AWIS
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ASSOCIATION FOR WOMEN IN SCIENCE

Washington Wire

Edited by: Sarah Rhodes

April 2011
Issue II

Greetings!


Are you taking full advantage of your AWIS membership?

One of your many benefits includes FREE or reduced access to our notable STEMiNAR� program. What's a STEMiNAR�?

STEMiNARs� are on-line educational opportunities designed with your interest and comfort in mind.  Using a webinar platform, AWIS hosts STEMiNARs� where members can hear live presentations and interact with the presenters from the comfort of their computer or mobile devices.  Can't participate at the designated time?  No problem.  The STEMiNARs� are recorded and posted online.

On Wednesday, May 4, 2011 we kick off the STEMiNAR� Career Pathway Series with a panel discussion on "Careers Outside of Academia."  The webinar will take place from 10:00-11:00AM Eastern time.  Click here to register.

We are also wrapping up the STEMiNAR� Career Development Series takes place on Monday, May 9, 2011 from 11:00AM -12:00PM.  Author Peggy Collins will present "The One-Minute Infomercial."  Click here to register.

Take full advantage of your membership benefits.  Register today!
  
I look forward to hearing from you.

Janet
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Janet Bandows Koster
AWIS Executive Director 
In This Issue
Education
Careers
Science and Health
Work Life Satisfaction
Events
Opportunities
Education
Contributed by Beth Rose
  
America's Brain Drain Problem
Everyone knows that it happens... But what can we do to stop it?  How do we keep the best and brightest scientists and engineers working in research rather than abandoning ship for Wall Street?  Jim Austin at Science Careers discusses just this idea.  He ponders how to encourage young scientists and engineers to "embark on careers doing foundational work in science, engineering, technology, and translation" rather than accepting a job that pays well but really contributes little to the advancement of society. 

Abandoning ship

Harvard Accused of Waning Emphasis on Equity and Diversity
Citing tenure denials, graduate students at Harvard University's Graduate School of Education are charging that the institution has shifted away from an emphasis on social justice and equity issues.  As reported in the The Boston Globe , three faculty members who focus on such issues have been denied tenure in the past three years and other professors who work on equity issues have moved on to other universities.
Careers
Contributed by Anahita Hamidi
  
Is Your Career What You Envisioned It to Be?
Most people at some time or another imagine what their future life is going to be like.  Some people dream big, whereas others dream on a smaller scale.  This future vision applies to all aspects of life, including your career.   But when is the last time you actually examined that vision?  Have you become so busy with the details of day to day life that you've ignored it completely?  In her recent article, author Margie Warrell (Find Your Courage: 12 Acts for Becoming Fearless in Work and in Life) argues the importance of having both a vision and a plan in your life.   She encourages us not to be scared of the potential challenges we may face and gives advice on steps to take to make your vision become a reality.

 

Authorship Diplomacy
Determining the authorship of a scientific study should be as simple as identifying who contributed and how much.  However, the process for deciding whose name is listed can be fraught with cultural practices, politics, issues of career advancement, and financial compensation.  If the research is conducted internationally, the problem of giving proper credit can be complicated by the norms and regulations of the represented nations. 


Giving credit where credit is due

Science and Health
  

Study Finds Powerful Women as Likely to Stray as Men

It's widely believed that men are more likely than women to cheat on their spouses, but power appears to be a more important factor than gender, according to the study published April 28 in the journal Psychological Science.


Look who's cheating 

 

Healthy Rewards of Keeping a Diary

Keeping a diary of your work life can help improve focus, patience, planning and personal growth, according to Teresa Amabile and Steve Kramer. Research finds that writing about the stressful events in life can boost the immune system, improve physical health and create a sense of well-being.


Write it down

Work Life Satisfaction
Contributed by Anahita Hamidi
  
When "Good Enough" is Perfect
As scientists, it is natural for us to hold our own work to high standards.  There comes a point, though, that excessive self-pressure becomes counter-productive.  As Dustin Hack of Life Hack writes: "in the effort to make your work better-than-human, it becomes less-than-human" Doing a "good enough" job doesn't mean you settle for low quality work, it simply means you know when to let go of a final product.  In this day and age, when the scales of work-life balance continue to tip more towards "work" and further away from "life" it might be worth taking the time to remind ourselves that sometimes doing a job that's "good enough" is actually quite...perfect.

Good enough

Etiquette and New Technology
You get a call on your cellphone but the caller doesn't leave a message. Do you call them back? Technology presents etiquette questions we've never considered before. Slate magazine's new podcast "Manners for the Digital Age" tackles this question and more.  And, they're fun and easy to listen to.
AWIS News and Events
AWIS Massachusetts Chapter
Event: Mentors and Mentees: How to find the right fit
Date: May 2
Time: 6:00PM - 9:00PM
Register Now
  
AWIS Greater Baltimore Chapter
Event: Fighting Policy to Advocate and Enhance Health Research and Education
Date: May 3
Time: 5:00PM - 6:00PM
Register Now
  
AWIS Bethesda Chapter
Event: Have a Meal With Your Mentor
Date: May 4
Time: 5:00PM - 6:00PM
Register Now
  
AWIS STEMiNAR: Career Pathway Series
Event: Careers Outside of Academia
Date: May 4
Time: 10:00AM - 11:00AM
Register Now
  
AWIS Central Arizona Chapter
Event: Awards of Excellence Lunch for Winners
Date: May 5
Learn More
  
AWIS National & AWIS Massachusetts Chapter
Event: AWIS Work-Life Satisfaction Workshop
Date: May 5
Time: 6:00PM - 8:30PM
Register Now
 
AWIS Philadelphia Chapter
Event: Women in Science Day
Date: May 7
Learn More
 
AWIS STEMiNAR: Career Development Series
Event: The One-Minute Infomercial
Date: May 9
Time: 11:00AM - 12:00PM
Register Now
 
AWIS San Diego Chapter
Event: Women In Science and Technology Conference
Date: May 14  
Time: 8:30AM - 5:30PM
Register Now
Opportunities
  
Each year the magazine picks ten North American-based scientists, doctors or engineers under the age of 38 that we feel are the most innovative, incisive, creative and groundbreaking researchers in their fields, and we profile them in a special issue.  For nomination information, please contact Mara Grunbaum at [email protected] before Tuesday, May 3, 2011.
  
The Abbott Fund and the United States Patent and Trademark Office are sponsoring the 2011 Collegiate Inventors Competition.  In 2010, the top Graduate prize was $15,000 and the top Undergraduate Prize was $10,000. Other prizes are awarded to select finalists. Academic advisors of each winning entry also receive a cash award. Students must be enrolled (or have been enrolled) full-time in any U.S. or Canadian college or university at least part of the 12-month period prior to the date the entry is submitted.  Deadline to apply is June 24, 2011.
  

2011 AAAS Mentor Awards

The two categories of the AAAS Mentor Awards, the Lifetime Mentor Award and the Mentor Award, honor individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary leadership to increase the participation of underrepresented groups in the science and engineering Ph.D. workforce. These groups include: women of all racial or ethnic groups; African American, Native American, and Hispanic men; and people with disabilities.  All nominations are due by July 31, 2011.

Quick Links
Featured Jobs
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR)
  
Abbott
  
(Tenure-Eligible Investigator)
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

 

AWIS Membership Renewal

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AWIS Receives Recognition
Top Rated GreatNonprofit
The Association for Women in Science has been recognized as a 2011 Top Rated Women's Nonprofit by GreatNonprofits, the leading provider of user reviews for nonprofit organizations.
  
GreatNonprofits review  
  
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