| Greetings!
The ballots are in, and the AWIS 2007 Board Elections were a resounding success. We are pleased to announce the results:
Catherine Hurt Middlecamp, Secretary
Cathy Middlecamp, a Distinguished Faculty Associate, is the Integrated Liberal Studies Program Director at the Chemistry Learning Center of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. This past year, she served as Interim Secretary of the AWIS national executive board, and she has now been elected to a full 2 year term. She also served a term as Councilor on the national board from 1999-2001 and as chair of the AWIS membership committee from 2002-2007. Dr. Middlecamp was inducted as an AWIS Fellow in 2003.
Jodi Wesemann, Treasurer
A former Associate Professor of Chemistry at Saint Mary's College of California, Jodi Wesemann is the Assistant Director for Higher Education at the American Chemical Society in Washington DC. Dr. Wesemann has been re-elected to a second two-year term as Treasurer of the AWIS national executive board and currently serves as the President of the Metropolitan DC AWIS chapter.
Laurel L. Haak, Councilor
Laurel Haak is the Science Director at Discovery Logic, a woman-owned small business providing IT technology solutions, program support and management consulting to federal civilian and DoD agencies and Fortune 500 clients. Before joining Discovery Logic, Dr. Haak was a program officer for the Committee on Science, Engineering, and Public Policy at the National Academies where she was responsible for developing several high-profile reports, including Beyond Bias and Barriers: Fulfilling the Potential of Women in Academic Science and Engineering. She has been elected to a 3-year term as Councilor on the national board.
Sheila Tobias, Councilor
Sheila Tobias was trained in history and literature at Harvard-Radcliffe and Columbia Universities and pioneered women's studies in the late 1960s. In 1974, she turned her attention to girls' and women's avoidance of college-level mathematics and the physical sciences. She is the author of nine books and between 1997 and 2006 contributed to the launching of a new professional science master's degree. She is a frequent consultant to science and mathematics departments at major universities aiming to increase their female student (and graduate student) enrollment and female faculty appointments. She has been elected to a 3-year term as Councilor on the national board.
Thank you,
Janet Bandows Koster
Executive Director |
| Education |
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Girls' math interest depends on dad
This Education Week article discusses a recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan and Penn State which showed that fathers have a large influence on whether or not their daughters take an interest in math. The study also showed that fathers do more to encourage their sons toward math than their daughters.
Father knows best? (free registration required to view article)
The (liberal) art of science
Last week about 120 deans, provosts, and other academic personnel gathered in Washington for a conference on science and the liberal arts. Significant discussions resulted on topics from teaching evolution to the benefits and challenges of interdisciplinary approaches to teaching science, among others.
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| Government |
The "pool" is no longer the problem: female science faculty and gender equity
Coverage of a recent hearing before the House Subcommittee on Research and Science Education highlights the ongoing need for targeted interventions to increase the proportion of female science faculty. Title IX, the 1972 gender equity law, applies to education, but is much more famous for its sports-related implications at colleges and universities. Former Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna Shalala testified that perhaps a body similar to the NCAA is needed to enforce Title IX and the equality it mandates.
Universities still lacking in female science faculty
White House oversight extends to CDC director's climate change testimony
Subtle but nonetheless extensive cuts were made by the White House to Dr. Julie Gerberding's testimony on climate change before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. The removed statements focused on the "unaddressed" public health implications of global warming, and were replaced with statements regarding what actions health agencies have already taken to prepare themselves.
Editing science? |
| Science and Health |
Women's health report card, state by state
The National Women's Law Center, in collaboration with the Oregon Health and Science University, has evaluated the health of women in all fifty states on the basis of both status and policy indicators. Of particular interest are several key findings: that no state received an overall grade of "satisfactory," and that of 27 benchmarks set, only three were met by all states-and two of them were already met in 2004. While the outlook seems dismal, several states are doing much better than others. Is yours one of them?
Women's health across the nation
Oxytocin wears yet another hat
Further cementing its reputation as the go-to hormone associated with sex, love, and bonding, oxytocin can now claim responsibility for the level of bonding between mother and child. A researcher in Israel has shown that a pregnant woman's oxytocin levels in her first trimester of pregnancy are predictive of her bonding behavior with her future child. Baby bondingIt's a crying shame
Men and women are perceived differently not only in showing anger and aggression, but also when crying. This interesting piece explores the social landscape of crying and how men and women's images change after having been seen weeping.
