Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering

ISSN for PRINT: 1072-8325

For Online Access

Best Paper Award Selection - Editorial Board Site

2004, Volume10

Issue 3

97 pages

DOI: 10.1615/JWomenMinorScienEng.v10.i3

Issue price - $42.00

Barbara L. Whitten
Physics Department, Colorado College, 14 E. Cache la Poudre, Colorado Springs, CO 80903, USA

Suzanne R. Foster
Colorado College

Margaret L. Duncombe
Colorado College, USA

Patricia E. Allen
Appalachian State University, USA

Paula Heron
University of Washington

Laura McCullough
University of Wisconsin at Stout

Kimberly A. Shaw
Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, USA

Beverley A. P. Taylor
Miami University, USA

Heather M. Zorn
University of Washington

The physics community has been concerned about low participation by women for many years. Although some progress has been made, the percentage of women in undergraduate physics is less than half that in mathematics and chemistry. The authors conducted site visits to nine undergraduate physics departments, five with high participation by women and four that are typical of the national average, to learn "what works" in attracting and retaining women as undergraduate physics majors. The results show that friendly and informal relationships between faculty members and students are crucial. These relationships are counterproductive, however, when faculty members transgress appropriate student-faculty boundaries. The authors analyze visits to historically Black colleges and universities, which are extraordinarily productive of female scientists, to learn what works in their department cultures. The authors draw on these site visits to describe models of healthy, supportive, and respectful relationships between faculty members and students.

DOI: 10.1615/JWomenMinorScienEng.v10.i3.30 Download article, 14 pages

Article price - $35.00

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