The Michigan Daily -Thursday, May 12, 1983 - Page 5
Women shy away rom sciences
By JANET COHEN
Women have moved out of the kitchen and into the
business world, but it's been tougher to get them into
the laboratory.
Chemistry, astronomy and physics - fields which
have traditionally been dominated by men - are
searching for qualified women to join their ranks.
BUT WOMEN aren't buying.
Only 4 percent of engineers in the United States are
women and at the University there are only two
female physical science professors.
There are also fewer female than male college
students earning science degrees. At the University,
an average of only 11 women graduate each year with
a chemistry degree, compared to 44 men.
THE REASON for the small number of women in
science fields, according to some University
professors, is a fear of breaking into the male-
dominated profession. As a result women limit their
options when choosing careers..
"Females in our department have a hard time,"
Most fields still
male dominated
said Anne Cowley, a research scientist in the
astronomy department. "If she does anything wrong,
it gets to be a stereotyped thing, it puts a lot of
pressure on."
The smaller number of women who take science
classes often feel singled out, she said. They often feel
an added pressure to excel and prove themselves to
male students and the professor, Cowley said.
ANOTHER PROBLEM is that many women don't
take their career goals seriously enough, said Bar-
bara Sloat, director of the University's Women in
Science program. Many women are afraid to take out
loans or ask parents for financial support to further
their education in science, she said.
"I would have thought students didn't think that
way anymore," said Sloat.
The three-year-old Women in Science Program,
which has been recognized nationwide, sponsors lec-
tures, and workshops to encourage women students
at the University to-pursue science careers.
"We aren't here to pull scientists out of the wood-
work," said Sloat. "We just want to encourage those
who are already interested to stick with it."
"It is important for students to realize they have
options," said Sloat who is also a cell biologist. "I've
learned that every woman in science has her own
story. If you want to be a professor, there are several
ways to go about this. You don't have to think of your-
self in a rigid way."
It would be heat if the program wasn't needed and
women pursued careers in science on their own, Sloat
said.
The University gives the Women in Science
Program $30,000 a year, but is currently considering
a proposal to fund it every three years, said Robin
Jacobi, assistant to the vice president for academic
afairs.
The program also receives about $10,000 a year in
grants from outside the University, Sloat said.
Women profs work harder for fewer gains
(Continued from Page 1)
drop in assistant professors is
especially harmful because it is
through this rank that women faculty
qualify for tenure.
The University recognizes the need
for a more aggressive approach to
recruit women faculty and has taken
steps toward this goal, Nordby said.
EVERY department which hires new
faculty must have an affirmative action
committee or liason to keep track of
how many women were interviewed
and considered for the job.
"THE COMMITTEE has helped the
school to do better on hiring women into
entry level positions, but we don't look
good on retaining them," said James
Kirscht, interim dean of the School of
Public Health.
In some cases finding a female can-
didate can be difficult. Traditionally
male-dominated fields such as
engineering and chemistry do not at-
tract many female applicants.
IN A RECENT pool of 35 applicants,
for a teaching position in the chemistry
department, only one was female, said
Thomas Dunn, chairman of the depar-
tment. "We have tried to encourage
women to apply, but it certainly is a
problem," he said.
During April The College of
Engineering interviewed three women
for a faculty position, but "the odds are "There's a certain sense of being
slim that we'll get any of them," said alone. You're not part of the 'old-boy'
James Duderstadt, Engineering dean. network. The other men in the depar-
The few women who venture into tment go out after work and play
male-dominated fields often hold out See GAINS, Page 11
for higher salaries.
Money doesn't always compensate
for the isolation women experience in a
male-dominated department. Stanley H. Kaplan ...
A LONE woman in a department may
find it difficult to form friendships with Over 40 Years of Experience
male colleagues, said Candice Yano, is Your Best Teacher
assistant professor in engineering.
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