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Galvin DJ, Anderson SC, Marolf CJ, Schneider NG, Liebl AL. Comparative analysis of gender disparity in academic positions based on U.S. region and STEM discipline. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0298736. [PMID: 38507318 PMCID: PMC10954166 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0298736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Despite a move toward gender parity in the United States (U.S.) workforce, a large gender gap persists in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM); this is particularly true for academic (i.e., instructor and tenure track) STEM positions. This gap increases as women advance through the traditional steps of academia, with the highest degree of gender disparity in tenured positions. As policies, politics, and culture, which all contribute to gender equity across the world, vary across regions in the United States, we expect that the gender gap in STEM might also vary across geographic regions. Here, we evaluated over 20,000 instructor and tenure track positions in university STEM departments across the U.S. to evaluate whether and how the geographic region of a university might determine its proportion of women in STEM academic positions. Similar to previous research, regardless of geographic region, more men were employed in both tenure track and instructor positions across STEM fields. However, variation existed regionally within the U.S., with the Mountain region employing the lowest proportion of women in tenure track positions and the East North Central and Pacific regions employing the greatest proportion. We expect this regional variation could be caused by differences in state and local policies, regional representation, and mentorship, resulting in inconsistent support for women, leading to differences in work environments, hiring, and job retention rates across the country. A better understanding of which geographic areas within the U.S. have more equal distributions of women in the STEM field will help us to identify the specific mechanisms that facilitate more equal and inclusive opportunities for women and other underrepresented groups across all levels of STEM academia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle J. Galvin
- Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, South Dakota, United States of America
| | - Susan C. Anderson
- Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, South Dakota, United States of America
| | - Chelsi J. Marolf
- Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, South Dakota, United States of America
| | - Nikole G. Schneider
- Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, South Dakota, United States of America
| | - Andrea L. Liebl
- Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, South Dakota, United States of America
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Rowland FE, Prats KA, Alshwairikh YA, Burak MK, Fanton AC, Duguid MC. Overemphasis on publications may disadvantage historically excluded groups in STEM before and during COVID-19: A North American survey-based study. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0291124. [PMID: 37756261 PMCID: PMC10529568 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0291124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Publishing is a strong determinant of academic success and there is compelling evidence that identity may influence the academic writing experience and writing output. However, studies rarely quantitatively assess the effects of major life upheavals on trainee writing. The COVID-19 pandemic introduced unprecedented life disruptions that may have disproportionately impacted different demographics of trainees. We analyzed anonymous survey responses from 342 North American environmental biology graduate students and postdoctoral scholars (hereafter trainees) about scientific writing experiences to assess: (1) how identity interacts with scholarly publication totals and (2) how the COVID-19 pandemic influenced trainee perceptions of scholarly writing productivity and whether there were differences among identities. Interestingly, identity had a strong influence on publication totals, but it differed by career stage with graduate students and postdoctoral scholars often having opposite results. We found that trainees identifying as female and those with chronic health conditions or disabilities lag in publication output at some point during training. Additionally, although trainees felt they had more time during the pandemic to write, they reported less productivity and motivation. Trainees who identified as female; Black, Indigenous, or as a Person of Color [BIPOC]; and as first-generation college graduates were much more likely to indicate that the pandemic affected their writing. Disparities in the pandemic's impact on writing were most pronounced for BIPOC respondents; a striking 85% of BIPOC trainees reported that the pandemic affected their writing habits, and overwhelmingly felt unproductive and unmotivated to write. Our results suggest that the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on writing output may only heighten the negative effects commonly reported amongst historically excluded trainees. Based on our findings, we encourage the academy to consider how an overemphasis on publication output during hiring may affect historically excluded groups in STEM-especially in a post-COVID-19 era.