Double standards apply to tears, too
No baby, no problem-if you're a woman
New research indicates that women are more comfortable with being childless than men. Researchers say this is perhaps indicates that women are more familiar with the social and economic demands of parenting, and consequently more are actively choosing not to have children. And men's uncomfortability with being childless may have an evolutionary basis: no children means getting wiped from the gene pool.
Childlessness bothers men more than women
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| International |
Where international development meets the scientific method
A lab associated with MIT is running randomized trials to determine which poverty-related international development interventions are most effective. The novel approach is already producing fascinating results and may greatly contribute to the development and implementation of poverty-alleviation efforts in the future. Research and development. No, the other kind of development.
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| Careers |
The new entrepreneurs: women with breast cancer
New legions of courageous, inventive women are becoming entrepreneurs in the name of helping women like themselves who are dealing with breast cancer. This New York Times article explores their motivations, successes, and stories.
The power of innovation
Women and interdisciplinary science: the wave of the future?
This article from Inside Higher Ed explores the intersection between the drive for more interdisciplinary science research in the US, and the goal of increasing the proportion of women in the sciences. Why is interdisciplinary research important, and what overlap, if any, can be seen in diversifying the scientific workforce while pushing for scientific innovation in novel ways?
Read moreSolid advice for new graduate students
If you're in your first few months of graduate school, here are some helpful tips from Science Careers on how to ease into your Ph.D. work. Among them: get to know your department, formulate a detailed work plan with your advisor, and keep your lab notebook scrupulously
Ph.D. success secrets
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| National and Chapter Announcements
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DC-Metro AWIS Chapter
Date: November 1, 2007
Time: 6:30-8:30 pm
Location: AAAS, Abelson-Haskins Room, second floor
1200 New York Ave., NW, Washington DC
Event: Women in Academic Science and Engineering:
A Panel Discussion
Please RSVP to Christine Jessup
East Bay AWIS Chapter
Date: November 29, 2007
Time: 6:30 PM
Location: Novartis, room 4.104
4560 Horton St., Emeryville,
Event: "Using science and technologies for environmental
health problems in developing countries"
speaker Christina Galitsky, LBNL inventor.
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Opportunities |
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MentorNet Call for Mentors
E-mentoring
opportunity--just 20 minutes per week. MentorNet seeks science and
engineering professionals in industry and government to mentor
engineering and science community college, undergraduate, and graduate
students, particularly women and underrepresented minorities, who are
interested in pursuing a professional future in the fields of
engineering and science. MentorNet also seeks tenured faculty members
to mentor graduate students, postdocs, and untenured faculty pursuing
faculty careers. Mentoring relationships last eight months. Mentors and
students communicate entirely by email.
How can you volunteer to be a mentor?
1) Join the MentorNet community: http://www.mentornet.net/join
2) Follow the One-on-One Mentoring Programs links to create a
mentor profile.
Quality Education for Minorities Opportunity
INFLOW, developed with support from the National Science Foundation
(NSF), is an on-line database containing information on individuals
with Ph.D. degrees who are from groups underrepresented in STEM fields.
It serves as a one-stop source of professional information on doctoral
engineers and computer scientists in academia, industry, and government
that can be regularly updated by participants via QEM's website.
INFLOW will provide NSF with a source of information on potential proposal review panelists, advisory committee members, and rotators. Additionally, the participants will be provided: information on a variety of professional development opportunities; and a mechanism to access limited contact information on other participants to facilitate potential collaborations. Information on financial support, research, career, and other professional opportunities will be provided to registered individuals to encourage and support the completion of their degree programs. For more information: http://qemnetwork.qem.org/cise_eng.htm
The Michelle R. Clayman Institute for Gender Research
The Michelle R. Clayman Institute for Gender Research at
Stanford University hosts around 7 leading scholars each year.
Generally, they will be tenured or tenure-track faculty, but we are
also open to considering postdoctoral fellows and high fliers from
industry and business. Faculty would be expected to join us for one,
two or three academic quarters. Each Research Fellow will be offered a
stipend of up to $60,000 depending on status, plus office space,
library access and so on. All the practical details of our Fellowship
Program, and more about the Clayman Institute, are at: http://gender.stanford.edu. The closing date for the current round of applications is October 29, 2007.
AIMBE Opens Galletti Aaward Nominations
AIMBE has opened nominations for
the Galletti Award for 2008. The award
is the highest honor given by AIMBE and is given for recognition of
contributions to public awareness of medical and biological engineering, and to
the promotion of the national interest in science, engineering and
education.
Visit www.aimbe.org/content/index.php?pid=88
for more information and to download a nomination form.
