tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76532579448828678922024-03-13T06:23:19.107-04:00iPhDgirl...my thoughts on the value of knowledge, PhD-holders, and the universities that create them.Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07555875290357860102noreply@blogger.comBlogger50125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7653257944882867892.post-38753830027623402922013-05-21T11:40:00.003-04:002013-05-21T11:40:35.100-04:00JOBS: Science Teaching Fellow
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Science Teaching Fellow</div>
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The Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (EBIO), at the University of Colorado, Boulder, invites applicants for the position of Science Teaching Fellow to assist with enhancing teaching and learning in our undergraduate courses. </div>
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Candidates should hold a doctoral degree in Biology, Biology Education or a related field and have excellent organizational, interpersonal communication, team building and collaboration skills. The candidate’s primary interest and some experience should be in science education. Experience in developing active learning curricula and coaching educators is highly desirable.</div>
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The successful candidate will collaborate with new faculty towards the following goals: formulate learning goals, develop an active learning-based curriculum that aligns with the learning goals, provide feedback on faculty teaching practices, and assess learning gains.</div>
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The salary for this 1-year appointment will be competitive and commensurate with experience. Applicants should submit a single pdf containing their CV, a statement of teaching philosophy, and the names, phone numbers, and email addresses of three individuals who can serve as references to <a href="mailto:am@colorado.edu"><span class="s1">am@colorado.edu</span></a>. To ensure full consideration, applications must be received by June 30, 2013.</div>
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The University of Colorado at Boulder is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Institution committed to cultural diversity and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Women and minorities encouraged to apply. We invite applications from qualified candidates who share our commitment to diversity. The University of Colorado conducts background checks on all final applicants being considered for employment.</div>
Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07555875290357860102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7653257944882867892.post-39228688499305131172013-05-16T13:56:00.000-04:002013-05-16T13:56:04.160-04:00Higher ed will be revamped in 15 yearsHi everyone!<br />
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Just quickly sharing a video <a href="http://www.reuters.com/video/2013/05/16/newsmaker-higher-ed-will-be-revamped-in?videoId=242836194&videoChannel=1" target="_blank">link</a> from Reuters. Larry Summers (former Harvard President and Treasury Secretary) shares his opinions on higher education and the inevitability its "transformation". Despite the fact that institutions of higher education tend to mightily resist change; he thinks that thanks to technology, Universities won't be able to help but evolve.<br />
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Enjoy!<br />
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<br />Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07555875290357860102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7653257944882867892.post-53829510503741596712013-05-15T11:37:00.000-04:002013-05-15T11:37:02.654-04:00Survey on LGBTQ in STEM
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Sharing this information about the site <a href="http://www.queerstem.org/" target="_blank">Queer in STEM</a>, which is launching a new survey. This systematic, nationwide survey seeks basic information about the work and lives of LGBTQ folks in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).</div>
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"In the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), the social experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, or queer (LGBTQ) professionals are often overlooked. Those of us who work in STEM research or teaching know that LGBTQ colleagues are out there, if we know where to look, but we know very little about the LGBTQ folks who work in STEM, as a group."</blockquote>
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More info and the survey link can be found <a href="http://www.queerstem.org/p/take-survey.html" target="_blank">here</a>. Spread the word!</div>
Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07555875290357860102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7653257944882867892.post-75906034842056701882013-04-30T12:06:00.002-04:002013-04-30T12:06:50.029-04:00IN THE NEWS: No shortage of US STEM TalentThe Washington Post <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/study-there-may-not-be-a-shortage-of-american-stem-graduates-after-all/2013/04/24/66099962-acea-11e2-a8b9-2a63d75b5459_story.html" target="_blank">reports</a> on a new <a href="http://www.epi.org/publication/bp359-guestworkers-high-skill-labor-market-analysis/" target="_blank">study</a> (titled: Guestworkers in the High-skill U.S. Labor Market: An analysis of supply, employment, and wage trends) that finds no shortage of domestic STEM talent. This study is limited to the IT sector and focuses on those with undergraduate degrees. While I believe that similar issues plague other STEM driven employment sectors, I'm a bit wary as to how the results of this study can be generalized so that the titles of the W.P. article and the study are warranted. Cheers!Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07555875290357860102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7653257944882867892.post-40569291428272779502013-04-29T18:22:00.001-04:002013-04-29T18:22:35.972-04:00The End of an Era: The Scientist Publishes it's 10th (and final) "Best Places to Work:Postdocs" Survey<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">After 10 years of giving voice to the workforce concerns of postdocs, <a href="http://www.the-scientist.com/images/April2013/top10.pdf" target="_blank">The Scientist</a> is calling it quits. (This year, the <a href="http://wi.mit.edu/people/postdoctoral" target="_blank">Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research</a> has set the standard of excellence.) Their claim is that a lot has changed since the first survey was taken in 2003. Most significantly, institutions take the compensation, quality of life, institutional support and mentoring concerns of postdocs far more seriously. The author acknowledges that many issues, like the lack of tenure track positions, "continue to stress the postdoctoral researcher," so they are not turning their back on the postdoctoral research community. It is just that addressing the basic financial and workplace needs of postdocs, the motivation for this survey, appears to be of less concern. Hopefully, the end of this survey and the publication of its results will not mark the end of an era--one where adequate consideration is given to the treatment of postdocs. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">This year's top ten (the top 25 are listed <a href="http://www.the-scientist.com/images/April2013/top10.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>):</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge-Sfeg_pD82ocWu25njhl5TPmAAzmUF5-ofuTVOvYw7ov6EZpzg1hBDbUOp7KKCpPBfJyyYg_yenkOAsqvw62Kks0vssAuJJVA1uphqhH7GgcI7q169D8lmvrO5rYv0qEle4Jq0MA3bgN/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-04-29+at+3.52.00+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge-Sfeg_pD82ocWu25njhl5TPmAAzmUF5-ofuTVOvYw7ov6EZpzg1hBDbUOp7KKCpPBfJyyYg_yenkOAsqvw62Kks0vssAuJJVA1uphqhH7GgcI7q169D8lmvrO5rYv0qEle4Jq0MA3bgN/s640/Screen+Shot+2013-04-29+at+3.52.00+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">In my next post, I'll review <a href="http://www.nationalpostdoc.org/images/stories/Documents/ADVANCEDocuments/From-PhD-to-Professoriate.pdf" target="_blank">From Ph.D. to Professoriate: The Role of the Institution in Fostering the Advancement of Postdoc Women</a>. </span></div>
Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07555875290357860102noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7653257944882867892.post-9207166565110421762013-04-11T14:39:00.001-04:002013-04-11T14:39:44.144-04:00Report finds lingering racism in British higher educationMy blog has been quiet for quite a while, but in an effort to revive my interest in higher education policy, I thought I'd simply post this Inside Higher Ed report which <a href="http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/04/11/report-finds-lingering-racism-british-higher-education#.UWcBwg2G3XQ.blogger" target="_blank">finds lingering racism in British higher education</a>. Not that there is anything shocking or surprising in this report...and certainly this is not unique to Great Britain. It just strikes much closer to home now that I have chosen to work at a University. I feel that the dilemma about what to do is much more personal... do I demand change or redouble my commitment to working "twice as hard"?Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07555875290357860102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7653257944882867892.post-3241026848336856422012-08-31T22:08:00.002-04:002012-08-31T22:08:52.210-04:00Talking about race…questioning identityDespite the lack of blog posts as proof, Pat and I have continued to talk about race… but committing those words to paper has been tricky. But we have agreed to talk struggle and write on…Believe us, this is harder than it looks!<br /><br />For this post, we’re reflecting—independently—on the concept of race and identity. As a Black female, I threw the question out there…which am I first? Or perhaps, how do I more strongly identify—as being Black or as being female. My thoughts on that question may have been interesting—but Pat, as she often does, flipped the issue on its head, and came up with a question technically equivalent, but still far more interesting.<br /><br />Basically, Pat asked if I could imagine Mitt Romney, Harry Reid, Bill Clinton (ha ha!), or Ryan Seacrest contemplating whether they are male or White first? While this question regarding race and identity seems highly relevant for me, I wonder what would drive a Caucasian male to ponder this. <br /><br />For me, I thought about my race and gender much more when I moved abroad. I found the experience “interesting” when I moved to Germany…There, I felt more defined by my being American. Although perceptions of my being Black and female were slightly different than how I’d grown up thinking about them—it still was not something that challenged me.<br /><br />China was a very different matter—these were topics that I agonized over regularly. Let's just say that I stood out... a lot; and I found it quite stressful. I had a tall blonde friend who told me that, on the street, people treated her the same way as they did me…but it didn’t bother her. By comparison, I knew other black women (regardless of nationality) who felt similarly as I did. <br /><br />Anyway, I could go into detail about this experience and my thoughts on it, but for now, I think my major point is that based on these experiences abroad, I do think that both my race and my gender are parts of my identity and that they are shaped by social structures and history. Choosing to challenge, question, or accept these parts of my identity depends on place, depends on the person I’m interacting with.<br /><br />Living abroad, I realized that people saw me differently (a simple fact) and I was forced more to draw on perhaps the deeper (and more true?) aspects of my personality (read identity?) to react and interact with these people who were strangers and culturally strange to me…while it wasn’t always pretty, it also could be fun and interesting.<br /><br />The environment where I live and the people I associate with are factors that I can’t control (even if I can to some extent choose where I live). I, of course, can’t choose my race, gender, etc. etc. etc. But thanks to my experiences, my race, and my gender, I am lucky to be challenged to question who I am and to contemplate the person that I want to project to the world. <br /><br /> Maybe Mitt isn’t as lucky...Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07555875290357860102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7653257944882867892.post-74525066827512149282012-06-11T16:22:00.002-04:002012-06-11T16:23:15.653-04:00Charles is Not Afraid to Talk About Race<a href="http://campaignstops.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/07/not-afraid-to-talk-about-race/" target="_blank">Campaign Stops: Not Afraid to Talk about Race</a> was just published today by New York Times columnist <a href="http://campaignstops.blogs.nytimes.com/author/charles-m-blow/" target="_blank">Charles M. Blow</a>. I thought it would be of interest given the recent focus of my blog. He discusses how race and political perceptions align and impact the vote.<br />
