Washington Wire 
Edited by
Sarah Rhodes
May 2013 Issue II
Dear  ,
 

A recent Pew Research Center analysis of data from the U.S. Census Bureau reveals that mothers are the sole or primary breadwinner in four out of 10 households with children. Considering that overall women are paid 77 cents for every dollar paid to men, unequal pay has serious implications for American families-one of the important reasons AWIS advocates for equal pay, better family-related leave policies, and access to affordable dependent care.

 

AWIS research funded by the Elsevier Foundation New Scholars Program revealed that for those researchers with dependent children, 36 percent reported career problems and only a third agreed they work for family friendly institutions. These work-life conflicts are not gender-specific. They are issues that must be addressed to meet the realities of today's global workforce. 

 

For more information on AWIS policy and advocacy initiatives, visit www.awis.org

  

Best Regards,

  
Janet Bandows Koster
AWIS Executive Director/CEO
 
 Careers
Contributed by Ramya Natarajan

Cultivate Your Soft Skills to Get Ahead

Technical skills alone may be sufficient to land a STEM job, but soft skills play an increasingly important role in differentiating STEM professionals when it comes to career advancement.  Soft skills, such as being a good listener and communicator, strongly influence likability and workplace relationships and are thus crucial for moving up the career ladder. A few soft skills that can play a big role in determining career success are spotlighted.  

 

How to Get Noticed in a Good Way

The Wire's April Issue II highlighted the 'Tooling Up' article in Science which noted that those who make themselves more visible to employers, are more likely to get hired or advance in their careers. The second installment, published this month, identifies key approaches for scientists to increase visibility. One important take home message is to self-promote in a persuasive manner without appearing aggressive. 

 

Positive self-promotion

 

 

  Education

Contributed by Rachel Britt

 

Student Loan Debt a Bigger Burden for Female Graduates 

According to a recent study by the American Association of University Women (AAUW), female graduates earn on average only 82% of the pay that their male counterparts make within the first 12 months of graduation.  This gender-related pay gap means that female graduates spend a greater percentage of their income on loan payments leaving them less money for long-term savings and investments.

Growing Activism Against Sexual Assault on College Campuses

Four more colleges joined the ranks of Occidental College and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in being accused of mishandling cases of sexual-misconduct at their institutions. Students at the institutions filed complaints with the U.S. Department of Education under Title IX and federal law mandating accurate reporting of campus crime statistics.  Increased federal scrutiny and vociferous student activism has brought national attention to these cases.

  

Expanding assault complaints

Member Profile  
Member Level 
Expires
    Featured Jobs    

National Institutes of Health

 Process Chemist

Vertex Pharmaceuticals

 Principal Investigator

The Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute of Florida 

Volunteer Spotlight

Donna Kridelbaugh
 Donna Kridelbaugh 

is an Operations Project Manager at Oak Ridge National Lab in Tennessee. Donna volunteers as a moderator for the AWIS LinkedIn group of 6,800 participants.

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 Learn more about Donna

Chapter Event Funded by Mini-Grant

 
AWIS Metropolitan NY

The AWIS New York Metropolitan chapter hosted a career workshop with Caroline Zwick titled "What Should You Do With Your PhD?"  The event was held at Twitter headquarters in NYC.  Partial funding for the event was provided by Nalco, a division of Ecolab, Inc. via the AWIS Chapter Mini-Grant Program.

 

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 Science and Technology

Contributed by Rachel Britt 

 

The Neural Itch Circuit 

Neuroscientists have found that the itching sensation is distinct from pain and is detected and transmitted to the brain by a specialized set of nerve cells. A gene called natriuretic polypeptide b, or Nppb, is found in the itch-detecting cells. Nppb may serve as a novel drug target for diseases with symptomatic chronic itching that are not well-managed with antihistamines.

 

The insatiable itch

 

Magnetism on the Atomic Scale

For the first time, scientists have observed the magnetic properties of single atoms. Super-cooled atoms trapped by criss-crossing laser beams organize themselves in relation to neighboring atoms based on their individual magnetic properties.  It remains to be seen whether this organization of atoms occurs on a larger scale.  However, the new findings on quantum magnetism may eventually help explain other natural phenomena like superconductivity.

 

Teeny-tiny magnets

 Work-Life Satisfaction

Contributed by Becky Mercer

 

Failure: The Key to Success?

We all want to be a success, and listening to people who have succeeded in their personal and professional lives can be a great inspiration.  Richard Branson, CEO of the Virgin Group writes about what he considers to be an overlooked component of success...failure.  Failure can help you to realize your inner strength, become resilient, and prioritize your time. 

