About Professional Skills Development Workshops

Advisory Committee

The nine volunteer members of the Committee on the Status of Women in Physics serve as advisors to this program. CSWP was founded in 1972 to address the encouragement and career development of women physicists and sponsors a number of studies, programs and publications.

Background

Currently, women are severely underrepresented in the physical sciences and engineering.[1]  As of 2003, women receive 22% of the BS/BA degrees in physics, but only 18% of the PhDs, and only 5% of full professors in physics were women in 2002. [2]    In addition, women are less likely than their male peers to be nominated for prestigious prizes and awards.[3, 4, 5]. We will need to increase the number of women in leadership positions if we are to attract and retain more women in physical science and engineering.

References

1.  National Science Foundation (NSF). Women, Minorities and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering: 2007.   NSF 07-315. Washington, DC. Table H-5, Employed scientists and engineers, by occupation, highest degree level, and sex, 2003. Report

 2.  Ivie, R., Guo, S., & Carr, A. 2004 Physics & Astronomy Academic Workforce. American Institute of Physics Statistical Research Center, College Park, MD, 2004. Report

3. Sonnert, G. & Holton, G.  Gender differences in science careers: the Project Access Study, Rutgers University Press, New Brunswick, NJ, 1995. 

4. Valian, V., Why so slow? the advancement of women.  MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, 2000 (paperback), 233, 234.

5. Urry, M. Speeding up the long slow path to change, American Physical Society News, Back Page, February 2003. Article

Sponsor

Support for this program has been received from the National Science Foundation under Award No. PHY-0752540.

Further Information

Email Deanna Ratnikova.