<br />Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07555875290357860102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7653257944882867892.post-27510255800628529102012-06-10T22:05:00.001-04:002012-06-10T22:08:39.100-04:00Protective hesitation...Shall we talk about something else?<br />
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When <a href="http://www.fairerscience.org/fs-blogs/2012/06/" target="_blank">Pat</a> and I first decided to
touch on this topic I was excited to explore issues of race and mentoring. Now
that the time has come to put pen to paper all I can think is “ugh!”<o:p></o:p></div>
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Am I suffering from writer’s block…
or is this some form of “protective hesitation?”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://chem-faculty.lsu.edu/mccarley/new/mccarley/TheTruthAboutMentoringMinorities.pdf" target="_blank">Thomas</a> introduces the concept of
protective hesitation as he outlines the challenges to effective mentoring. By
his account (and mine!), it seems that the biggest challenge is that people just
don’t know how to do it. Concerns about race make the difficult process of
mentoring harder.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Mentoring—at its most effective—is
both instructional and emotional. The author states, “purely instructional
mentoring was not sufficient; protégés needed to feel connected to their
mentors.” <o:p></o:p></div>
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Thomas highlights specific factors
that make cross-race mentoring relationships more fragile and promote a
phenomenon he calls “protective hesitation”. But why is protective hesitation so damaging
and what does this have to do about race?
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I suppose that having a racial
identity is no different than having any other sort—whether based on national
heritage, a common language, religion, gender, profession, family, sexuality
(and the list goes on and on). As individuals, we all must resolve multiple
identities both within ourselves and as we relate to others. Identifying with a
certain culture means that certain assumptions are accepted and adhered to and
we must all pick and choose the ones we hold most dear.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Race, although about more than skin color, rarely
requires a verbal revelation to allow others to start making certain
assumptions (whatever they may be). The color of one’s skin conveys complex cultures of expectation, expression, and attitude, but d<span style="line-height: 115%;">oes the obvious nature of race make it
harder to discover any nuance in its manifestation?</span></div>
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Moreover, challenging the assumptions and prejudices of others also
means challenging the assumptions about yourself (and the cohort you identify
with). Neither is particularly easy or fun and holds the real danger of being
counterproductive. <o:p></o:p></div>
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So perhaps protective hesitation
has a constructive purpose…but how to build constructive mentoring
relationships anyway? How do you address a mentee’s shortcomings without
racializing or much less over-personalizing it? I guess that’s what makes
mentoring so darned hard.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I’ve definitely been mentored far
more than I have mentored. As I’ve grown (or at least as time has passed), I
look harder for mentoring/advice regardless of who gives it. I’m also far more
cognizant of being one of the “few” who either is Black, female, or under 50 in
many of my professional circumstances. I try to change this by working hard to
succeed. So, I’ll take kind advice where I can and treasure the insights of
those friends and mentors with whom I particularly identify.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Still, this doesn’t mean that my
professional life isn’t plagued by insecurities, awkward conversations,
uncomfortable silences, and frequent irritations...but maybe I'm just insecure, awkward, nervous and irritable.<br />
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Honestly, I’d rather not talk about it.<o:p></o:p></div>Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07555875290357860102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7653257944882867892.post-11625306667037698332012-05-22T11:07:00.001-04:002012-05-22T12:37:04.093-04:00Myra Greene--Some of Her Best Friends are WhiteAs described in a feature by the <a href="http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/22/some-of-her-best-friends-are-white/?hp" target="_blank">New York Times</a>, here is how an African American photographer, Myra Greene, from New York has choosen to address issues of race in her life and in her work. In this piece, David Gonzalez quotes Greene as saying:<br />
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“I’m always thinking about race,” she said. “I recognize it when I’m the only black person in a room. My white friends will notice I’m the only black person, too. But they don’t notice a room full of white people.”</blockquote>
Enjoy the photographs and the sentiment.Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07555875290357860102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7653257944882867892.post-80744710684612282602012-05-21T17:22:00.000-04:002012-05-21T17:22:06.827-04:00Talking About Race, Gender and Mentoring<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Several
months ago two friends, one younger and Black, the other older</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">and White, start talking about race. Both
women have PhDs and share a</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">passion for science and a commitment to
diversity.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">The catalyst for</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">this conversation was David Thomas’ “The Truth
About Mentoring </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">Minorities:</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://chem-faculty.lsu.edu/mccarley/new/mccarley/TheTruthAboutMentoringMinorities.pdf" target="_blank">Race Matters</a>”,</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">originally published in April 2001 by the
Harvard Business Review.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The conversation has been periodic, punctuated
by weeks (months?) of </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">silence, but has remained focused on the
mentoring of doctoral</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;"> candidates since we are concerned greatly
about graduate education. </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">This is just the beginning and we are not able
to predict where the </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">conversation will lead. Periodically, we will be sharing on the</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;"> results of our conversations on each of our
blogs, <a href="http://www.fairerscience.org/fs-blogs/2012/05/" target="_blank">FairerScience</a> and </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">iPhDgirl.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">We thought we would start by writing a bit
about where we are coming from.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I (Pat) am a former college professor with a
strange hobby- I </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">voluntarily read and critique dissertation
proposals and drafts for </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">folks who haven’t been getting enough
guidance.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">Through the past 30 </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">years I’ve read dissertations from a lot of
folks, and almost all of </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">them have been white women or women and men of
color and I want to </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">know why.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">It’s easy to say racism or sexism or both but that’s </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">simplistic and not helpful.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">I want Andrea and me to dig deeper and </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">explore our own perspectives and those of
others- toward what is going </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">on with good and bad cross-race mentoring in
graduate school.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">I (Andrea) am a biophysicist by training and a
mischief-maker at </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">heart.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">Having left lab science for policy my career focus has shifted </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">to facilitating the practice of science--and
people are at this heart </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">of its practice. Academic science, in my
opinion, seems to have a talent management problem. My perspectives on and
interests in this topic are personal, intellectual, and professional. </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">One
key area to explore is that of graduate recruitment and
"education".</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">Why the </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">focus on gender or race? Well, as a Black
female it is somewhat </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">personal. By many measures attempts to achieve
diversity in the </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">academic ranks has been a failure. But then
again, although I'm not an </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">academic or a researcher, I don't feel that
I've failed. Moreover, I know that </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">my educational outcome is indistinct from that
of so many doctoral </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">students (regardless of race and gender). So
perhaps it's narcissism, </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">perhaps it's intellectual curiosity, perhaps
it's determination to </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">"make things right". Still, I need
to decide what significance I can </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">take from my own experience, from that of
others, and from the data. </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">As with everything in life, race does matter.
