Washington Wire
Edited by Rachel Britt, PhD
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Greetings!,
Tough problems need smart solutions. Each year the STEM community leaks creative, energetic, highly educated women from the career pipeline - women who could have designed better vaccines, created novel materials, invented smarter technologies and made the world we share a better place.
During this season of giving, please join me and donate generously to AWIS.
Together, we can keep women in the picture.
Best Regards,
Susan M. Fitzpatrick, PhD
AWIS President
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 Careers |
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Contributed by Ramya Natarajan, PhD
Scientists Make a Career Out of Teaching
Are you a science PhD who can picture working in an academic setting teaching and advising students, but not focusing extensively on discovery research? While the number of tenure-track positions at research institutions has decreased in recent times, the number of non-tenure track teaching positions has risen. There are full-time faculty positions whose primary responsibility is teaching and they come with professional salaries, benefits and reasonable working hours.
Professional pedagogues
Four Tips to Make Yourself More Marketable
In its latest hiring update, the Department of Labor reported that the total number of job openings has not increased in the past six months, and it's hard to predict if the hiring front will experience an upswing, or remain the same for the foreseeable future. Given the state of the economy, the best thing any job seeker can do to increase his or her chances of getting hired is to follow these guidelines to become a more sought-after candidate.
Be a better prepared job seeker
Inhospitable Environment Drives Women out of STEM Careers
A joint study by the University of Texas-Austin and Cornell University concludes that gender barriers, not a desire to start a family, are the underlying cause for women to leave a career in science. These findings were based on data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979, which tracked people aged 14 to 22 starting in 1979 and followed them through to midlife. The study, which will appear in the December issue of Social Forces, acknowledges that times have changed and young women earning STEM degrees today may go into fields that are more hospitable to women.
STEM retention blame
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Contributed by Rachel Britt, PhD
Women Value Project-based Learning
When Worcester Polytechnic Institute redesigned its engineering curriculum in 1976 to be entirely project-based, the change was expected to enrich the learning experience of all students. It wasn't expected that the change would disproportionately benefit women. For example, 63% of women,compared to half of men, said the program helped them understand how technology and society interact. This study strengthens the idea that putting STEM fields in a social context is appealing and useful to female students.
Engineering new curricula
Combining STEM and Business Education
Any STEM entrepreneur knows that STEM students receive very little training for the business world. This means students are not being prepared for executive opportunities like that of Chief Information Officer (CIO). A recent panel discussion at The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International conference addressed how to build connections between university business schools and STEM programs. One idea is to offer joint degrees like combining auditing and cyber security to prepare students to apply STEM expertise in a business setting.
Taking care of business
A Film to Inspire Youth to Pursue STEM
Several California state entities, including the Department of Education, collaborated to create a film that helps youth understand the opportunities available to them in the STEM fields. I Am a Scientist follows high school students at a biohackathon, a conference with hands-on problem solving activities centered around STEM education, health and the life sciences. The producers of the film hope to expose students, especially those who could not attend the hackathon, to the STEM fields and to show them how a STEM career might benefit them and their communities.
I am a scientist, and so can you
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AWIS Fall Webinar Series
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Volunteer Spotlight
Ekemini Udofa
AWIS Baltimore Chapter President
AWIS Member since 2011
Congratulations to Ekemini Udofa who has been invited to speak at this year's TEDxBaltimoreWomen Conference on Thursday, December 5, 2013. She will be speaking about AWIS supporting women in STEM and the challenge to be and become a woman in science.
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 Science and Technology |
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Contributed by Shabnum Patel
Pregnancy at Facebook
Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg serves as an advisor to female employees on planning and balancing pregnancy with work. Sandberg recognizes that high-earning women leave the workplace during childbearing years, and she hopes to see changes made at Facebook that support new mothers. Facebook is recognized as a leading social media company in the world and Sandberg wants it to become recognized for supporting women in the workplace.
Facebook babies
What's in the Wine?
Scientists at the University of California Davis are demystifying the unique tastes of wine. The must, or mashed grapes, that are used to produce wine contain microbes from the soil environment. Using novel technologies, researchers found that there are specific microbial communities associated with different wine making regions such as Napa, Sonoma, and the Central Valley. Grapes have distinctive populations of bacteria and fungi, which are now believed to be partially responsible for varietal flavors.
Can you taste the microbes?
Regulating Personal Genetics
23andMe, the genetics company known for their personal DNA sequencing services, has attracted the attention of many skeptics. The FDA has now ordered the company to stop claiming that their popular DNA saliva testing kits identify potential health risks and inform treatment decisions and drug responses for clients. The FDA announced guidelines for companies to include disclaimers on their direct-to-consumer products such as "for research use only" or "for investigational use only." This is an important step by the FDA in its efforts to regulate the growing field of personal genomics.
23andMe... and the FDA
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 Work-Life Satisfaction |
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Contributed by Becky Mercer, PhD
Five Tools Overachievers Can Use to Decrease Stress
We want it all. But often times, having it all comes at the cost of increased stress in our lives. Greg McKeown writes in the November 25 issue of the Harvard Business Review blog that intentional actions such as breathing, meditating, questioning, and living with purpose can help overachievers find meaning and substance in their personal and professional lives without straining for the next goal.
