The two tables addressing graduate student issues at the Women’s Networking Breakfast primarily discussed the need for networking, role models, and support.
They recommended consideration of the following:
1. Repeat this breakfast at next year’s LPSC and other national meetings like AGU and GSA. The opportunity to “talk, connect, and brainstorm” was welcomed.
2. Graduate students can set up lunches in their department and with other departments to discuss relevant issues.
3. Graduate students can set up lunch meetings with women speakers before departmental seminars and colloquia to discuss career path and issues of balance.
4. Fellowships specifically for women in planetary sciences. It was noted that the Amelia Earhart Fellowship offered annually by Zonta International is open to planetary and space sciences, in addition to astronomy and engineering.
5. A Graduate Student Bill of Rights.
Posted by Cari Corrigan on March 18, 2008 at 9:28 am
The Amelia Earhart award is definitely available to Planetary Science students. I received a grant from them during my PhD studies (after hearing about it from other students and some faculty), and though it wasn’t a huge sum (I think it was $2K a semester for 2 years) it was very helpful with travel to use instruments, computing needs and other general lab needs. I wound up giving talks at a number of their meetings, both local and national and it was a great experience. Women from all walks are members of Zonta and they were all so nice! I would encourage everyone to apply!
Posted by MoonLua on March 31, 2008 at 1:19 am
Dear All,
This getting together is a good thing for support of those of us that are finding that something is a little strange and that actually nothing has really changed in the past decades in terms of Women getting the jobs, or being able to be as they are…and as suggested discuss how can we work together to have things change at perhaps a faster pass. But I also think for us to be able to change anything in the community, we will have to invite men. This will allow them to learn and be aware of issues that they have no idea as they do not have to live with them.
For example, a very simple, and natural for those who feel it, the call of the biologic clock. Most Men, and many Women, do not seem to understand or accept that this is something one cannot control…it is something that just comes….and then maybe eventually goes. Despite the fact the time period being really SMALL….some women get mostly anxious because exactly that!
How can one expect a society to grow and or continue if some of us don’t respond to this call? why are most academic institutions and federal institutions (e.g. NASA) not even including such issue in the benefits of the job? Is it such an absurd thing, the nature call that only some humans have it? and for having it, must they be punished?
…On Another note….did you notice that on LPSC this year, on Tuesday there were two special Lunar sessions, with a total of about 27 talks, many of them “requested” by the organisers, and only 1 woman presented? or lets say, ~4% of the population.
OK….this is all for now….just a few things before I forget!
Stay well,
Vera
Posted by LPSC Prep « Women in Planetary Science on March 14, 2009 at 4:09 pm
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