So does gender.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">But </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">does it have to be a hindrance to anyone or a
roadblock to </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">achievement?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">We (Pat and Andrea) are looking forward for
our first “real” post and hope you will join </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">the conversation.</span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07555875290357860102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7653257944882867892.post-36159614450078914392012-02-29T23:11:00.002-05:002012-02-29T23:11:53.227-05:00Opportunity: Apply to PhD Pipeline Program--Extended deadlineI was just made aware of the PhD Pipeline Program. The application deadline has been extended to March 15, 2012. Here is a description taken directly from the <a href="http://www.phdpipeline.org/">website</a>:<br />
<br /><br /><b>PhD Pipeline Opportunity Program</b><br /><br />The Ph.D. Pipeline Opportunity Program “Ph.D. Pipeline” is supported by a grant from the US Department of Education’s Fund for the Improvement of Post-Secondary Education (FIPSE) to assist under-represented minorities to qualify for and to acquire doctoral degrees in business disciplines. The PhD Pipeline includes partnerships with an increasing number of business schools to establish a national model which involves academic-year activities at each participating institution as well as a two-week summer workshop at the Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. This program represents a bold, new collaborative model for leading business schools to address an issue of vital economic impact, and includes capacity-building initiatives at selected Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) to more effectively and systematically encourage and equip under-represented student populations for doctoral study in business disciplines.<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Visit this link to <a href="http://www.phdpipeline.org/scholars/become-a-scholar/">apply</a>. Good luck!<br /><br /><br /><br /></div>Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07555875290357860102noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7653257944882867892.post-78506812024168739532012-02-29T19:12:00.002-05:002012-03-02T12:43:30.472-05:00Diversity in Science Carnival #13: Black History Month--Celebrating Our Future<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.minoritypostdoc.org/view/bloggers.html#carnival" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzUEFVWBuWD0arOelDQho-OxuNKFLG2yFUmsvqf1PxfIM3ccyZoKXTzIAy9-nPw2lCu4uOonsy5wBKbUjxksmtW5y1zGrPWqxMmuJq_3WSOteKa9zqU2R0u-goBcAwcYrjJyQLAg6vizR8/s1600/DiSBadge_150.png" /></b></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>The <a href="http://www.minoritypostdoc.org/view/bloggers.html#carnival">Diversity in Science Carnival</a>.</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Celebrating Black Scientists Past, Present, and Future</b><br />
<br />
Welcome to the 13th DiS Carnival! This is the third carnival celebrated during Black History Month (the first two, DiS <a href="http://urban-science.blogspot.com/2010/02/diversity-in-science-carnival-7-black.html">#7</a> and <a href="http://urban-science.blogspot.com/2009/02/diversity-in-science-1-black-history.html">#1</a> are here). <br />
<br />
In 1976, under President Gerald Ford, February also became known as Black History Month. For 50 years prior, "Negro History" was commemorated during the second week of the second month of each year. Dr. Carter G. <a href="http://www.asalh.org/woodsonbiosketch.html">Woodson</a> (1875-1950), known as the Father of Black History, was dedicated to studying and disseminating information about black life, history and culture. Many celebrate Black History, but the struggle to bring more scientists into the fold of popular black history continues. Following in this tradition, I would like to celebrate and engage Black scientists as community role models, leaders, and citizens. <br />
<br />
<b>Projecting Our Image</b><br />
<div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimjOfU9d0-qkIRaLqbEnRo3f0jGYJqQ7KFWzsprt0d_gu48wQGE6-I_uAGfFe2NCZNUu2_BX4Icg-7-04tvm49KvzmEVLNs-NT4QfVM9JUcUPL-fEUH4k6G-OY2W5OaB5qxvjOxgM7SGMY/s1600/Mad4ScienceB4andAfter.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimjOfU9d0-qkIRaLqbEnRo3f0jGYJqQ7KFWzsprt0d_gu48wQGE6-I_uAGfFe2NCZNUu2_BX4Icg-7-04tvm49KvzmEVLNs-NT4QfVM9JUcUPL-fEUH4k6G-OY2W5OaB5qxvjOxgM7SGMY/s320/Mad4ScienceB4andAfter.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How does a child picture a scientist? (Photo credit:<a href="http://mad4science.wordpress.com/2009/05/19/what-does-a-scientist-look-like/">Mad4Science</a>)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Thankfully, more and more people are <a href="http://www.utne.com/Science-Technology/What-Does-A-Scientist-Look-Like.aspx">challenging</a> us to combat the stereotypical images of scientists (this <a href="http://mad4science.wordpress.com/2009/05/19/what-does-a-scientist-look-like/">Mad4Science</a> has some additional "before and after" drawings from children along the lines of the images above). Also please look at Mariette DiChristina's <a href="http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=what-a-scientist-looks-like">article</a> on the <a href="http://www.scientificamerican.com/section.cfm?id=interactive-features">Scientific American</a> website (and please check out the featured profile of Eunice Nuekie Cofie, President and Chief Cosmetic Chemist of Nuekie, Inc., who also shared this article with me). I love these efforts, but I still feel there aren't enough Black faces being put forth as direct challenges to the predominate <a href="http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21128290.200-media-presenter-unshakeable-stereotypes-of-science.html">stereotypes</a>--we need more than glamorous head shots--we want scientists in action! So please, submit your photos and your stories <a href="http://lookslikescience.tumblr.com/">here</a> and <a href="http://iamsciencestories.tumblr.com/">here</a>!<br />
<br />
<b>Thinking back...</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1xToAGqTgpm3etsZq9Nk6E451Hrdx9XIq2DCtIOBkDMYpMK_bH1PUFkZ6f1-U-N4zfw_hSAH_t-T-5xn8vduIBHhHH4ccWOOKXM6Zt6mHZ17cFqCEo-qAEUmrQS_rd-6l8UyDCXHPbCxs/s1600/stith_james_c2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1xToAGqTgpm3etsZq9Nk6E451Hrdx9XIq2DCtIOBkDMYpMK_bH1PUFkZ6f1-U-N4zfw_hSAH_t-T-5xn8vduIBHhHH4ccWOOKXM6Zt6mHZ17cFqCEo-qAEUmrQS_rd-6l8UyDCXHPbCxs/s320/stith_james_c2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">James H. Stith (left) showing a cadet how to use equipment <br />
during a physics class. This photo was taken at the U.S.<br />
Military Academy at West Point, NY.<br />
(Photo Credit: <a href="http://photos.aip.org/index.jsp">AIP Emilio Segre Visual Archives</a>) </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
In developing and reading material for this carnival, I got to thinking that as a minority scientist, I've been lucky to have many role models. Here are the names of minority scientists that have influenced, assisted, and impressed me:<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://web.physics.udel.edu/about/directory/faculty/barbara-williams">Barbara Williams</a>, Physicist </li>
<li><a href="http://www.awg.org/eas/profiles/suiter.html">Marilyn Suiter</a>, Geoscientist</li>
<li><a href="https://college.lclark.edu/faculty/members/tuajuanda_jordan/">Tuajuanda Jordan</a>, Biochemist</li>
<li><a href="http://www.aip.org/aip/stith.html">James Stith</a>, Physicist (and my dad)</li>
<li><a href="http://iom.edu/Staff/Adrienne-Stith-Butler.aspx">Adrienne Stith Butler</a>, Clinical Psychologist (and my sister)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.linkedin.com/pub/thomas-smith/24/a97/426">Thomas Smith</a>, Biochemist</li>
<li><a href="http://www.greenvillemed.sc.edu/Reuben.shtml">Jayne Reuben</a>, Pharmacologist</li>
</ul>
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Think back and reach out to scientists that have guided and influenced you!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Andrea Stith with Joe Francisco, a past<br />
president of the American Chemical Society.</td></tr>
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<b>Knowing Your History</b><br />
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I'm not sure if it's just me, but when I think of history, I think of books--heavy, thick, and dusty ones at that. Recently, I was reminded upon meeting Dr. Joseph Francisco that you can learn valuable lessons from someone else's personal history...you just need to <a href="http://phdforlife.blogspot.com/2012/02/chance-encounters.html">ask</a>! <br />
<br />
There are some online resources, that give the stories of well-regarded scientists. The National Academy of Science has its <a href="http://nas.nasonline.org/site/PageServer?pagename=AAHP_Austin">African American History Program</a> which began over 25 years ago as a staff initiative. It is now expanded to include an online database of African American citizens of the United States who have made significant contributions in science, engineering, or medicine. Here are some biographies from <a href="http://www.biography.com/people/groups/scientists/african-american/famous-black-scientists/">biography.com</a> and here is one for the <a href="http://kids.yahoo.com/directory/Around-the-World/Countries/United-States/Cultures-and-Traditions/African-American/Biographies/Scientists">kids</a>! <br />
<br />