Take two minutes
Seven Signs You're Not in Balance
Sometimes our responsibilities overwhelm us and it's time for a change. Ellen Mehling, a Career Development Consultant at the Metropolitan New York Library Council (METRO) provides seven signs that you are pushing too hard. The signs include - feeling a loss of control with how your time is spent; being exhausted; suffering from headaches, stomach aches, or insomnia; comments from others that you are always unavailable; episodes of distractedness. She suggests several steps to help get the balance back, including an objective evaluation of your priorities, and identifying whether there are avoidable sources of imbalance such as excessive time wasting and procrastination.
Tipping point
Flexible Work Options
If you're trying to have it all but finding it tough to leave the house each morning because of the demands of your personal life, the solution may lie in the type of job you have. In the November 26 blog for Working Mother online magazine, DeJuana Golden reports on several flexible career choices for working moms. She reviews a variety of options such as telecommuting, condensed work weeks, videoconferencing, using phone and email communication more effectively, and job sharing.
Flex those work muscles
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 Health |
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Contributed by Jaime Smith, PhD
Mother's Exercise May Boost Baby's Brain
A recent study by researchers at the University of Montreal shows that physically active mothers-to-be have babies with more robust brainwave activity as compared to their sedentary counterparts. Past studies have shown that active pregnant women have babies with healthier cardiovascular systems. This is the first study to show a link between exercise and an advantage in terms of brain development in utero.
Your baby's brain on exercise
Exercise Can Curb Tobacco Cravings in Pregnant Women
According to a Canadian study, 15-20 minutes of walking is sufficient to ward off cigarette cravings in pregnant women. The study - which recruited 30 pregnant smokers - assigned half of the women to walk on a treadmill and the other half to watch a video. The walkers reported a 30 percent reduction in cravings. While this does not translate to a cure since the cravings eventually returned, exercise can be part of a cessation strategy.
Walk to quit
Women's Fish Consumption Steady, but Mercury Levels Dropping
A new government study shows that blood mercury levels in women of childbearing age have dropped by 34 percent. The EPA and the FDA issued a joint advisory in 2001 encouraging women to avoid species of fish that are high in mercury. While fish are healthy, mercury can be detrimental to a developing nervous system. The data show that fish consumption remains steady, but mercury levels dropped, indicating that women are getting the message about mercury in certain fish.
Go fish
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 Events |
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DECEMBER
DECEMBER 4 AWIS Central Ohio Chapter DECEMBER 5 AWIS Baltimore Chapter DECEMBER 6 Holiday Mixer AWIS Central Arizona Chapter DECEMBER 11 AWIS Webinar
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 Opportunities |
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2014-15 Postdoc Funding Opportunity in Women's Health and Sex Differences
The American Fund for Alternatives to Animal Research (AFAAR) and the New England Anti-Vivisection Society (NEAVS) are offering a $40,000 one year postdoctoral grant for 2014-15 (with possible renewal) to a woman committed to developing, validating, or using alternatives to animal methods in the investigation of women's health or sex differences. * In response to inquiries, NEAVS is extending the application deadline for our 2014-15 Fellowship Grant for Alternatives to Animal Research in Women's Health and Sex Differences. Applications are now being accepted until December 15th, 2013.
2014 Summer Transportation Internship Program for Diverse Groups
The Summer Transportation Internship Program for Diverse Groups (STIPDG) provides a unique opportunity to gain valuable professional experience and skills that will complement your academic pursuits. This hands-on program is designed to mentor and cultivate tomorrow's leaders, strengthen their understanding of the transportation industry and prepare them for future public service opportunities. Application Deadline: Selections may be made as applications are received, but typically do not occur until the application closes: December 31, 2013.
Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship
The Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship (SULI) program encourages undergraduate students to pursue science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers by providing research experiences at the Department of Energy (DOE) laboratories. Selected students participate as interns appointed at one of 15 participating DOE laboratories. They perform research, under the guidance of laboratory staff scientists or engineers, on projects supporting the DOE mission. Application deadline: January 10, 2014 at 5:00 pm EST.
The Department of Energy (DOE) Scholars Program
The DOE Scholars Program introduces students or recent college graduates to DOE's mission and operations. As a participant in the DOE Scholars Program, you will earn a competitive edge by familiarizing yourself with DOE functions while showcasing your education, talent and skills. Closes January 12, 2014.
Mickey Leland Energy Fellowship Program
The Mickey Leland Energy Fellowship (MLEF) Program, sponsored by the Office of Fossil Energy (FE), U.S. Department of Energy, is now accepting applications for a10-week summer internship. MLEF's mission is to improve opportunities for women and minority students majoring in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines, but all eligible candidates are encouraged to apply. The program allows students to apply their academic achievements to actual research while gaining hands-on experience. Application deadline: January 15, 2014.
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