| Greetings! ,
We recently put out a call for writers and editors for the AWIS Magazine and had a wonderful response. Thank you.
Now, we could use your help again. If you or someone you know would like to work on the Washington Wire, please send me an e-mail at awis@awis.org.
Each issue takes about eight (8) hours to compile and we send out two issues per month. We're looking for volunteers to take on at least one entire issue per month with a six month commitment.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Happy Halloween!
Janet
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Janet Bandows Koster
Executive Director |
| Education |
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The Cost of Education
The College Board just released two new publications with data about the cost of college education. "Trends in College Pricing 2008" and "Trends in Student Aid 2008" provide detailed information on tuition fees, books, and financial aid. And, like everything else, the price is going up. Twenty-three percent of full-time students in public four-year institutions faced tuition and fee increases of 9% or more.
Trends
Just Google It
In a recent Atlantic Monthly article titled "Is Google Making Us Stupid," author Nicholas Carr questions whether the extensive use of online search engines has led to a focus on surface-level skimming at the expense of deeper reading. H argues that technology has changed the way we think, making our minds a "high-speed data-processing" machine limiting our ability for deep reading.
Is Power Scanning Good or Bad? |
| Government |
Know Where Your Candidates Stand on Issues Which Impact Women in STEM
Visit www.awis.org Before You Vote Before you head to the polls on Tuesday, be sure to visit www.awis.org. Senators John McCain and Barack Obama have shared their positions on issues such as Title IX, Affirmative Action, and pay equity. The next President and Congress will have a big impact on these issues so it's important to know where they stand. Campaign Responses
Grading Government Freedom of SpeechThe Union of Concerned Scientists has released a new report, Freedom to Speak? A Report Card on Federal Agency Media Policies, that grades the degree of freedom with which science is communicated by or in federal agencies. The EPA and the FWS (Fish and Wildlife Service) received failing marks while the CDC, NASA, NOAA and NIST came out best. NIH received an average grade. The report notes that there is no consistency among the 15 federal regulatory and science agencies investigated. Namely, the ability of government scientists to speak freely about their research depends completely on the agency that employs them. Freedom to Speak?
NIH Announces Raynard S. Kington, M.D., Acting Director of NIH
HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt on Friday announced that Raynard Kington, M.D., the Principal Deputy Director of the NIH, will be Acting Director of NIH, effective when Dr. Zerhouni departs the NIH on October 31. AWIS welcomes Dr. Kington, and looks forward to working with him.
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| International |
What's Your Impact on the Global Environment?Have you checked how much CO2 your lifestyle is creating? There are several great "carbon footprint" calculators including one on the EPA website and one at the Nature Conservancy. Check out how much your home energy use, cars, and airplanes impact the global environment. Carbon Calculator |
| Careers |
Gender Gap in Video Game Industry
The video game business is a $50 billion industry with a workforce of nearly 40,000 people but women have been largely shut out of play. Women comprise fewer than 1 in 5 workers and their average annual earnings lagged behind those of their male colleagues by $10,000. And according to a 2007 survey by Game Developer Magazine, women represent just 3% of game programmers.
Getting Into the Game
It's the Economy, StupidSurveys of economics majors at various undergraduate institutions across the country relate that overall, satisfaction levels of students majoring in economics are high. They perceive the major to be relatively challenging and relevant to their future careers. While men and women were in general agreement on what goals the economics major is achieving, they disagree on what goals the major should achieve. Preparing for work and ability to communicate are considered important to both sexes but men tend to favor a stronger focus on critical thinking while women favor a stronger focus on living in a global society, breadth of interests and living with diversity. What Economics Students Think of Economics Major |
| Science and Health |
Injuries in IT-Related Business Higher Among Women
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, women are more likely to get injured than men in an information technology workplace. The number of IT-related injuries in 2006 was relatively small -- 840 -- but 57% of them were suffered by women. Department of Labor Statistics
Depression Raises Risk of Early Delivery According to research published online in the Journal of Human Reproduction, women with symptoms of severe depression have twice the risk of early delivery and women with less severe depression had a 60 percent higher risk of giving birth prematurely, or at fewer than 37 weeks of pregnancy.
Depression and Pregnancy |
| Chapter News and Events |
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AWIS East Bay Chapter |
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Event:
Applying Bioscience and Biotechnology Techniques to Help Solve the Global Energy Challenge -Dr. Susan Jenkins of Energy Biosciences Institute (EBI)
Date:
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Time:
6:30pm Light Supper, 7:00pm Program Begins
Location:
Novartis*, 4560 Horton St, Emeryville, CA
*Novartis security procedures require check-in at the guard station on 53rd St at Chiron Way prior to parking. Meeting is held in building 4 (5300 Chiron Way), Room 104. Enter the doors nearest the big yellow stucco ball. Sign in with the security at the front desk.
Cost:
Suggested donation $10 non-members or $5 members
AWIS Connecticut Chapter
Event:
Pathways of Drug Development
Date:|
Wednesday, November 20th
Time:
6pm-8pm
Location:
1941 Room, College Center at Crozier Williams
Connecticut College, New London, CT
Pfizer Panelists -
Anabella Villalobos, PhD, VP, Antibacterials and Neuroscience Research Chemistry
Michele Millham, MA, Senior Scientist, Cardiovascular & Metabolic Disease Research, Biology
Tess Wilson, PhD , Senior Director, Pharmacokinetics, Dynamics and Metabolism
Laura Dill Morton, DVM, PhD, Research Fellow, Drug Safety R&D
Yanqiao Xiang, PhD, Principal Scientist, Pharmaceutical Sciences
Terri Patterson, PhD, Associate Director , CVMED Clinical Development
AWIS Massachusetts Chapter
Event:
Career Development Speaker Series at WPI Joanne Kamens, Director of Discovery, RXi Pharmaceuticals and Past President, MASS AWIS Date, Time:
11/12 4-5pm: Mentoring 101 12/2 4-5pm: Networking Workshop Location: Gateway Park, 60 Prescott Street, Worcester, MA This program is sponsored by AWIS, The WPI office of Women's Programs and RXi Pharmaceuticals. For more information: jkamens@rxipharma.comAWIS Seattle Chapter
Event:
Washington Toxics Coalition's Pollution in People
Date:
November 12, 2008
Time:
6:00 - 8:00 pm
Location:
First Floor Auditorium
UW South Lake Union Building
815 Mercer St, Seattle, WA |
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Opportunities |
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Career Enhancement Teleseminar Series
AWIS is offering four more opportunities for you to power up your career! Sign-up now at www.awiscoaching.org to take advantage our free teleseminars for AWIS members.