But as I found out in my <a href="http://phdforlife.blogspot.com/2012/02/black-history-and-history-of-science.html">interview</a> featured on <a href="http://phdforlife.blogspot.com/">PhDforLife</a> with Dr. Gregory Good, a science historian at the Center for the History of Physics, recording the lives and accomplishments of scientists is crucial because it "gives a face to science." You don't have to be a historian to do this--he recommends ways that YOU can get involved in making sure papers and photos are archived, departmental records saved and oral histories recorded. Also see this <a href="http://phdforlife.blogspot.com/2012/02/more-on-center-for-history-of-physics.html">post</a> if you think you may want to become a historian of science!<br />
<br />
<b>Celebrating Excellence</b><br />
<br />
Thanks to everyone who submitted links to excellent black scientists. Specifically, Jennifer Michalowski at Howard Hughes Medical Institute shared the web pages for HHMI <a href="http://www.hhmi.org/research/ecs/">Early Career Scientists</a> <a href="http://www.hhmi.org/research/ecs/deboseboyd_bio.html">Russell A. DeBose-Boyd</a> and <a href="http://www.hhmi.org/research/ecs/mooret_bio.html">Tirin Moore</a>, and HHMI <a href="http://www.hhmi.org/research/investigators/">Investigator</a> <a href="http://www.hhmi.org/research/investigators/jarvis_bio.html">Erich D. Jarvis</a>. I'd also like to share the profiles of HHMI <a href="http://www.hhmi.org/grants/professors/">Professors</a> <a href="http://www.hhmi.org/grants/professors/andersonw_bio.html">Winston A. Anderson</a> and <a href="http://www.hhmi.org/grants/professors/warner_bio.html">Isiah M. Warner</a>. Here also is a link to the <a href="http://www.hhmi.org/news/gilliam20110301b.html">2011</a> class of <a href="http://www.hhmi.org/grants/individuals/gilliam.html">HHMI Gilliam Fellows</a>. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption">HHMI affiliated scentists Andreson, Moore, Jarvis, DeBose-Boyd, and Warner. Photo credit: Howard Hughes Medical Institute.</td></tr>
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The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology also submitted this <a href="http://www.asbmb.org/asbmbtoday/asbmbtoday_article.aspx?id=15938">roundup</a> of some of the interviews <a href="http://www.asbmb.org/asbmbtoday/asbmbtoday_homepage.aspx?id=15738">ASBMB Today</a> has done with its Black members (like Namandje <a href="http://www.asbmb.org/Page.aspx?id=13212">Bumpus</a>, Marion <a href="http://www.asbmb.org/Page.aspx?id=13228">Sewer</a>, and Heather <a href="http://www.asbmb.org/asbmbtoday/asbmbtoday_article.aspx?id=11132">Pinkett</a>). In recognition of Black History Month <a href="http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/urban-scientist/">DNLee</a> pays <a href="http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/urban-scientist/2012/02/23/black-green-the-new-intergration-5-names-in-urban-ecology-you-should-know/">tribute</a> to five urban ecologists that we all should know. Also, check out the <a href="http://www.thehistorymakers.com/">HistoryMakers</a> website--their archive is growing by the day!<br />
<br />
In his post <a href="http://scientopia.org/blogs/guestblog/2011/12/01/always-bet-on-black/">Always Bet on Black</a> <a href="http://scientopia.org/blogs/guestblog/author/bashir/">bashir</a> points out that Blacks have achieved many notable "firsts". And indeed there are many excellent Black scientists! But we can't grow complacent now that we've named our first Black U.S. President. We must focus on an achievement that still eludes us-- that of the first Black scientist to win a Nobel prize in physics, chemistry, or medicine. Thanks to <a href="http://www.minoritypostdoc.org/view/about.html">Alberto Roca</a> for pointing out that:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
An African American from Detroit, <a href="http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1950/bunche-article.html">Dr. Ralph J. Bunche</a> (political scientist) was the first black man to receive the distinguished Peace Prize (1950) for his work as a United Nations mediator, and <a href="http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/economics/laureates/1979/">Sir William Arthur Lewis</a>, received the 1979 Economics Prize.</blockquote>
I also agree with Alberto that another worthy milestone would be a Black president of the <a href="http://www7.nationalacademies.org/archives/presidents_and_chairmen.html">National Academy of Sciences</a>. <br />
<br />
<b>Pursuing Excellence and Celebrating Our Passion</b><br />
<br />
Thanks to everyone who submitted links that depict the passion that many African Americans have for science and strive to share. Here is <a href="http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/Miami-Marine-Biologist-Follows-Passion-for-the-Ocean-140421033.html">one</a> about Daniell Washington, a marine biologist who is also the CEO of her own <a href="http://www.thebigblueandyou.com/">foundation</a> dedicated to inspiring young people and educating them about the importance of the ecosystem protecting the marine environment. <br />
<br />
Equally passionate about the environment is Dr. Gillian Bowser. A native of Brooklyn, she is now a research scientist in Colorado, leading many efforts to involve students in ecology. She knows that nature itself <a href="http://phdforlife.blogspot.com/2012/02/guest-post-you-go-girl-diversifying.html">thrives</a> on diversity and so does science! Here is the <a href="http://scienceblogs.com/terrasig/2010/06/jason_dorsette_scholar_leader.php">story</a> from <a href="http://scienceblogs.com/terrasig/">Terrasig</a> of Jason Dorsette, a scholar, leader, and inspiration!<br />
<br />
Also thanks to DNLee for making me aware of a <a href="http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/urban-scientist/2012/02/26/iamscience-charlette-clark-geologist/">guest</a> post to her blog <a href="http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/urban-scientist/">The Urban Scientist</a> by her good friend and Sister in Science Charlotte Clark, a geologist. Charlotte describes her journey to becoming a scientist. In <a href="http://www.blackgivesback.com/2012/02/brilliant-beautiful-black-female.html">Brilliant & Beautiful: Black Female Chemists Promote Science Careers Among Women of Color</a> we learn of two entrepreneurial women who made sure they had a way to <a href="http://www.brilliantandbeautiful.org/">give back</a>. <br />
<br />
Many thanks to the University of Washington <a href="http://students.washington.edu/sacnas/Welcome.html">chapter</a> of <a href="http://sacnas.org/">SACNAS</a> (Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science) for submitting two posts celebrating Black History month. The <a href="http://uwsacnas.wordpress.com/2012/02/23/student-spotlight-keon-vereen/">first</a> provides an excellent discussions of African Americans in the US, at UW, in higher education, and in STEM. The <a href="http://uwsacnas.wordpress.com/2012/02/25/guest-blog-the-scientist-of-yesterday-today-tomorrow/">second</a> is a guest post called "The Scientist of Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow" by Keon Vereen, an aerospace engineering doctoral student. In it he talks about the influences that have enabled his science journey and relates what he believes the future holds.<br />
<br />
<b>Celebrating our Future</b><br />
<br />
We are on a<a href="http://phdforlife.blogspot.com/2012/02/quest-for-excellence.html"> Quest for Excellence</a>. This was the theme of the Symposium on Supporting Underrepresented Minority Males in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics held on February 28th at the NASA headquarters. In her speech Congresswoman <a href="http://ebjohnson.house.gov/">Eddie Bernice Johnson</a> (D-TX) remarked that while every child won’t go to the moon, we need to make sure that each and every one believes they can. Better yet, I believe that if we teach them their History, they will KNOW they can.<br />
<br />
Here is a short list of organizations, resources and programs (please comment to add to this list!) that can help make this dream possible:<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.nsbp.org/">National Society of Black Physicists</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.nsbe.org/default.aspx">National Society of Black Engineers</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.faseb.org/Marc/MARC-and-Professional-Development.aspx">FASEB MARC</a></li>
<li>HHMI <a href="http://www.hhmi.org/grants/pdf/info_book/2012gilliam_brochure.pdf">Gilliam</a> Fellowships for Advanced Study</li>
<li><a href="http://www.begellhouse.com/journals/00551c876cc2f027.html">Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.qem.org/">Quality Education for Minorities</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.abrcms.org/index.html">Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students</a></li>
<li><a href="http://community.sciencecareers.org/myscinet/">MySciNet</a> </li>
</ul>
<br />
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<br />
March is Women's History Month and DiS Carnival #14 will explore the role of women in the enterprise of STEM. It will be hosted at <a href="http://doublexscience.blogspot.com/">Double X Science</a> - bring science to the woman in you. Emily WIllingham, co-founder of the blog community will serve as editor.</div>
