Program Details
Florida Institute of Technology (Physics & Space Sciences)
How many tenure-track or tenured faculty -- male/female?
1 female, 13male (7% female)
How many graduate students-- male/female?
PART-TIME: 0 female, 1 male (0% female) FULL-TIME: 14 female, 23 male (38% female) TOTAL: 15 female, 24 male (38% female)
How many post doctoral associates - male/female?
0 female, 4 male (0% female)
Is there a family leave policy for graduate students? If so, describe.
There is no formal leave policy. However, it is relatively easy to arrange temporary leaves within the department's program with the approval of advisor, graduate committee and head.
Is there family health insurance for graduate students? If so, is it included in the stipend?
A student can opt for family insurance provided by the university, but it is not included in the stipend paid by the department.
Please describe why someone applying to graduate school who is interested in a female-friendly department should choose your department.
We are among the largest undergraduate physics and astronomy (space sciences) programs in the U.S. according to AIP graduation statistics--about 150 majors (including dual degree students). About half of our undergraduate majors in Physics and Space Sciences are women. More than a third of the graduate students are women. This suggests we are doing a good job in attracting and keeping female students--especially in view of the fact that FIT is an engineering school. Such institutions often have a much lower fraction of women than this. We clearly need better representation of women on our faculty. However, this is proving to be a challenge, as only about 1 in 10-20 applicants for our occasional faculty openings have been women. Hopefully, our enrollment figures portend an increasing number of Ph.D. candidates for faculty positions in coming years. We are trying to do our part--without discriminating in either direction.
Has the institution had a Climate for Women in Physics Site Visit or Gender Equity Conversation?
No
Updated: August 06, 2012