Nominations close October 31, 2007.
L'ORÉAL-UNESCO AWARDS FOR WOMEN IN SCIENCE
The
Laureates, who work across the spectrum of the Material Sciences, are
chosen based on their groundbreaking achievements and potential
contributions to scientific progress. The L'ORÉAL-UNESCO Awards
Laureates are selected by an international jury of 14 eminent members
of the scientific community. Chosen in recognition of her exceptional
achievements, one Award Laureate is named from each of five continents:
Africa, Asia/Pacific, Europe, Latin America and North America. The
Laureates receive individual awards of $100,000. Material Sciences and
Life Sciences are recognized in alternating years.
Deadline: October 31, 2007
For More On This Award...
ACS Award in Pure Chemistry
The
ACS Award in Pure Chemistry is intended to recognize and encourage
fundamental research in pure chemistry carried out in North America by
young men and women. The award consists of $5,000 and a certificate.
Up to $1,000 for travel expenses to the meeting at which the award will
be presented will be reimbursed. A nominee must have been born after
April 30, 1973 and must have accomplished research of unusual merit for
an individual on the threshold of her or his career. Special
consideration is given to independence of thought and originality in
the research, which must have been carried out in North America.
Due Date: November 1, 2007
More on This Award in Chemistry...
Lemelson-MIT Program
LEMELSON-MIT PRIZE
The $500,000 Lemelson-MIT Prize is awarded to outstanding mid-career
inventors who have developed a patented product or process of
significant value to society, which could be or has been adopted for
practical use. These individuals will receive the Prize mid-career, when
both the recognition and the cash award can be of significant benefit to
their future creativity and productivity.
The deadline for nominations is November 2, 2007.
Nominate a candidate at
http://mit.edu/invent/a-prize.html.
LEMELSON-MIT AWARD FOR SUSTAINABILITY
The $100,000 Lemelson-MIT Award for Sustainability celebrates
individuals whose inventions and innovations enhance economic
opportunity and community wellbeing in developing and/or developed
countries, while protecting and restoring the natural
environment.
The deadline for nominations is November 2, 2007.
Nominate a candidate at http://mit.edu/invent/a-award.html.
National Sleep Foundation (NSF) Postdoctoral Fellowships
THE NSF PICKWICK POSDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP
Two-year fellowships are available for basic, applied or clinical research in sleep or sleep disorders. Applicants must have a
sponsor and plan to conduct research in recognized U.S. or Canadian
programs of study or laboratories with strong mentorship in the
appropriate area. Non-US citizens are eligible. Candidates must have received either an MD, DVM, PhD or DO degree by
the time the fellowship begins in July 2008. The degree or subsequent
training must have been completed within the past five years. Pickwick Fellows receive funding based on the National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Research Service Award (NRSA) schedule, which is based on years of postdoctoral research experience, plus a benefits allowance of $7,000.
Deadline is November 4, 2007.
For more information
The University of Chicago Enrico Fermi Institute
ENRICO FERMI POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP and ROBERT R. MCCORMICK POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP
These postdoctoral research fellowships are intended to attract
outstanding early-career scientists to the University of Chicago. We
expect to award two fellowships each year to candidates from a pool of
international applicants.
The initial appointment is for one year, renewable annually, for up to
three years. The appointment carries a salary of $54,000 per annum with
an additional allocation of up to
$6,000 for independent research support. Appointees are given the
freedom of either working independently or associating with EFI faculty
in a research area of common interest. Appointment would be at the
University internal rank of Postdoctoral Scholar. There are no teaching
responsibilities with this position.
Applications submitted prior to November 10, 2007, will be given priority.
For more information, email fshipFMc@ulysses.uchicago.edu
National Leadership Workshop on Mentoring Women in Biomedical Careers
The NIH Office of Research on Women's Health is sponsoring a National Leadership Workshop on Mentoring Women in Biomedical Careers on November 27-28, 2007 that will target biomedical researchers (men and women) at three levels: postdoctoral fellows, junior investigators, and senior investigators. The workshop will consider guidelines for effective mentoring for career advancement, taking into account the special needs of women and individuals from underrepresented groups.
For more information, including registration: http://womensinscience.nih.gov/mentoring
Nominations Open for NSF Awards
NATIONAL MEDAL OF SCIENCE
The National Medal of Science
is the Nation's highest honor for scientists and engineers, and is
presented annually by the President of the United States. It was
established by the 86th Congress in 1959 as a Presidential Award to be
given to individuals "deserving of special recognition by reason of
their outstanding contributions to knowledge in the physical,
biological, mathematical, or engineering sciences."
