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GENDER DIFFERENCES AT CRITICAL TRANSITIONS IN THE CAREERS OF SCIENCE, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS FACULTY Committee on Gender Differences in Careers of Science, Engineering, and Mathematics Faculty Committee on Women in Science, Engineering, and Medicine Policy and Global Affairs Committee on National Statistics Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education Gender Differences at Critical Transitions in the Careers of Science, Engineering, and Mathematics Faculty THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS 500 Fifth Street, N.W. Washington, DC 20001 NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance. This project was supported by the National Science Foundation, Grant No. 0336796. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the organizations or agencies that provided support for the project. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Gender differences at critical transitions in the careers of science, engineering, and mathematics faculty / Committee on Gender Differences in Careers of Science, Engineering, and Mathematics Faculty, Committee on Women in Science, Engineering, and Medicine [of] Policy and Global Affairs [and] Committee on National Statistics, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education, the National Research Council of the National Academies. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN-13: 978-0-309-11463-9 (hardcover) ISBN-10: 0-309-11463-2 (hardcover) ISBN-13: 978-0-309-11464-6 (pdf) ISBN-10: 0-309-11464-0 (pdf) 1. Universities and colleges—Faculty—Employment—Sex differences—United States— Statistics. 2. Sex discrimination in employment—United States. 3. Sex discrimination in higher education—United States. 4. Women in science—United States. 5. Women in technology—United States. 6. Women in mathematics—United States. 7. Educational surveys—United States. I. National Research Council (U.S.). Committee on Gender Differences in Careers of Science, Engineering, and Mathematics Faculty. II. National Research Council (U.S.). Committee on Women in Science, Engineering, and Medicine. III. National Research Council (U.S.). Committee on National Statistics. Q148.G46 2009 331.4’133—dc22 2009037397 Additional copies of this report are available from the National Academies Press, 500 Fifth Street, N.W., Lockbox 285, Washington, DC 20055; (800) 624-6242 or (202) 334-3313 (in the Washington metropolitan area); Internet, http://www.nap.edu. Copyright 2010 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. Gender Differences at Critical Transitions in the Careers of Science, Engineering, and Mathematics Faculty The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone is president of the National Academy of Sciences. The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. Charles M. Vest is president of the National Academy of Engineering. The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibil- ity given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Harvey V. Fineberg is president of the Institute of Medicine. The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy’s purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scien- tific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone and Dr. Charles M. Vest are chair and vice chair, respectively, of the National Research Council. www.national-academies.org Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. Gender Differences at Critical Transitions in the Careers of Science, Engineering, and Mathematics Faculty COMMITTEE ON GENDER DIFFERENCES IN CAREERS OF 1 SCIENCE, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS FACULTY Claude R. Canizares, Co-Chair, Vice President for Research and Associate Provost and Bruno Rossi Professor of Experimental Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sally E. Shaywitz, Co-Chair, Audrey G. Ratner Professor in Learning Development and Co-Director, Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity, School of Medicine, Yale University Linda Abriola, Dean of Engineering, Tufts University Jane Buikstra, Regents’ Professor, Arizona State University School of Human Evolution and Social Change Alicia Carriquiry, Professor of Statistics, Iowa State University Ronald Ehrenberg, Director, Cornell Higher Education Research Institute and Irving M. Ives Professor of Industrial and Labor Relations and Economics, Cornell University Joan Girgus, Professor of Psychology and Special Assistant to the Dean of the Faculty, Princeton University Arleen Leibowitz, Professor of Public Policy, School of Public Affairs, University of California at Los Angeles Thomas N. Taylor, Distinguished Professor, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Biodiversity Research Institute, University of Kansas Lilian Wu, Program Executive, Global University Relations, IBM Technology Strategy and Innovation Study Staff Catherine Didion, Study Director (from September 1, 2007) Peter Henderson, Study Director (from October 15, 2005 until August 31, 2007) Jong-on Hahm, Study Director (through October 14, 2005) Constance F. Citro, Director, Committee on National Statistics Michael L. Cohen, Senior Program Officer John Sislin, Program Officer Elizabeth Briggs, Senior Program Associate Elizabeth Scott, Project Assistant Jessica Buono, Research Associate Jacqueline Martin, Senior Program Assistant 1 Cathleen Synge Morawetz, Professor Emerita, the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York University and Yu Xie, Frederick G. L. Huetwell Professor of Sociology, University of Michigan resigned their committee appointments in 2004. iv Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. Gender Differences at Critical Transitions in the Careers of Science, Engineering, and Mathematics Faculty COMMITTEE ON WOMEN IN SCIENCE, ENGINEERING, AND MEDICINE 2007-2009 Lilian Shiao-Yen Wu, Chair, Program Executive, Global University Relations, IBM Technology Strategy and Innovation Alice M. Agogino, Roscoe and Elizabeth Hughes Professor of Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley Florence B. Bonner, Senior Vice President for Research and Compliance, Howard University Allan Fisher, Senior Vice President, Product Strategy and Development, Laureate Higher Education Group June E. Osborn, President Emerita, Josiah Macy, Jr. Foundation Vivian Pinn, Associate Director for Research on Women’s Health and Director, Office of Research on Women’s Health, National Institutes of Health Pardis Sabeti, Assistant Professor, Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University Lydia Villa-Komaroff, Board Member and Chief Scientific Officer, CytonomeST, LLC Warren Washington, Senior Scientist & Section Head, National Center for Atmospheric Research Susan Wessler, University of Georgia Foundation Chair in Biology, Department of Plant Biology, University of Georgia Staff Catherine Didion, Director (from March 1, 2007) Peter