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</div>Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07555875290357860102noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7653257944882867892.post-2012270394217033262012-02-29T11:27:00.001-05:002012-02-29T11:27:30.857-05:00Quest for Excellence<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsVltVFN9W5i_zrjuSIrOh5ZfUxlxTqDTGBWGhwI68BmQ7YAmfWez4nKSGCeu_XNEQzXgXq2qfeH3l_OGghTgnwz1VNVAUSL3lEecY1PV3yFIwrhLrhh-2l19lBsiTDH6HTEMQTm3USoXw/s1600/MMSI+report+cover" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsVltVFN9W5i_zrjuSIrOh5ZfUxlxTqDTGBWGhwI68BmQ7YAmfWez4nKSGCeu_XNEQzXgXq2qfeH3l_OGghTgnwz1VNVAUSL3lEecY1PV3yFIwrhLrhh-2l19lBsiTDH6HTEMQTm3USoXw/s200/MMSI+report+cover" width="154" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This report can be <br />downloaded <a href="http://www.aplu.org/document.doc?id=3680">here</a>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Hi all! I wanted to let you know the release of <a href="http://www.aplu.org/document.doc?id=3680">The Quest for Excellence</a>: Supporting the Academic Success of Minority Males in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Disciplines. The authors are Ivory A. Toldson, Ph.D. and Lorenzo L. Esters, Ed.D., and the report was published by The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) with the support of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. The report was released yesterday at the <a href="https://www.aplu.org/sslpage.aspx?pid=2274">Symposium on Supporting Underrepresented Minority Males in STEM Disciplines</a> held at NASA headquarters. Here are links to the <a href="http://www.aplu.org/document.doc?id=3682">agenda</a>, a PowerPoint <a href="http://www.aplu.org/document.doc?id=3683">presentation</a>, and the <a href="http://www.aplu.org/sslpage.aspx?pid=1845">Minority Male STEM Initiative</a>.Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07555875290357860102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7653257944882867892.post-48681185342456683562012-02-29T10:36:00.000-05:002012-02-29T10:39:10.425-05:00Chance EncountersAt a <a href="http://www.cpe.vt.edu/avhkolleg_networks/agenda.html">meeting</a> I attended last week, I had the good fortune to meet Dr. Joseph Francisco, William E. Moore Distinguished Professor—Physical Chemistry, at Purdue University. I thought that I would take a quick moment to introduce him to you!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUjYH6l8nXM6Ox9SFAE9ZKKtQn-g91S9b-DQWgsSZDxdHA1iYs6wCiGeZPn_g-RkiCUy3AuSm0qbpsiIPXnju-39sLWoY1nW7ppArZLMURClwbUXNJXn6jhhxF_uXq3T0wE8ApyCkSp_oW/s1600/IMAG0309.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUjYH6l8nXM6Ox9SFAE9ZKKtQn-g91S9b-DQWgsSZDxdHA1iYs6wCiGeZPn_g-RkiCUy3AuSm0qbpsiIPXnju-39sLWoY1nW7ppArZLMURClwbUXNJXn6jhhxF_uXq3T0wE8ApyCkSp_oW/s320/IMAG0309.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
From his <a href="http://www.eas.purdue.edu/people/faculty/francisco.php">website</a> you can see that he is very good at what he does (in addition to his academic accomplishments, he has held many honors including President of the National Organization of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers, an Alexandar von Humboldt Research Award for Senior U.S. Scientists, a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and President of the American Chemical Society). But as he shared his <a href="http://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/purduetoday/general/2010/100726_J-Francisco.html">story</a>, I was more struck by how his journey through life and as a scientist was catalyzed. <br />
<br />
It was through a chance encounter outside of his house. He is fully aware that had he waited a few more minutes to walk out the door, he may have missed the stranger standing on the sidewalk. We all know that achievement doesn't come without a lot of hard work, but he readily admits that luck and the ability to build and maintain mentoring relationships helped him realize his potential. I feel lucky to have met him and plan not to forget the lesson that his life has taught me! <br />
<br />Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07555875290357860102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7653257944882867892.post-35066606079530450472012-02-28T01:28:00.001-05:002012-02-28T01:28:15.915-05:00More on the Center for History of Physics and Becoming a Science Historian<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<!--StartFragment-->
This blog post provides some additional information that resulted from my <a href="http://phdforlife.blogspot.com/2012/02/black-history-and-history-of-science.html">conversation</a> with Dr. Gregory Good of the Center for the History of Physics.<br />
<br />
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<br /></div>
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<b>How does your Center interact with the public? </b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Usually it is professional historians, science writers,
journalists, and producers (NoVA, BBC, American experience) and some
scientists that stop by. The Center mostly interacts with the public through the websites. Much of
the website content is found through through Google searches—their aim is to
have content appear on first age of hits.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i>Using their content: </i><o:p></o:p></div>
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For education use content on web is fair use… go ahead. They
draw the line at commercial publishers. 23,000 of 30,000 images are online. The
low resolution thumbnails are good enough for PowerPoint and blog use. For high
res images there is a no charge, but there is a handling fee (to cover staff
time).<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>How do you become a professional science historian?</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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For his generation his path is typical—he was an undergraduate
science major who moved in to the history of science as a doctoral student.
Today many first graduate in history and move into history of science. There
are pros and cons to both pathways as the older generation of science
historians are less used to social/cultural/political issues and the younger
generations have a less clear understanding of what science is doing. But they
complement each other. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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One interesting tidbit is that Brazil is a top producer of
physics historians, and as in Europe the disciplinary historians tend to hold
their academic appointments in the science departments (rather than in a
department of history).<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Also, he wants to remind you that it’s not just the people who
are important to study. Things of current scientific relevance might have been
undervalued in years past. What “old folks” have done is not necessarily throw
away science since old data can be useful in various contexts. For example, in
April a conference will be held at the AIP building about the preservation of
glass plate negatives (American Astronomical Society wants to preserve them). Another example is that O<sub>2</sub> readings
from 2<sup>nd</sup> polar year are very useful today (80 years later)… you never
know!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Where can you study history of science? </b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Mostly graduate programs are available… only a few have
bachelors programs. Probably 100 grad
schools with history or science can do minor. A few he listed are:<o:p></o:p></div>
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Harvard, Minnesota, Wisconsin-Madison, Indiana, Toronto,
York University (Canada), and UPenn. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>What made you decide to become a historian?</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Change in field was quixotic. He was physics major at a liberal
arts school. Philosophy classes introduced him to “old dead scientists,” and
this struck a chord and he decided to divert his study from astronomy to give
history of science a try. He didn’t know the field’s potential, but it resonated
and has worked for him.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Where do science historians work?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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They work in academia (actually less than 12%... similar to physics
overall), government, museums, private research firms (history associates),
branches of military (Naval Research Lab and Army Corps of Engineers each have science
historians), and many also end up in academic administration.<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07555875290357860102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7653257944882867892.post-57052954351060229742012-02-28T01:22:00.001-05:002012-02-29T11:29:12.701-05:00Black History and the History of Science: A Conversation with Dr. Gregory Good<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXeRoN7z7YBctoQgnGkmS8En3YZYPsb6ayPWiY8JrzXrUbJZ4xCJ1eo8ZJCVrB8lIs1Q8PvDkZUZEi00aHICXeowmr5bvycPj2W9XrI_03na3yfSH7d3PkUCEqfNnGhzp-c97tmpd6Fxa8/s1600/Good+in+the+trees.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXeRoN7z7YBctoQgnGkmS8En3YZYPsb6ayPWiY8JrzXrUbJZ4xCJ1eo8ZJCVrB8lIs1Q8PvDkZUZEi00aHICXeowmr5bvycPj2W9XrI_03na3yfSH7d3PkUCEqfNnGhzp-c97tmpd6Fxa8/s200/Good+in+the+trees.jpg" width="149" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr. Good snowshoeing. <br />
Here is a great example <br />
of a Physicist and Historian<br />
in action! (Photo courtesy of <br />
Gregory Good.)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
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This post is a the result of a conversation I had with Dr.
