also veer away from mathematics and electrical engineering because they are “attracted to areas with a more direct impact on society, not numbers, equations or circuits”.
Li, Schofer and Silber share one common belief – that strong role models are integral to correcting the gender imbalance. They said they believe that people of all ages should see and interact with females working and thriving in science and engineering.
“Our women faculty are amazing and exceptional role models,” Schofer said. “(They show) it’s possible to have a full family life and be a great professor.”
Reach Joyce Lee at [email protected].
