Who we are

Integrative Biology Women in Science is a UC Berkeley group of graduate students, post-docs, faculty, staff, and more.

Meetings

Join us for monthly meetings, where we share a meal and discuss WIS topics

Resources

Useful links, Funding Sources, Alternative Careers, and more.

Join Our Group

Join our listserve via https://calmail.berkeley.edu .

Monday, April 4, 2016

Interesting NYT Article

A relevant piece published in this Sunday's New York Times. A quote:

If our inventors and funders are homogeneous, Ms. Tariyal pointed out, then “our future is going to look homogeneous.”
Check it out here: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/03/opinion/sunday/the-tampon-of-the-future.html

Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Advice for applying to (and getting!) jobs at small liberal arts and 4-year teaching focused schools

Our last two meetings have focused on what it's like to apply for and work at small liberal arts schools and 4-year teaching-focused schools, so we wanted to post some of the take-home points and general advice that we've collected from these two meetings!

1. It is critical to be the "instructor of record" on at least one, preferably more courses...whether this is at a place like Berkeley (e.g. if you can get a position as the summer instructor of record for a course), or at a community college or somewhere else doesn't make that much of a difference, but this seems to be a minimum for making it through the door...GSIing isn't sufficient for being a professor in these types of positions.  Summer courses with high-schoolers where you are responsible for designing and executing the curriculum are also valuable. So is giving even just one lecture of a course you're GSIing.  For GSIing, having taught a diversity of courses is definitely more valuable than doing one course multiple times.

2. Publications are still important for getting in the door, too.  4-8 first-author publications, as an estimation. However,  surprisingly, multiple people have mentioned a trade-off where you actually don't want too many high-profile publications, otherwise the hiring committee will think you're only applying to small liberal arts schools as a back-up. Some teaching focused schools are actually starting to require post-doctoral experience.

3. It is a big selling point if your publications have undergraduate co-authors (they should be indicated with an asterisk on your CV).

4. Your CV should be restructured for teaching-focused jobs (the Berkeley Career Center can help with this)

5. It's hard to do field work - especially international field work - and be a liberal arts school professor. If you are trying to pitch any field work (and particularly international field work) when you apply, keep in mind it will only be possible in the summer (unless it's super local), and you'll want to come in being able to pitch specific sources of research funding that would also support bringing undergrads to the field.

6. During the interview process many liberal arts schools will have you do a teaching lecture for students and the hiring committee, usually on a general topic that is not your specific area of expertise.  Once you're in the door, the teaching lecture is often the thing that makes or breaks candidates. Even if it's a stretch, try to incorporate tried-and-true material into the lecture that you're familiar with, excited about, and know works well. Also do some interactive hands-on stuff, because the students like that and their feedback will be used.  Some schools will actually have you lecture on surprise topics that they don't let you know about beforehand, so be prepared!  Also, at small schools you will meet with everyone (from all the faculty to all the administrators), so be sure to have a very broad description of who you are and how you fit into the school.  

7. The community college interview process is different from the small liberal arts school / 4 year teaching-focused school process. Community college jobs should absolutely not be thought of as "back up" jobs, that's not what they are, and the hiring committee will be able to tell if you're applying for the job only as a back-up. Generally these positions won't care as much about your research and will be much more teaching focused. Their interview process will sometimes have writing portions in which you'll have to respond to a writing prompt (which you won't know of before-hand). Their teaching demos are often on surprise topics. 


Online Resources for finding Academic Jobs: 
https://www.higheredjobs.com/
https://chroniclevitae.com/
www.simplyhired.com
University/institution-specific websites (very important) 
https://www.cccregistry.org/jobs/index.aspx


Monday, March 7, 2016

March Meeting Announcement!

Please join us for this month's Women in Science meeting on Wednesday, March 16th, 1-2:30pm in 2063 VLSB. This month we are thrilled to welcome Dr. Darcy Kato Ernst back to campus to talk with IBWIS!  Darcy graduated from IB last year and is now an Assistant Professor of biology at the University of San Francisco. She will speak with us about the process of finding a job after graduation, applying for jobs while writing up, and her more recent experiences as a new professor.