Gregory Good, The Spencer Weart Director, <a href="http://www.aip.org/history/">Center for History of Physics</a>,
<a href="http://www.aip.org/">American Institute of Physics</a> (AIP).</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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I approached Dr. Good because I was curious to know much is
known about Black History and the History of Science. I know we learn of individual Black
Scientists and their contributions, but is it possible to study their
contributions and struggles as they have been studied in American culture
(example: at <a href="http://www.yale.edu/afamstudies/">Yale Unviersity</a>)
and American history (example: the <a href="http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/blacks-civil-war/">Civil War</a>). <o:p></o:p></div>
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A Google search on History of Blacks in science pulled up
this <a href="http://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/tracer-bullets/blacksinscitb.html">list
of references</a> from the Library of Congress.
Still it was Dr. Good’s impression that the History of Blacks in Science
is largely unexplored territory and a subject that he hopes will catch fire. A problem, he says, is that there are not very
many historians of science and many of them are working on a book of fairly
narrow focus. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijebiVNVZzBfBs0CrP9HgzItBiL-Q06_YhAGQfqMI3jMOb9Uu3_MGxHIy2BY2ORoN6VanuumFP4Dt_ry9ofA4ctaWRPTX5r7x5GHXc57pDSD9svuWsiJwutdvuPQyDw5UFTs_q-AgYvg6k/s1600/BobEllisImage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijebiVNVZzBfBs0CrP9HgzItBiL-Q06_YhAGQfqMI3jMOb9Uu3_MGxHIy2BY2ORoN6VanuumFP4Dt_ry9ofA4ctaWRPTX5r7x5GHXc57pDSD9svuWsiJwutdvuPQyDw5UFTs_q-AgYvg6k/s320/BobEllisImage.jpg" width="237" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">This is the photo of Bob Ellis from the <br />
archived at the Center for the History of <br />
Physics. Ellis is discussed <br />
in Abigail Foerstner’s "James Van Allen: <br />
The First Eight Billion Miles," and also in <br />
George Ludwig’s Opening Space Research. <br />
George says that Bob Ellis single-handedly <br />
integrated the US Navy officers mess on <br />
one of his research trips, since a civilian <br />
could not be made to sleep with the crew!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) Committee on Minorities in Physics has taken on the history of HBCUs as its long range project. Also, the incoming AAPT president has challenged us to feature an exhibit on the topic at the 2013 winter meeting in New Orleans. <br />
<br />
Dr. Good is also researching one African American physicist
named <a href="http://www.math.buffalo.edu/mad/physics/ellis-roberta.html">Dr. Robert Anderson Ellis.</a> Dr. Ellis died in 1989, and Good actually
began his study based on his interest in the science topic rather than in the
man himself. Ellis was an undergraduate
at Tennessee A&T and went to Yale for his Master’s. He received his PhD at
Iowa working with James van Allen who is known for discovering the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_Allen_radiation_belt">Van Allen
radiation belt</a>. Ellis was a contributor to this team discovery and also worked
on one of the first serious controlled fusion experiments. The work is well known, but many historians
don’t realize he was African American.<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
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For some great information about Blacks in science visit a Web
page by Scott Williams (Math at SUNY
buffalo), although it has not been updated in a while. The page is called <a href="http://www.math.buffalo.edu/mad/physics/index.html">Physicists of African
Diaspora</a>. There are also links to articles, as well as to African American
mathematicians and computer scientists. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>How can history help science?</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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This is also very important to specifically promote Black
history. Science education in general needs black history as it puts human face
on science. Teaching from first principles doesn’t resonate with everyone and
doesn’t do much to strike imagination. In fact he feels it appeals to very few
even of the scientifically inclined.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In general, we need to insert stories and promote role
models. Other ways to excite is to get hands dirty. Students should not be
penalized for not getting results. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Teachers hard pressed to get their day job done—so they need
help.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In past AIP has done FaceBook and Twitter feeds to celebrate
Black History Month. But another way he could help would be to collect material
to put together a permanent Web exhibit about African Americans, Women,
Hispanics in physics, that are featured at opportune times. <o:p></o:p></div>
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It is really import to try and prevent more papers from
African American scientists getting lost.
In the past they have solicited HBCUs and others for materials, but they
need more. One lucky discovery was the
papers of a Black scientist that ended up at a public library in Houston. Prior
to this find, he never would have thought to look at a public library for such
papers.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I asked him that if historians are doing the work—what can a
non-historian do to spread the word? He suggests that if know black physicist
that you do an oral history interview. He encourages everyone to seek out the personal
papers of Black physicists—they can be invaluable. Although AIP mostly archives papers that
relate directly to AIP, they will act as an intermediary and help find a good
home for the papers. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><o:p> </o:p>What can you do?</b></div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li>Interview and uncle, aunt, grandparent, teacher, friend who is a scientist;</li>
<li> <a href="http://www.aip.org/history/contact.jsp">Contact</a> Dr. Good. He is willing to act as nerve center by helping with oral histories, interviews, and getting them transcribed and archived;</li>
<li>Collect all that you can find. Oral histories, photographs (hopefully more action shots than head shots), manuscripts, autobiographies, and department histories (these aren’t interesting to read, but they are critical to historians…can open important doors);</li>
<li>Volunteer with the Center for History of Physics. You can be anywhere in the world. Amateur or not-- the more the merrier. They can help you learn; and</li>
<li>Look at AIP Neils Bohr library <a href="http://www.aip.org/history/nbl/">website</a>. It has an international catalogue of sources that has information for 9000 individual collections archived 900 institutions around the world.</li>
</ul>
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Dr. Good remarked that “science and history are both good at
predicting the past,” so I suggest that if you think something is important NOW
go after it and make sure it gets recorded and noticed!<o:p></o:p></div>Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07555875290357860102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7653257944882867892.post-72818196071125361952012-02-27T22:57:00.001-05:002012-02-29T10:46:53.064-05:00Guest Post--You Go Girl! Diversifying the Nature of Ecology<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjycKlZ_wUWEily44alMaxN5G8P-C6rNTxa4HDk4qrICPHZuC8JKeCfSl45wn8-9WvWClTzeNgNkbzqGKqUZqEYh10vzRqpgJBapfUp6j_U4Rgwb5Nwhf-_Kzxnhp499BEMJPiuuCkOpFHY/s1600/photo+MAE+and+Gillian+Ecology+Post.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjycKlZ_wUWEily44alMaxN5G8P-C6rNTxa4HDk4qrICPHZuC8JKeCfSl45wn8-9WvWClTzeNgNkbzqGKqUZqEYh10vzRqpgJBapfUp6j_U4Rgwb5Nwhf-_Kzxnhp499BEMJPiuuCkOpFHY/s400/photo+MAE+and+Gillian+Ecology+Post.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr. Bowser (left) with NASA astronaut <a href="http://www.drmae.com/">Dr. Mae Jamison</a>. Both were <a href="http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2011/02/156814.htm">public delegates</a> at the 2011 UN <a href="http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/csw/55sess.htm">Commission on the Status of Women</a>. (Photo courtesy of Dr. Gillian Bowser.)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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This entry was submitted by Dr. Gillian Bowser, a research scientist at <a href="http://www.nrel.colostate.edu/">Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory</a>, at Colorado State University. She is the lead on a National Science Foundation grant called the <a href="http://nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward.do?AwardNumber=1140182">Global Women Scholars Network in Sustainability</a>. This <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Draft-2-GWSN-Mission-Statement-4185490.S.83271200?qid=8fcccb96-8343-4ef6-8b91-d9e667a44b84&trk=group_most_recent_rich-0-b-ttl&goback=%2Egmr_4185490">network</a> strives to promote women and girls in the sciences related to sustainability. Additionally, she is a leader in the <a href="http://rmssn.com/">Rocky Mountain Sustainability and Science Network</a> (RMSSN) that brings together federal and state agencies, academic institutions, and non-profit organizations to collaborate in research relevant to sustainability. RMSSN is also committed to developing a diverse population of student-leaders who can address the many issues surrounding the management and use of public lands.</div>
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Dr. Bowser's contribution:</div>
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As a female African American Ecologist from Brooklyn, New
York, I can count the number of ecologists who look like me on one hand—and not
even need to use my thumb. Ecology has
long been the field of nature lovers and wilderness seekers and yet has spectacularly
failed to attract diverse people.
