Curious Cat Science and Engineering Blog » A Decade of Progress for Women in Science …

December 3, 2005

A Decade of Progress for Women in Science …

A Decade of Progress for Women in Science … by Nancy Hopkins

In 1995 it was unimaginable that within 10 years the presidents of Princeton University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Michigan, and University of California at San Diego would all be women, and remarkably, women scientists.
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The percentage of women faculty at MIT is climbing, slowly. In 2004, 13% of faculty in the School of Science and 14% of the School of Engineering were female, up from 8% and 6%, respectively, in 1993. Women who make it to the top in science have long known what holds many women in science back: family demands and bias. But until recently both topics were taboo. A critical step to making progress for women in science has been to put these problems on the agenda.

Progress is being made and continued progress is needed. The percentage of women studying engineering is still very low. And the recent talk in the blogosphere about how many potential engineers are turned away shows that not just women choose to turn away.

We should work to make the option of pursuing a science and engineering path more desirable for those who are interested. Still, it seems progress is being made in including more women on the path to careers in science and though engineering is lagging, progress is being made there also.
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by curiouscat Tags: Science, Universities
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One Response to “A Decade of Progress for Women in Science …”

Attracting Women to Engineering Says:
January 13th, 2007 at 9:19 am
[...] “While frustrated by the stagnant enrollment, Philobos knows change happens slowly. She said the key is reaching the girls when they’re in middle and high school to encourage them to take rigorous math and science courses.” [...]