Nomination deadline: December 7, 2007.
Please go
to www.fastlane.nsf.gov/honawards/ for detailed nomination information.
ALAN T. WATERMAN AWARD
Congress established the Alan T. Waterman Award in August 1975 to mark
the 25th Anniversary of the National Science Foundation and to honor
its first Director. The annual award recognizes an outstanding young
researcher in any field of science or engineering supported by the
National Science Foundation. In addition to a medal, the awardee
receives a grant of $500,000 over a three year period for scientific
research or advanced study in the mathematical, physical, biological,
engineering, social, or other sciences at the institution of the
recipient's choice.
Nomination deadline: December 7, 2007.
Please go
to www.fastlane.nsf.gov/honawards/ for detailed nomination information.
The Pasteur Foundation
UNDERGRADUATE SUMMER 2008 INTERNSHIPS IN PARIS
These
10-week internships at the Institut Pasteur, one of the world's leading
private, nonprofit centers for infectious disease research, offer
hands-on laboratory experience to undergraduates contemplating a
scientific career. Applicants must be U.S. citizens. *Living allowance
is $400 per week*. See our website for information and downloads. Deadline: December 14, 2007.
Application and deadline information for both programs may be found at: www.pasteurfoundation.org
Next Generation Bioscience Leaders
Next Generation Bioscience Leaders is an excellent opportunity to advance high potential women leaders. This first-of-its-kind forum will provide high achieving female managers the opportunity to learn from and network with executives from pharmaceutical, medical device, and biotechnology companies. This distinctive experience will set talented scientists and business professionals no the path toward lasting and strategic contributions to the enterprise. Next Generation Bioscience Leaders is a management development opportunity for women six to twelve years into their careers who are ready to assume higher level management positions. Forum dates: January 13-18, 2008.
Registration is due by December 10, 2007.
For more information: http://www.smith.edu/execed
L'Oréal USA Fellowships
A
national offshoot of the L'ORÉAL-UNESCO For Women In Science program,
the L'Oréal USA Fellowships program is open to women at post-doctorate
level in physical/material sciences, engineering, technology and
mathematics. The L'Oréal USA Fellowships For Women in Science enable
young scientists to continue working toward breakthroughs in their
research.
Applications available: Aug. 1-Dec. 15, 2007
Application deadline: December 15, 2007
Grant year: July 1, 2008-June 30, 2009
For More Information About This Fellowship...
AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellows Program
The Fellowships help to establish and nurture
critical links between federal decision-makers
and scientific professionals to support public
policy that benefits the wellbeing of the nation
and the planet. They support the AAAS objectives to
improve public policymaking through the infusion
of science, and to increase public understanding
of science and technology. The application system is now open and accepting applications for the 2008-2009 fellowship year. It will remain open through the application deadline, 20 December 2007.
For more information, see http://fellowships.aaas.org/
Women in Biomedical Research: Best Practices for Sustaining Career Success
The NIH is sponsoring a "Women in Biomedical Research: Best Practices for Sustaining Career Success," workshop on March 4-5, 2008, to highlight practices that are successfully addressing the major barriers in the career development of women in biomedical sciences. The workshop will consider "best practices" from a range of organizatoins, including academic health centers, pharmaceutical companies, and other branches of governments.
For more information: http://womeninscience.nih.gov/bestpractices
Travel Fellowships: Integrative Physiology - May 14-16, 2008, The New York Academy of Sciences
The
New York Academy of Sciences is proud to offer travel fellowships to
their international symposium "Integrative Physiology." This 2.5-day
conference has been designed to explore the genetic basis of the known
functions of many organs, the identification of novel physiological
functions for various organs and the definition of genetic cascades
leading to frequent degenerative diseases such as metabolic syndrome,
heart failure and osteoporosis.
Individuals applying for a
fellowship will be expected to author a poster presentation (sole or
first authorship is not required). Please refer to our site for further information. Deadline: March 14, 2008
The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) seeks qualified candidates for the following positions:
#07--142
- POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW - (Washington, DC) Working with the Research
Fellow and Senior Scientist leading the Global Change research theme of
IFPRI, the successful candidate will conduct research and analysis on
land use patterns and shifts under alternative scenarios of global
environmental and economic change.
#07-144 - POSTDOCTORAL
FELLOW- (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia) - successful candidate will work with
other senior researchers to meet the Division's research and capacity
strengthening objectives, and will engage in activities including
research, capacity strengthening, fundraising, scholarly publication,
and communications in collaboration with national and regional
agricultural research organizations and systems.