“Minorities don’t like the wilderness” one of my colleagues declares as
we are busy digging out our four-wheel drive vehicle in a remote corner of
Great Sand Dunes National Park. “Black
people don’t like the cold…” another
colleague announces as we snowshoe up a canyon in Rocky Mountain National
Park. “Maybe they [black people] are
just too urban” a professor suggests as we trek across a moon lit plateau in
Grand Teton National Park. “Ecology is
about nature and black people don’t like the woods—remember whole lotta trees
and rope is cheap” a friend confides as we herd an enthusiastic group of
teenagers through the woods looking for insects. Ecology, it seems, is determined to be a
field about the processes of nature and to remain remarkably un-diverse.<o:p></o:p></div>
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However, I see hope for my chosen discipline. Yet that hope
comes at the great costs of the greatest environmental threat facing
humankind—climate change and environmental sustainability. To address climate change, we need to engage
the global populations in looking for sustainable solutions and those solutions
will require social, community and environmental expertise all in one. Suddenly, or so it seems, ecology has to
include community and sustainability as a field speaks to all about the
environment in a way that “pure” ecology has yet to achieve. <o:p></o:p></div>
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To Celebrate Black History Month and African Americans in
Science, I want to shout out to the youth.
The African American students interested in science today want to save
the world for their communities and ecology is just one of the tools that they
need in their toolkit for the task. I
now have students applying to my lab because we have a grant in women and sustainability
and these students write applications about using ecology to help their
communities. I see African American
students participating in our bioblitzes in urban gardens teaching younger
students about the importance of bees as pollinators for grandma’s
tomatoes. I see social networks where
Africans, African Americans and Hispanic students are talking about climate
adaptation strategies to save a village from the uncertainty of climate
change. These students are my heroes
and mentors. My vision now of African
Americans in science is one that I saw at the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change in Copenhagen three years ago. A young African American woman spoke to the
assembly of 191 nations and said “I am
saving the world for my generation NOW not tomorrow. “ You go girl.<o:p></o:p></div>
Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07555875290357860102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7653257944882867892.post-60618171389872222172012-02-15T13:06:00.000-05:002012-02-15T13:10:46.839-05:00Public competency in science: Are experts the best at setting the standards?Please check out this <a href="http://www.hss.cmu.edu/departments/sds/media/pdfs/fischhoff/PublicCompetenceInScience.pdf">essay</a> by Baruch Fischhoff of Carnegie Mellon University. In the essay he explains that experts, by establishing unrealistic standards of "knowledge", can actually under estimate the public's scientific competency. This can seriously impact public affairs and the public's well-being. I also think it is an important question because it may impact young people by keeping them from regarding science as accessible and relevant, and from seeing themselves as adept as thinkers.<br />
<br />
Fischhoff describes three pathologies of those who are guilty of "confusing ignorance with stupidity [and] casting those who don’t know as being incapable of learning." They are:<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>placing the onus on citizens for not knowing facts that would be easily understood, had they just heard them (effective and thoughtful communication by experts is key!);</li>
<li>accusing people of hypocrisy, when they fail to adopt every specific behavior that is conceivably consistent with a general attitude (just because you agree global warming is a problem, doesn't mean you can't take a plane when you vacation in Greece); and</li>
<li>accepting the accuracy and relevance of expert opinion without question or qualification (Always take advice with a grain of salt!)</li>
</ol>
<br />
Not only can citizens play a role by communicating their needs and interests, but the so-called "experts" must also listen. Fischhoff claims that relevant testing is possible, but the testers must be disciplined when designing the test. They should set and adhere to standards for listening carefully to the needs and wants expressed by the citizenry and making sure that the question they ask are clear and understandable. "Without such a disciplined approach, " Fischhoff declares, "competence testers can do bad, while feeling good."Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07555875290357860102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7653257944882867892.post-2765797737623022282012-02-14T16:13:00.001-05:002012-02-15T08:48:47.325-05:00Pat and Andrea: Who Benefits?<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Pat, of <a href="http://www.networkedblogs.com/blog/fairerscience_webblog">Fairer Science</a> fame, and I have a periodic discussions about diversity and the sciences. We're hoping to post a series of posts that summarize our discussion. Although we tend to focus on gender, race, and ethnicity issues, we have briefly turned our attention to a different topic that serves as fodder for the initial co-blog entry. The discussion was initiated by a New York Times <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/06/health/cancer-center-in-lawsuit-says-a-doctor-appropriated-a-discovery.html">article</a> about a <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/02/02/business/02biotech-document.html">lawsuit</a> filed by the Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute against former director Dr. Craig B. Thompson. Here's the first entry: </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>Who Benefits?</b></blockquote>
<blockquote>
The recent press about the billion-dollar <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/06/health/cancer-center-in-lawsuit-says-a-doctor-appropriated-a-discovery.html">lawsuit</a> brought by the Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute at the University of Pennsylvania against Craig Thompson, the current president of Memorial Sloan Kettering once again brings up the troubling issue of who owns research results. Is it the investigator, the university or is it the funding organization? When the research is funded privately this is a matter to be decided by contract.<br />
In the Abramson case, the suit declares that the contract between Abramson Foundation and Thompson mandated co-ownership of discoveries and developments in order that monetary profits are shared and the Foundation can reinvest in its mission and “fund untold advancements in cancer treatment for generations to come.” </blockquote>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<blockquote>
When the research is funded by public funds, no such agreement exists. The United States has purposefully entered into a social contract whereby the government lays no claim to results obtained and products developed through the research that it funds. Under this scheme, researchers and their universities are able to operate and staff laboratories in the development and pursuit of creditable ideas. Whatismore, they are able to do this without putting the money out up front. And that is fine.</blockquote>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<blockquote>
There are great benefits to this agreement as federal funds enable progress and innovation on a scale that would not, without this magnitude of support, be realizable. However, there are downsides as well. Money made based on the research is shared between the researcher and the institution but not with the public who funded the work. </blockquote>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<blockquote>
It does seem, however, that including the public as a shared beneficiary of monetary gain is warranted. As in the Abramson case, if the research pays off big time (we think a billion dollars is big time!) something should be reinvested directly in the American people (and generations to come) who helped make the discovery possible.</blockquote>
</blockquote>
<br />
Hope you enjoyed it and that you're looking forward to more. <a href="http://networkedblogs.com/tYvkd">Pat</a> has already promised that our next post will get back to the point--especially since it is <a href="http://www.minoritypostdoc.org/view/bloggers.html#carnival">Black History Month</a>!Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07555875290357860102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7653257944882867892.post-32124019661920228162012-02-14T13:58:00.002-05:002012-02-14T13:58:37.615-05:00NIGMS is not only investing in our future...it has a REAL planThanks to <a href="http://networkedblogs.com/tY81n">FairerScience</a> for pointing out a new <a href="http://www.nigms.nih.gov/Training/OptimizingtheResearchTrainingPartnership.htm">strategic plan</a> for biomedical research training (<a href="http://publications.nigms.nih.gov/training/Training_Strategic_Plan_Summary.pdf">this</a> is the summary document) published by the National Institutes of Health's National Institute for General Medical Sciences). There is also a <a href="http://www.nigms.nih.gov/Training/StrategicPlanImplementationBlueprint.htm">blueprint</a> for for implementation. Here are two guiding principles:<br />
<a href="http://www.nigms.nih.gov/Training/StrategicPlanImplementationBlueprint/AimsandExpectationsforResearchTraining.htm">NIGMS Aims and Expectations for Research Training</a><br /><a href="http://www.nigms.nih.gov/Training/StrategicPlanImplementationBlueprint/SocietalBenefitsofaDiverseWorkforce.htm">Societal Benefits of a Diverse Workforce</a><br />
<br />
