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In the last 40 years, the number of women studying science and engineering (S&E) has increased dramatically. Women now earn 51 percent of S&E bachelor’s degrees and 37 percent of PhDs, including 45 percent in biomedical fields. Nevertheless, the number of women (especially African American women) who hold academic faculty positions is not commensurate with their share of the S&E talent pool. The discrepancy exists at the junior and senior faculty levels and is most apparent at top research-intensive universities. Observers have attributed differences in career progression and...
In the last 40 years, the number of women studying science and engineering (S&E) has increased dramatically. Women now earn 51 percent of S&E bachelor’s degrees and 37 percent of PhDs, including 45 percent in biomedical fields. Nevertheless, the number of women (especially African American women) who hold academic faculty positions is not commensurate with their share of the S&E talent pool. The discrepancy exists at the junior and senior faculty levels and is most apparent at top research-intensive universities. Observers have attributed differences in career progression and success to gender-based differences in cognitive abilities, career interests and preferences; bias and discrimination; gendered institutional policies and practices; broad assumptions about gender roles; and various combinations of these factors. In December 2005, nationally recognized experts in a number of disciplines came together to address several issues: the results of research on sexual differences in capability, behavior, career decisions, and achievement; the role of organizational structures and institutional policies; cross-cutting issues of race and ethnicity; key research needs and experimental paradigms and tools; and the policy ramifications of research, particularly for evaluating current and potential academic faculty. This workshop report provides an introduction; summaries of panel discussions, including public comment sessions; and poster abstracts.