#07-148 -
POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW - (Washington DC) - the successful candidate will
conduct cross-country analysis on development strategy for higher
agricultural and rural growth, cutting hunger and malnutrition, and
reducing vulnerability of poor, and develop typology to target donor
and national investment across different countries and sub-national
regions to achieve greater poverty reduction.
FOR FULL DESCRIPTION & TO APPLY:
Go to www.ifpri.org .
Click on "Careers" and "Research" to link you to the above positions.
Please complete on-line application, including a complete resume and
cover letter.
AAUW Career Development Grants Career
Development Grants support women who hold a bachelor's degree and are
preparing to advance their careers, change careers, or re-enter the
work force. Special consideration is given to AAUW members, women of
color, and women pursuing their first advanced degree or credentials in
nontraditional fields. Grants provide support for course work
beyond a bachelor's degree, including a master's degree, second
bachelor's degree, or specialized training in technical or professional
fields. Funds are available for distance learning. Course work must be
taken at an accredited two- or four-year college or university, or at a
technical school that is fully licensed or accredited by an agency
recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Funds are not available
for doctoral-level work. For More on This Grant...
Outsourcing Preclinical Toxicology Studies Conference to be Held in Costa MesaThis
course is ideal for those in pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies
who are involved in or support outsourcing preclinical toxicology
studies. Toxicologists (pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies),
Outsourcing professionals, Senior and operational management, Clinical
veterinarians, and CRO management and scientists should attend. Attendees
will learn how to evaluate their outsourcing needs and how to develop a
cost-effective strategy that will lead to a successful outsourcing
experience. Participants will also receive detailed instruction on how
to inspect, select, and build relationships with a CRO. For More Information on This Conference...
Protein Discovery & Development Summit Coming to DC in SeptemberOnline
submission for abstracts is now open for GTCbio's Protein Discovery
& Development Summit. This event will feature 4 full conferences
aimed at discussing the progress and promise of: Protein Design, Modeling and Bioinformatics Protein Array, Interaction, and Proteomics Protein Therapeutics Protein Expression, Formulation and Production The
protein therapeutics market has more than doubled in the last five
years- jumping from $25 billion to $51 billion. According to a recent
survey, the protein therapeutics market should reach $87 billion by
2010. Protein therapeutics have revolutionized modern medicine. If you
are involved in Protein Discovery or Development, we invite you to
submit a 250 word abstract. For More Information on This Conference...
Ethnic Minority and Women's Enhancement Postgraduate Scholarship for Careers in AthleticsThe
Ethnic Minority and Women's Enhancement Postgraduate Scholarship for
Careers in Athletics programs were developed by the NCA Committee on
Women's Athletics and the NCAA Minority Opportunities and Interests
Committee. The NCAA awards 13 scholarships to ethnic minorities
and 13 scholarships to female college graduates who will be entering
their initial year of postgraduate studies. The applicant must be
seeking admission or have been accepted into a sports administration or
related program that will help the applicant obtain a career in
intercollegiate athletics, such as athletics administrator, coach,
athletic trainer or other career that provides a direct service to
intercollegiate athletics. For More Information On This Scholarship...
American Physiological Society Research Enhancement AwardThe
APS Research Career Enhancement Award is designed to enhance the career
potential of its regular members. The award can be used to support
short-term visits to other laboratories to acquire new specific skills
and to support attendance at special courses devoted primarily to
methodologies appropriate for both a new investigator and a more senior
investigator entering a new field of research. The award of up to
$4,000 allows an individual in the early phases of his/her career to
obtain special training; the award also allows an individual in the
later phases of his/her career to develop new skills and to retrain in
areas of developing interests. The award does not include any indirect
cost reimbursement. For More Information on This Award... |
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Featured Event
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Next Generation Bioscience Leaders:
Executive Education for Women in the Life Science Industry
January 13-18, 2008
click here
for more information
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| Featured Jobs |
| Roche Palo Alto is our featured employer this month. For more Roche job opportunities, visit the AWIS Featured Jobs website | Research Scientist I/II
Metabolism and Disposition Department
Roche Palo Alto
Palo Alto, CA
Associate Director
Cellular Pharmacology
Roche Palo Alto
Palo Alto, CA
Principle Research Scientist
Chemical Development Department
Roche Palo Alto
Palo Alto, CA
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Pfizer is a Proud Corporate Sponsor of the Association for Women in Science
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