Read and be merry...the future is looking brighter!Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07555875290357860102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7653257944882867892.post-47919270680677702152012-02-06T14:19:00.000-05:002012-02-06T14:31:33.982-05:00Modeling Black Male AcheivementToday, Inside Higher Ed <a href="http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2012/02/06/study-aims-learn-why-some-black-men-succeed-college">features</a> a <a href="https://www.gse.upenn.edu/equity/content/center-publications">study</a> released by Center for the Study of Race and Equity in Education at the University of Pennsylvania. Because so much is known about why Black men fail at the college level, Dr. Shaun Harper wanted to find out why they succeed. This method is valuable because when examining failure, studies focus on the factors that cause it. Now, we can find out the reasons for and hopefully replicate their successes.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr910-qBRuYWMfFTuPuFQh4-wKu9wSFjqAiKIAcG_1zckJG0t8LvMpckbYah8cyJxS-2rkno7CevVOkmY6bav4tGdjBsrmekcLZFvRV1BMZxGCeg6tBe18Y8fIEjDsgzFltb93lPymo-MM/s1600/imagecrop_Harper_BlackMaleSuccessReport.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="153" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr910-qBRuYWMfFTuPuFQh4-wKu9wSFjqAiKIAcG_1zckJG0t8LvMpckbYah8cyJxS-2rkno7CevVOkmY6bav4tGdjBsrmekcLZFvRV1BMZxGCeg6tBe18Y8fIEjDsgzFltb93lPymo-MM/s200/imagecrop_Harper_BlackMaleSuccessReport.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="200" /></a>Two hundred and nineteen black men at various institutions all over the country (examples include Harvard, Stanford, Florida A&M, Howard, Amherst, Williams, and Cal State Long Beach) showing significant achievement participated in the study.<br />
<br />
The study found that it was not their socioeconomic backgrounds that differentiated them from the larger group or high-school academic records that distinguished them. Rather factors such as familial expectations, the interest and support of at least one K-12 teacher, financial and program support. Importantly, the programs both facilitated the transition to college and established high expectations of the students' college tenure. Another factor, highlighted by Harper is a personal experience that allowed him to "see [him]self as a student, and set [him] on a completely different educational trajectory."<br />
<br />
Some of the recommendations the study makes to policy makers are to develop programs that bridge the high school to college transition, make institutions share accountability for black male success, support ethnic student organizations, and remove financial barriers. He also argues that putting changes into practice will need to occur on a college-by-college basis.<br />
<br />
This study is enlightening and perhaps equally "obvious" and straightforward questions need to be asked about increasing representation of African Americans (both male and female) at the faculty/professional level. Along these lines, we are doing more than encouraging and enabling them to be good students and student leaders. Rather, we are looking for them to not only be successful but also demanding that they be regarded and accepted as peers. How different or similar might the issues and interventions be?<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07555875290357860102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7653257944882867892.post-4624072218410434182012-02-03T23:26:00.003-05:002012-02-03T23:28:53.109-05:00Fingers Crossed: An Opportunity for ReformI just wanted to post a link to this NYTimes <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/04/opinion/reining-in-college-tuition.html">editorial</a> supporting the higher education proposals that Obama made during the State of the Union. I think it's a vital discussion to have that could potentially benefit students, institutions, and the country. I can only imagine that while many parents and students are hopeful, many State legislators university faculty, administrators and presidents are being overcome by a wave of anxiety. Still it's an opportunity.<br />
<br />
The editors state:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Determining what amounts to good value will be difficult, and persuading Congress to move forward on any of these ideas will be hard. But Mr. Obama is right that the federal government should begin leveraging its sizable investment in higher education for reform. He has set the stage for a long overdue discussion about what ails higher education and what might be done about it.</blockquote>
This discussion is indeed long overdue. Cost is an issue, but we have to talk primarily about the societal expectations and roles for higher education in the near and long term. Even if it costs less, if the quality, relevance and accountability are not there--it's a waste of money.Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07555875290357860102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7653257944882867892.post-90414580970219480122012-02-03T13:10:00.000-05:002012-02-03T13:27:20.933-05:00Honoring history through STEM<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijh4-7bjjp_rz2c4KJbSC6Le3G4eJiwu834hViGSeidT-SWNGBXp87QlHO-wjTPi6vDi_3M1M9ZgcTG4vqgtzzfAOxcgCsLPtZ_llEgbAnCKZwcDU6jbr9bd8aqlwBo5A0TaIYcY-4y2ef/s1600/Finney_photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijh4-7bjjp_rz2c4KJbSC6Le3G4eJiwu834hViGSeidT-SWNGBXp87QlHO-wjTPi6vDi_3M1M9ZgcTG4vqgtzzfAOxcgCsLPtZ_llEgbAnCKZwcDU6jbr9bd8aqlwBo5A0TaIYcY-4y2ef/s200/Finney_photo.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo of Nikky Finney, available from <br />her official <a href="http://www.nikkyfinney.net/">website</a> . </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
On her Facebook page, Maya Angelou <a href="http://mayaangelouonpublicradio.com/guest-bios/professor-nikky-finney/">recognizes</a> the work of <a href="http://nikkyfinney.net/">Nikky Finney</a>, a <a href="http://english.as.uky.edu/users/finney">professor</a> at University of Kentucky and <a href="http://www.nationalbook.org/nba2011_p_finney_interv.html">winner</a> of the 2011 National Book Award for poetry. Born in South Carolina, she was the child of activists and came of age during the civil rights and Black Arts Movements. From an early age she recognized and grew to understand the powerful synergy between history and art.<br />
In addition to recognizing and congratulating Professor Finney on this achievement, I think it's also worth a moment to reflect on the connections between (Black) history and modern science. How does your history (be it personal, cultural, societal, etc.) empower and motivate your decisions and efforts?<br />
<br />
For me, I'll admit, this is not a question that I've long been attuned to... although, my years spent living in Germany and China have made this question far more personally relevant and important to me. By going into science--I had always thought that I was "doing my part." During my doctoral studies, I decided I'd "done" enough. I felt that academia (at least not in a biophysics lab) was not a place where I would thrive.<br />
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This personal reflection, my overall interest in the science workforce, persistent <a href="http://phdforlife.blogspot.com/2011/10/dog-eared-culture-dogged-divide.html">evidence</a> that Blacks in general are not thriving in research environments, and others' <a href="http://phdforlife.blogspot.com/2011/10/moving-beyond.html">perspectives</a> on what to do about it are influencing how I perceive the "dilemma". How can Black scientists benefit from reflecting on the continuing struggle for the broad acceptance African American Studies as a discipline important to more than African Americans. How might this pertain to science and its conduct?<br />
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I don't know the answers and I'd love to hear your views on whether these are the right questions, but I am coming to believe that focusing on getting minority students to study and pursue a career in science is not enough. I'd like to challenge my own assumptions about how research "should" be done and how the "right" questions are framed. I am sure people who are far more intuitive than I am have put forth some great questions and perspectives on this. If you know of any, please <a href="http://www.minoritypostdoc.org/view/bloggers.html#carnival">share</a>! For change (evidenced by increasing participation and a less "leaky" STEM pipeline) to happen we must find a way to make our voices coherent, aims cohesive, and efforts persistent. Perhaps we can find a way to do this through history.Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07555875290357860102noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7653257944882867892.post-61959907996351568152012-02-01T09:51:00.000-05:002012-02-01T09:52:24.455-05:00The NIH Requests Your Opinion on Diversity in the Biomedical PhD WorkforceThe NIH has put out a <a href="http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/not-od-12-031.html">request for information</a> concerning diversity in the biomedical workforce. All comments submitted by the February 24, 2012 deadline will be considered by the Advisory Committee to the <a href="http://acd.od.nih.gov/DBR.asp">NIH Director Working Group on Diversity in the Biomedical Research Workforce</a>. You can find more information through the working group's web page. Here is the charge of the committee.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Its charge will focus on five key transition points in the pipeline: (i) entry into graduate degree programs; (ii) the transition from graduate degree to post-doctoral fellowship; (iii) the appointment from a post-doctoral position to the first independent scientific position; (iv) the award of the first independent research grant from NIH or equivalent in industry; and (v) award of tenure in an academic position or equivalent in an industrial setting. The Committee will provide concrete recommendations to the NIH Director on ways to improve the retention of underrepresented minorities, persons with disabilities, and persons from disadvantaged backgrounds through these critical periods. The DBRWG's analysis will include both the NIH intramural research community and the NIH extramural research community.</blockquote>
Also of note, there is a public meeting to be held on February 14. Here is a copy of the <a href="http://acd.od.nih.gov/Agenda_DBR_02142012.pdf">agenda</a>. It looks like after opening comments by a representative of the committee, there will be a series of presentations by an array of White House initiatives concerning the various under-represented communities (Note: While the committee's charge is broader, only presentations on ethnic groups are scheduled). There is also a public comment period. Each organization will be allotted 5 minutes. You may email request a slot (deadline is 5pm February 10, 2012) in advance (see agenda for details). Same day requests will be considered at the discretion of the Chairperson.Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07555875290357860102noreply@blogger.com0