When:  Wednesday March 16th 1-2:30pm
Where: 2063 VLSB 
Who:   Graduate students, post-docs, faculty, and staff - men and women - are all welcome. 
*If possible, please RSVP to thammond@berkeley.edu (or by replying to this email).*

A meal will be served!  Bring your plate, cup, and utensils to reduce waste. This meeting is generously funded by the Graduate Assembly and the Department of Integrative Biology.  If you have any questions, or would like to be on our listserve, please contact an IBWIS organizer.

Looking forward to seeing you at our next meeting!

New York Times Article: " She Wanted to Do Her Research. He Wanted to Talk ‘Feelings.’ "

A recent article in the New York Times highlighting some of the problems facing women in science:

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/06/opinion/sunday/she-wanted-to-do-her-research-he-wanted-to-talk-feelings.html?_r=0

Interested in helping with IB Women in Science?

Sorry for how long it has been!  Despite the lack of updates, the IB Women in Science group is alive and well and our monthly meetings continue this semester.  We had a great time hearing from Jennifer E. Smith, Assistant Professor of Biology at Mills College, who provided advice about applying for liberal arts school professorships. This month on March 16th, 1-2:30pm in 2063 VLSB we will here from Darcy Kato-Ernst, a new Assistant Professor of Biology at University of San Francisco who recently graduated with a PhD From IB!  Please check the Meetings page for updates about the rest of our meetings this semester.

Also, we are looking for additional organizational help with IB Women in Science. If you are a grad student (a variety of departments are welcome! We currently have organizers from IB and ESPM, but would also welcome folks from PMB, MCB, Public Health, and a variety of other departments, too!) who is interested in helping to plan and organize meetings for this group, please contact one of the current organizers to let them know!

Thanks!

-The IBWIS Team

Friday, January 16, 2015

Fall 2014 In Review

We apologize for any inconvenience and lack of update during Fall 2014. Here is a summary of the meetings, as well as any meeting minutes when appropriate. Stay tuned for Spring 2015!



Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Meeting minutes April 2014 - Dr. Stephanie Carlson

Dr. Stephanie Carlson from the ESPM department shared her rich experiences and advice about walking the academic path, being a young assistant professor at UC Berkeley, and working through the tenure process with IBWIS members. Dr. Carlson's lab website and April meeting minutes are now posted online!



Thursday, April 3, 2014

April Meeting Announcement: Dr. Stephanie Carlson

Please join us for this month's Women in Science meeting on April 9th, 1pm, in 4110 VLSB.This month we will hear from Stephanie Carlson, Assistant Professor of freshwater fish ecology in ESPM.  Stephanie will speak with us about her experience in academia and how she ended up in a tenure-track position at Berkeley!  A casual discussion and Q&A will follow.  A meal will be served!

When: Wed. April 9, 1:00-2:30pm
Where: 4110 VLSB
Who:   Graduate students, post-docs, faculty, and staff - men and women - are all welcome. 
*If possible, please RSVP to thammond@berkeley.edu (or by replying to this email).*

A meal will be served!  Bring your plate, cup, and utensils to reduce waste. This meeting is generously funded by the Graduate Assembly and the Department of Integrative Biology.  If you have any questions, or would like to be on our listserve, please contact an IBWIS organizer.

Looking forward to seeing you at our next meeting!

-IB WIS Organizers

Thursday, March 6, 2014

March Meeting Announcement: Taking your admin Questions! SPO, residency, taxes, teaching/funding, and more!

Please join us for this month's Integrative Biology Women in Science meeting on March 19th 1-2:30pm in 2063 VLSB.  This month we will discuss administrative questions!  Please bring questions about taxes, residency, teaching loads, funding questions, SPO questions, and any other topics you can think of!