Henderson, Director (October 15, 2005-March 1, 2007) Jong-on Hahm, Director (until October 14, 2005) John Sislin, Program Officer Elizabeth Briggs, Senior Program Associate Jessica Buono, Research Associate Jacqueline Martin, Senior Program Assistant v Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. Gender Differences at Critical Transitions in the Careers of Science, Engineering, and Mathematics Faculty COMMITTEE ON NATIONAL STATISTICS 2008-2009 William F. Eddy, Chair, Department of Statistics, Carnegie Mellon University Katharine Abraham, Department of Economics and Joint Program in Survey Methodology, University of Maryland Alicia Carriquiry, Department of Statistics, Iowa State University William DuMouchel, Lincoln Technologies, Inc., Waltham, Massachusetts John Haltiwanger, Department of Economics, University of Maryland V. Joseph Hotz, Department of Economics, Duke University Karen Kafadar, Department of Statistics, Indiana University Douglas Massey, Department of Sociology, Princeton University Sally Morton, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina Joseph Newhouse, Division of Health Policy Research and Education, Harvard University Samuel H. Preston, Population Studies Center, University of Pennsylvania Hal Stern, Department of Statistics, University of California, Irvine Roger Tourangeau, Joint Program in Survey Methodology, University of Maryland, and Survey Research Center, University of Michigan Alan Zaslavsky, Department of Health Care Policy, Harvard University Medical School Constance F. Citro, Director, Committee on National Statistics vi Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. Gender Differences at Critical Transitions in the Careers of Science, Engineering, and Mathematics Faculty Preface Difficult tasks are often very simply stated. This committee was asked by Congress to “conduct a study to assess gender differences in the careers of science, engineering, and mathematics (SEM) faculty, focusing on four-year institutions of higher education that award bachelor’s and graduate degrees. The study will build on the National Academies’ previous work and examine issues such as faculty hiring, promotion, tenure, and allocation of institutional resources including (but not limited to) laboratory space.” That such an assessment would be daunting was well understood by the committee. The importance of the study provided more than ample motivation to keep the committee engaged and focused on crafting an objective report that would advance our knowledge on the status of women academics in science and engineering at the nation’s top universities. To address its charge, the committee drew on a large number of scholarly studies, survey data collected by federal agencies and professional societies among others, self-assessments conducted by universities—as well as a number of experts brought in to meet with the committee. After reviewing the above information, the committee determined to conduct two comprehensive surveys. These surveys were sent to the major research universities across the United States during 2004-2005. The surveys focused on biology, chemistry, civil and electrical engineering, mathematics, and physics. One focused on almost 500 departments in these disciplines, and the other was sent to more than 1,800 faculty. These surveys bring much needed additional information to the table. The survey of departments collected information on departmental characteristics, hiring, tenure and promo- tion decisions, and related policies. The survey of faculty focused on demographic characteristics, employment history, and institutional resources received. The committee was delighted with the response to the surveys. The departmental vii Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. Gender Differences at Critical Transitions in the Careers of Science, Engineering, and Mathematics Faculty viii PREFACE survey had about an 85 percent response rate, and the faculty survey had about a 77 percent response rate. The committee extends its thanks to everyone who filled out the questionnaires, which were undoubtedly time consuming. Respondents were very open with their information, as they were promised confidentiality. While the data must remain restricted to maintain that confidentiality, we believe these data could be used in further studies for the benefit of the scientific com- munity without violating the confidentiality of respondents. A related point is that while the committee examined a tremendous amount of information, a comprehensive and conclusive assessment of faculty careers remains in the future. The committee has done all it can given its resources to advance our understanding of this important issue, but additional research and study remain. If it could, this committee would have continued expanding, refin- ing, and enhancing its analysis. The committee trusts that others will be encour- aged to pursue further some of the avenues that the committee has started down and to answer some of the questions that arose in this report, drawing on their own innovative approaches to examining the trajectory of academic careers of men and women. Claude R. Canizares Co-Chair Sally E. Shaywitz Co-Chair Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. Gender Differences at Critical Transitions in the Careers of Science, Engineering, and Mathematics Faculty Acknowledgments This report has been reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by the National Academies’ Report Review Committee. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making its published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the process. We wish to thank the following individuals for their review of this report: Robert Birgeneau, University of California, Berkeley; Claudia Goldin, Harvard University; Susan Graham, University of California, Berkeley; Jo Handelsman, University of Wisconsin; Maria Klawe, Harvey Mudd College; J. Scott Long, Indiana University; Colm O’Muircheartaigh, University of Chicago; Barbara Reskin, University of Washington; Johanna Levelt Sengers, National Institute of Standards and Technology; and Richard Zare, Stanford University. Although the reviewers listed above have provided many constructive com- ments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the conclusions or rec- ommendations, nor did they see the final draft of the report before its release. The review of this report was overseen by Stephen Fienberg, Carnegie Mellon University and Mildred Dresselhaus, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Appointed by the National Academies, they were responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with institutional procedures and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content of this report rests entirely with the authoring committee and the institution. ix Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.

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