Resources on Women in Astronomy

The Astronomical Society of the Pacific has put together a collection of resources - both online and off - on women in astronomy. From the intro:

This guide is not meant to be a comprehensive or scholarly introduction to the complex topic of the role of women in astronomy, but simply a resource for those educators and students who wish to explore the challenges and triumphs of women of the past and present. It's also an opportunity to get to know some of the key women who have overcome prejudice and exclusion to make significant contributions to our field. To be included among the representative women for whom we list individual resources, an astronomer must have had something non-technical about her life and work published in a popular-level journal or book. This explains why so many talented women are not covered; their work is mainly known through journals that students cannot read. Suggestions for additional non-technical listings are most welcome, however.

Some of the online resources include:

• A list of web resources on the general topic of women in astronomy
• Bibliography and links about women astronomers of the past:
  
• Part 1: from Annie Cannon to Henrietta Leavitt
• Part 2: from Antonia Maury to Beatrice Tinsley
• Bibliography and links about living women astronomers
• Part 1: Jocelyn Bell Burnell to Jane Luu
• Part 2: Sally Ride to Sidney Wolff

The Society's web site also has other good resources for astronomy lovers, including topics such as astronomical pseudo-science, science fiction with good astronomy, astronomy in non-western cultures, SETI and web sites for college astronomy instructors.

(via Mike Brotherton)

Tags: women in science, astronomy

Female Science Professor In Print

If you are a fan of Female Science Professor's writing, as I am, you'll be glad to hear that she's reworked a bunch of her old posts into a book, lengthily titled
Academeology: Random Musings, Strong Opinions & Somewhat Bizarre Anecdotes From An Academic Life. Some of the section headings (via Confessions of a Science Librarian, since Lulu is down at the moment):

• Acquiring an academic job
  
• The Graduate School Experience: Getting In
  
• The Graduate School Experience: Professor-Student Relations
  
• Speaking of Talks
  
• Success, Failure, Ambition, Fame
  
• Cruel and Unusual: Faculty Meetings

You can also read a sample from the introduction to a chapter on being evaluated as a professor. It sounds like a great source of "behind the scenes" information for anyone pursuing a science career in academia.

Academeology: Random Musings, Strong Opinions & Somewhat Bizarre Anecdotes From An Academic Life is available in print and pdf versions at Lulu.com

Tags: Female Science Professor, women in science, academia

Becoming Leaders

A couple of weeks ago, Zuska reviewed and recommended Becoming Leaders: A Practical Handbook for Women in Engineering, Science, and Technology, which is a joint project of the American Society of Civil Engineers, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and the Society of Women Engineers. It covers many aspects of a successful career, including time management, work-life balance, and networking, and includes chapters on improving workplace diversity.

From her review:

An underlying assumption throughout the book is that you must actively promote yourself and your career. You cannot wait around for someone to show you the way and recognize your brilliance. Self-promotion sometimes runs against our instincts as women, or our training as scientists which tells us our work should speak for itself. Unfortunately, women's work doesn't speak as loudly as the same thing done by men, so you have to work all available options to make sure others can see your worth.

I would recommend this book for women at almost any point in their career trajectory, and it certainly should be on the shelf (and in the minds) of every dean, department chair, or manager. It provides a welcome emphasis on not just surviving a STEM career, but actively managing it with the goal of becoming a leader who can influence institutional behavior. It's time for women in STEM to claim their role in leadership.

You can order the book directly from the American Society of Engineers, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, or from Amazon.com.

Tags: women in science, women in engineering, Becoming Leaders

Remember to Celebrate Women Scientists

If you take a look at the sidebar (and over on the left), you'll notice that there is a new addition: a listing of upcoming birthdays of women scientists. It was generated from a Google Calendar compiled by MissPrism from the "Let's All Have a Party!" thread at Thus Spake Zuska. (If you're wondering, that's how it got the "Zuskateer Parties" title).

There aren't any birthdays today, but get ready to celebrate the birth of Ninetta May Runnals (1908-1980), mathematician and Carrie Matilda Derick (1862-1941), geneticist on Monday!

You can add the dates to your own Google calendar by clicking the button:


Click on the iCal version to add to your Apple iCal (worked for me) or Outlook calendar (I think).

Tags: Zuskateer Parties, women in science, birthdays, calendar