When: 19 March, 1pm
Where: 2063 VLSB
Who:   Graduate students, post-docs, faculty, and staff - men and women - are all welcome. 
*If possible, please RSVP to thammond@berkeley.edu (or by replying to this email).*
**Please feel free to include any admin questions you have at this point in your email so I can start making a list!**

A meal will be served!  Bring your plate, cup, and utensils to reduce waste. This meeting is generously funded by the Graduate Assembly and the Department of Integrative Biology.  If you have any questions, or would like to be on our listserve, please contact an IBWIS organizer.

Looking forward to seeing you at our next meeting!

-IB WIS Organizers

Thursday, February 20, 2014

Meeting minutes Feb 2014 - Fieldwork panel

At our February meeting, a panel of graduate student researchers working in the north american and other international field sites shared their insights and experiences planning the work, hiring assistants, and dealing with unpredictable situations that may arise in the field. Thanks to all who came for a great discussion! 
Meeting minutes are posted online.
Link to resources from a previous meeting on fieldwork is here.

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

February Meeting Announcement: FIELD WORK PANEL & DISCUSSION

Please join us for this month's Women in Science meeting on Wed Feb 12, 1pm.  This month we will hear from a panel of field work pros, who will discuss logistics, planning, safety, permitting issues, field assistant hiring, and more!  Field-work related questions will be welcomed and a discussion will follow.

When: Wed Feb 12, 1pm
Where: 4110 VLSB
Who:   Graduate students, post-docs, faculty, and staff - men and women - are all welcome. 
*If possible, please RSVP to thammond@berkeley.edu (or by replying to this email).*

A meal will be served!  Bring your plate, cup, and utensils to reduce waste. This meeting is generously funded by the Graduate Assembly and the Department of Integrative Biology.  If you have any questions, or would like to be on our listserve, please contact an IBWIS organizer.

Sunday, December 8, 2013

December Meeting Announcement: Gender and social dynamics in the lab


Please join us for this month's Women in Science meeting on Mon. Dec 9 4:30-6pm.  This month we will discuss gender and social dynamics in the lab, considering the effects of different gender distributions, sizes, and other factors on overall lab dynamics.  We will hear from a panel of speakers from a wide range of lab types and a casual discussion will follow.

When: Mon. Dec 9, 4:30-6:00pm
Where: 2063 VLSB
Who:   Graduate students, post-docs, faculty, and staff - men and women - are all welcome. 
*If possible, please RSVP to thammond at berkeley *

A meal will be served!  Bring your plate, cup, and utensils to reduce waste. This meeting is generously funded by the Graduate Assembly and the Department of Integrative Biology.  If you have any questions, or would like to be on our listserve, please contact an IBWIS organizer.

Looking forward to seeing you at our next meeting!

-IB WIS Organizers

Thursday, November 21, 2013

Meeting minutes Nov 2013 - Negotiating for post-PhD jobs

At our November meeting, a panel of post-doctorate researchers shared their insights and experiences searching, interviewing and negotiating for a postdoctorate appointment and faculty position.
Meeting minutes are now posted online!

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

November Meeting Announcement: Job negotiation

Please join us for this month's Women in Science meeting on November 20th.  This month's topic is the job interview and negotiation process.  We will hear from a panel of experienced or soon-to-be post-doctoral scholars or faculty members.  A casual discussion and Q&A will follow.  

When: Nov 20, 1:00-2:30pm
Where: 4110 VLSB
Who:   Graduate students, post-docs, faculty, and staff - men and women - are all welcome. 
*If possible, please RSVP by email to thammond at berkeley*

A meal will be served!  Bring your plate, cup, and utensils to reduce waste. This meeting is generously funded by the Graduate Assembly and the Department of Integrative Biology.  If you have any questions, or would like to be on our listserve, please contact an IBWIS organizer.

Looking forward to seeing you at our next meeting!

Monday, October 28, 2013

Meeting minutes Oct 2013 - Dr. Mimi Koehl

At our October meeting, Dr. Mimi Koehl shared sage advice about being a successful faculty member, being a woman scientist and time management skills with IBWIS members. Dr. Koehl's biography and the October meeting minutes are now posted online!