 

Make the right moves

 

Seven Ways to Stop Being Afraid

Fear is one of the greatest obstacles to achieving work and life satisfaction.  Fear of failure (or of not being good enough) can squelch your drive to challenge yourself and reach your goals.  Successful CEOs give their tips to overcoming such fears.  These include asking for help, allowing others to challenge you, finding a mentor, and following your passion and instincts. 

 

Face your Fears

 Health 
 

Contributed by Jamie Smith

 

Scientists Create Embryonic Stem Cells from Cloned Human Embryo

Researchers at Oregon Health and Science University announced they have produced embryonic stem cells from a cloned human embryo-an extraordinary technical feat years in the making.  They used a method called "somatic cell nuclear transfer", which is the same method used to clone Dolly the sheep back in 1996.  Some experts believe these stem cells can potentially be used to grow new human kidneys, lungs, and hearts in the future.

 

Cloning around

 

Arkansas Abortion Law Blocked by U.S. Judge

A federal judge blocked Arkansas's ban on abortion at 12 weeks of pregnancy, declaring the law unconstitutional.  This ban is the most fervent challenge yet to 1973's Roe vs. Wade decision and represents this country's most stringent abortion law.  The injunction will prevent this law from taking effect on August 16 and will allow time for the judge to hear final arguments. 

 

Roe's woes

 Events
 

JUNE 5
Women in Science: 50 Years after Silent Spring  
AWIS San Diego Chapter
  
AWIS San Diego Chapter
 
JUNE 14  
Women and Leadership
AWIS Sacramento Valley Chapter
  
JUNE 15  
"Lean In" Book Discussion
AWIS NY Metro Chapter
  
JUNE 19
AWIS Massachusetts Chapter
  
JUNE 19
AWIS Seattle Chapter
 Opportunities 
 

Fulbright Post-Doctoral Fellowship

The United States-Israel Educational Foundation (USIEF), the Fulbright commission for Israel, offers 8 fellowships to American post-doctoral researchers in support of work to be carried out at Israeli universities. This program is open to American post-doctoral researchers in all academic disciplines. 
 

AGU Summer Internships

Are you looking to launch your career in a challenging and rewarding summer internship? At AGU, an international non-profit association, you will help to promote the understanding of Earth and space for the benefit of humanity. You will work within a collaborative, agile environment with talented, dedicated professionals who are interested in making a difference.

  

The University of Michigan College of Engineering has recently established an annual future faculty development workshop for potential women and underrepresented minority faculty members.  Application deadline is June 3, 2013.

 

Eppendorf & Science Prize for Neurobiology

The Prize is awarded annually to one young scientist for the most outstanding neurobiological research based on methods of molecular and cell biology conducted by him/her during the past three years. Prize money: US$25,000 Next application deadline: June 15, 2013

 

Elsevier Awards for Early-Career Woman Scientists in the Developing World  Candidates must be female early-career scientists (within ten years of earning their PhD degree). At nomination, candidates must have lived and worked for at least three years in one of the countries listed in the nomination form

 

Keystone Symposia on Molecular and Cellular Biology will offer a limited number of travel awards to early career investigators at the Assistant Professor or equivalent industry scientist level.

 

2012-13 AWIS Star Chapter Award  

The AWIS Star Chapter Award honors those chapters who have accomplished many of the key objectives outlined in the Strategic Plan. The award encourages chapters to perform specific activities designed to ensure that women in STEM fields are able to achieve their full potential.  Objectives must be met before June 3, 2013.

 

Small Business Postdoctoral Research Diversity Fellowship  

The Small Business Postdoctoral Research Diversity Fellowship program aims to encourage creative and highly-trained recipients of doctoral degrees in NSF-supported science, technology, engineering and mathematical disciplines to engage in hands-on research projects in their areas of expertise at the kind of small innovative businesses that historically have fueled the nation's economic regime. Each research fellow will receive a stipend of at least $75,000 plus health insurance benefits.   

 

NSF's Career-Life Balance (CLB) Initiative   

Scientists now have the opportunity to submit supplemental funding requests to support additional personnel (e.g., research technicians or equivalent). This will help sustain research when the Principal Investigator is on family leave. In FY 2012, up to 3 months of salary support may be requested (for a maximum of $12,000 in salary compensation) by CAREER awardees.

 

Summer Institute for Training in Biostatistics

The Summer Institute for Training in Biostatistics (SIBS) offers a comprehensive six to seven week summer training course on biostatistics with relevant examples that include data collected in studies of heart, lung, blood, and sleep disorders.

 

AWIS Chapter Mini-Grants

AWIS Chapter Mini-Grants are available to support chapter initiatives focused on membership recruitment and retention. Applications following the guidelines are considered on a quarterly basis with the next due June 30, 2013.