Interviewing For Scientists: How to Speak to be Understood: Adapting to their Communication Style
Date/Time: Tuesday, November 4, 8:30 - 9:15 PM EST
Negotiating Skills for Women in Science: Interviewing as Part of the Opportunity Creation System
Date/Time: Thursday, November 13, 3:00 - 3:45 PM EST
Difficult People or Difficult Behaviors?
Date/Time: Friday, November 14, 12:00 - 12:45 PM EST
The Power of the Pause: Managing Workplace Conflict with Confidence
Date/Time: Wednesday, November 19, 11:00 - 11:45 AM EST
Society for Neuroscience Public Policy Forum
"The Elections: And the Winner is - Science?"
Organizer/Moderator: John H. Morrison, PhD
Location: Washington Convention Center: Room 152B
Date & Time: Tuesday, Nov. 18, 3:00 PM-5:00 PM
Organizer/Moderator: John Morrison, PhD
On the heels of a significant national election, join renowned science policy and political experts to discuss U.S. presidential and congressional election results and the potential impact on science funding and policy. With U.S. science funding at a near standstill, this forum will highlight the prospects for improving support for the research enterprise and help SfN members learn how to help shape the future of science funding and advocacy.
The Speakers:
Katrina L. Kelner, PhD Deputy Editor, Life Sciences, Science
The Honorable John Porter Former U.S. Representative and Chair, Research!America Board of Directors
Harold Varmus, MD Former NIH Director and President, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Wendell Primus, PhD Senior Policy Advisor for Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi
AIMBE's Women in Medical and Biological Engineering Committee Presents:
"It's Your Responsibility! How to Lead and Impact Policy:
Enhancing the Role of Women in Medical and Biological Engineering"
Chicago Airport Hilton
December 4-5, 2008
Women in science, technology, engineering and math have made great strides over the past 35 years, and in biomedical-related disciplines they have essentially reached parity with men entering the workforce. However, the proportion of women in senior, highly visible positions in both academia and the corporate sector has not kept pace with the proportion of women receiving biomedical degrees.
AWIS President, Phoebe Leboy, will make participate as part of a wider discussion, hosted by AIMBE's WIMBE Committee, of how to positively influence change for women in medical and biological engineering. The Symposium is open to all AIMBE Fellows as well as to senior women and a limited number of graduate students and post-doctoral fellows in medical and biological engineering.
For more information about the meeting and student registration, please visit our website at www.aimbe.org/womensymposium. You can also contact the AIMBE office at (202) 496-9660 or tjohnson@aimbe.org.
AIMBE has a block of rooms at the Hilton Chicago O'Hare Airport. To make a reservation, please call 877-865-5322 and mention code AIB or go online at http://www.hilton.com and use code AIB in the group/convention box. The cutoff date for reservation is November 21, 2008.
The National Medal of Science Help celebrate the contributions of your colleagues by submitting a nomination for The National Medal of Science. The National Medal of Science was established 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." In 1980 Congress expanded this recognition to include the social and behavioral sciences. The National Medal of Science is the highest honor the President bestows on scientists. A Committee of 12 scientists and engineers is appointed by the President to evaluate the nominees for the Award. Since its establishment, the National Medal of Science has been awarded to 441 distinguished scientists and engineers whose careers spanned decades of research and development.
Deadline: December 5, 2008
For more information or to nominate someoneAlan T. Waterman Award for Young Researchers
The National Science Foundation is pleased to accept nominations for the 2009 Alan T. Waterman Award. Each year, the Foundation bestows the Waterman Award to recognize the talent, creativity and influence of a singular young researcher. Established in 1975 in honor of the Foundation's first Director, the Waterman Award is the Foundation's highest honor for researchers under the age of 35.
Nominees are accepted from any field of science or engineering that NSF supports. The award recipient will receive a medal and an invitation to the formal awards ceremony in Washington, DC. In addition, the recipient will receive a grant of $500,000 over a three-year period for scientific research or advanced study in any field of science or engineering supported by the National Science Foundation, at any institution of the recipient's choice.
For detailed nomination information and criteria, please visit https://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/honawards
Complete nomination packages, consisting of nominations and four letters of reference, are due by December 5, 2008. The nominations and letters must be received through the FastLane system. Please contact the Program Manager for the Alan T. Waterman Award at waterman@nsf.gov or 703-292-8040 if you have any questions. You may also visit http://www.nsf.gov/od/waterman/waterman.jsp for more information.
AWIS Educational Foundation Awards for Undergraduates
New this year! The AWIS Educational Foundation has re-focused its grant giving priorities. New scholarships are available for undergraduate women in science.
Application Deadline: January 23, 2009
Click here for more information | |
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AWIS CHAPTER SPOTLIGHT
Indianapolis WhatWorks Workshop |
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Help other women in science! Donate to AWIS for its programs and/or to the Educational Foundation for its fellowships.
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