…Planting the seed for feminist physics culture.

1. Women in Physics (WIP) a cost-effective program designed for the immediate recruitment & retention of undergraduate female physics majors… …Planting the seed for feminist physics culture.

2. “Part of the difficulty women experience in defining their performance as adequate to the task is their isolation.” “For the first time in their lives, white women suddenly experience what it is like to be a minority, negatively viewed by the majority.” “Too often undergraduate teaching staff conflate the male role with the role of the scientist, to the predictable detriment of their female students. quotes-AU from Athena Unbound - Etzkowitz, Kemelgor & Uzzi

3. 2003 Snapshot (% Women) facts-BS Physics Bachelors 21% While more women than men obtain S&E bachelors, physics presents considerable hurdles to female undergrads. from 2007 NSF Women, Minorities & Persons with Disabilities in Science & Engineering

4. Initial Grad 22% Post- Doc 13% Masters 22% Ph.D. 18% 2003 Snapshot (% Women) facts-grad Women ‘leak’ from grad school with M.S. Even fewer find post-docs after Ph.D. from 2007 NSF Women, Minorities & Persons with Disabilities in Science & Engineering

5. Women in physics say… “I feel that (like many women) I have low self-confidence and often have felt that I am not good enough to be working in physics. This is still a problem even today, though when I think about it calmly I think I am as good as many of my colleagues, and better than some of them.” ~India “The main reason [I’ve felt discouraged] is so often you are just made to feel like you shouldn’t be there. You have to work twice as hard, do twice as much just to be considered half as qualified.” ~Australia “I always have to justify why I as a woman have chosen physics. Men never get that question.” ~Sweden quotes-NSF from 2007 NSF Women, Minorities & Persons with Disabilities in Science & Engineering

6. Minorities in Physics… ingénues An intimidating institution lays out a rigorous program to a random collection of talented young adults who are discovering their identities.

7. Minorities in Physics… networks Social networks form in order to meet high expectations, but minority members are often marginalized. Majority members garner social capital more easily.

8. Minorities in Physics… Physics Bio & Psych Non S&E attrition Feelings of insecurity and isolation prompt minority members to switch to other fields that provide suitable role models & inclusion in social networks.

9. Minorities in Physics… Physics Grade Card A B C D F physics as meritocracy grades All but the most outstanding minority members are ‘distilled’ from physics while weaker majority members cash in on social capital to continue towards degree.

10. UR Data 200# UR PHYSICS MAJORS graduating sophomore freshman enrolling junior senior ? ? ? ? ? ? female male ? ? ? ? ? ? UR data Policy should be driven by data: Recruitment, retention, grades, REU/internships, grad school acceptances, etc.

11. Tenets of a solution: Female physics majors must be formally gathered to discuss career hurdles they will face and taught strategies for success. Female physics majors must be brought together often and periodically with older female scientists so that they may together create and evolve a culture of female success, a sense of belonging, and a pride of membership. Female students must receive positive feedback from one another and from a mentor, a paid professional whose job it is to manage and foster a female undergraduate physics major student body. quotes-NSF

12. ? • TOP DOWN • positive • adds legitimacy • tackles many issues • Continuity year-to-year • negative • needs much oversight • requires $$ solutions Solutions • GRASS ROOTS • positive • flexible • works quickly • cheap & efficient • negative • depends strongly on volunteer leadership • lacks resources

13. A Simple Plan: Women In Physics plan-outline Target female introductory physics students. 1.Create new ‘grad student line’ to administer program. 2. Offer weekly tutoring/study-skills-lab for intro physics female students to encourage success & facilitate social networking. 3. Provide website for showcasing activities, warehousing resources and providing testimonials. 4. Organize off-site dinners each semester with invited speakers (role models) and older female majors presenting research talks.

14. A Simple Plan: Women In Physics plan-benefits Program Benefits: Not a club - does not depend on volunteer labor or unnecessary time demands on female majors. Not a large program - does not require major oversight or financial investments of university. Raises grad student awareness - creates female grad student leaders who may later improve grad program. Documents successes on internet - provides concrete example to other universities of simple solutions.