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Affiliation(s)
- Freya E. Rowland
- School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Kyra A. Prats
- School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Yara A. Alshwairikh
- School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Mary K. Burak
- School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Ana Clara Fanton
- School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Marlyse C. Duguid
- School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
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Tripathi N, Goshisht MK. Advancing Women in Chemistry: A Step Toward Gender Parity. J Chem Inf Model 2022; 62:6386-6397. [PMID: 36038822 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.2c00535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
As chemistry progressed over the years, modern society witnessed the significant contribution of women chemists. However, the persisting gender imbalance in the scientific community, attributed to improper societal norms and several other reasons, is a matter of concern. The manuscript highlights some great women chemists, such as Nobel Prize awardees, who have created history through their outstanding research work and are role models for other women. Since women continue to encounter recurring obstacles to moving forward in their area, the "leaky pipeline" of women in chemical science remains problematic. Numerous factors, including having to shoulder the labor of childcare and household work and a lack of awareness of regulations and possibilities, contribute to prejudices and the gender gap in higher-level administrative and decision-making roles. To close the gender gap and empower women chemists, we highlight some initiatives (awards, fellowships, schemes, and grants) that have been put forth by governments, organizations, foundations, companies, industries, and publishing societies. As per statistics, only 4% of female scientists have been awarded the Nobel Prize in chemistry until now. Only 35%, 22%, 14%, 26%, and 5% of women are serving as editors-in-chief, while 38%, 40%, 18%, 22%, and 21% are working as associate editors of the American Chemical Society (ACS), Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC), Wiley, Elsevier, and Springer journals, respectively. A further issue is that women receive far fewer honors in chemistry. To promote a more encouraging atmosphere for women scientists at all career phases, we listed some recommendations that research grant funders, academic institutions, publishers, and scientific organizations can follow. For gender parity, the paper sought to address the current situation of women in the chemical sciences. Women's contributions to chemistry will promote innovation and progress in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neetu Tripathi
- Department of Chemistry, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Punjab 143005, India
| | - Manoj Kumar Goshisht
- Department of Chemistry, Government Naveen College Tokapal, Bastar, Chhattisgarh 494442, India
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Guevara-Ramírez P, Ruiz-Pozo VA, Cadena-Ullauri S, Salazar-Navas G, Bedón AA, V-Vázquez JF, Zambrano AK. Ten simple rules for empowering women in STEM. PLoS Comput Biol 2022; 18:e1010731. [PMID: 36548242 PMCID: PMC9778554 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1010731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Guevara-Ramírez
- Centro de Investigación Genética y Genómica. Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud Eugenio Espejo, Universidad UTE, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Viviana A. Ruiz-Pozo
- Centro de Investigación Genética y Genómica. Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud Eugenio Espejo, Universidad UTE, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Santiago Cadena-Ullauri
- Centro de Investigación Genética y Genómica. Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud Eugenio Espejo, Universidad UTE, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Gabriela Salazar-Navas
- Centro de Investigación Genética y Genómica. Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud Eugenio Espejo, Universidad UTE, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Ana Acosta Bedón
- Department of Cell and System Biology, University of Toronto, Canada
| | - J. Faustino V-Vázquez
- Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Ana Karina Zambrano
- Centro de Investigación Genética y Genómica. Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud Eugenio Espejo, Universidad UTE, Quito, Ecuador
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Bui T, Wilkey H, Patel PA, Patel PN, Ahmed H. A Descriptive Analysis of Pediatric Ophthalmology Fellowship Program Directors. J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus 2022; 59:e69-e72. [PMID: 36441150 DOI: 10.3928/01913913-20220921-02] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
There is limited literature on the characteristics of pediatric ophthalmology leadership. The authors examined the demographics, academic backgrounds, and scholarly output of pediatric ophthalmology fellowship program directors. Despite a positive trend in gender equity in this position, efforts remain to resolve the "leaky pipeline" of women into ophthalmology leadership. [J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus. 2022;59(6):e69-e72.].
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Morin A, Helling BA, Krishnan S, Risner LE, Walker ND, Schwartz NB. Surveying the experience of postdocs in the United States before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. eLife 2022; 11:75705. [PMID: 35880738 PMCID: PMC9322995 DOI: 10.7554/elife.75705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
In the interest of advocating for the postdoctoral community in the United States (US), we compared the results of surveys of postdocs carried out in 2019 and in late 2020. We found that respondents’ mental health and wellness were significantly impacted by the pandemic irrespective of their gender, race, citizenship, or other identities. Career trajectories and progression were also affected, as respondents reported being less confident about achieving career goals, and having more negative perceptions of the job market compared to before the pandemic. Postdocs working in the US on temporary visas reported experiencing increased stress levels due to changes in immigration policy. Access to institutional Postdoctoral Offices or Associations positively impacted well-being and helped mitigate some of the personal and professional stresses caused by the pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andréanne Morin
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, United States
| | - Britney A Helling
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, United States
| | - Seetha Krishnan
- Department of Neurobiology and Institute for Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, United States
| | - Laurie E Risner
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Chicago, Chicago, United States
| | - Nykia D Walker
- Ben May Department for Cancer Research, University of Chicago, Chicago, United States
| | - Nancy B Schwartz
- Department of Pediatrics and the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, United States
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Thounaojam MC. Editorial: Women in Science - Ophthalmology 2021. Front Med (Lausanne) 2022; 9:966392. [PMID: 35847780 PMCID: PMC9280475 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2022.966392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Menaka C. Thounaojam
- Department of Ophthalmology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, United States
- James and Jean Culver Vision Discovery Institute, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, United States
- *Correspondence: Menaka C. Thounaojam
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