Meeting minutes Sep 2013 - The female scientist in the media

Thanks everyone for a lively discussion on several portrayal of the female scientists in the media!

To recap, we introduced different portrayals of female scientists in these videos:
MV Parody: the most beautiful girl in the lab 
Women in Science: Perspectives from Africa
European Science committee Ad to encourage young girls into science

And highlighted a few key findings from a study on how women are represented in films and television by UK's SET (Science Engineering and Technology) group.

The consensus was that scientific endeavors should be portrayed as a fundamental nature of humanity rather than being a gender-specific conquest. Yet, because the general public seldom interacts with the scientific community, more efforts should be invested in showcasing the diversity of a scientists' background.

Stay tuned for the next meeting in October!

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September Meeting Announcement: Portraying the female scientist in the media.

Join us for this month's Women In Science Meeting TODAY Wednesday at 6 pm in 3019 VLSB.  We will discuss the portrayal of the female scientist in the media. We will consider a series of short videos, then a casual discussion will follow. Food will be served!  Please respond to this email if you cannot make today's meeting but would like to be added to the Women in Science list in order to receive future meeting announcements.

When:  WednesdaySep 18, 6-7:30 pm
Where: VLSB 3019
Who:    Graduate students, post-docs, faculty, and staff are all welcome. 

*If possible, please RSVP to swchang [a] berkeley.edu*
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 any of the IB WIS organizers.

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IB WIS Meeting: Parents in Academia April 10, 1pm, 5047 VLSB

Please join us for this month's Women in Science meeting on April 10th from 1-2:30 pm in 5047 VLSB.  This month the theme will be "Parents in Academia."  A student panel will share their experiences on becoming mothers and fathers during their graduate careers, navigating through the UC insurance system, and any related questions you may have.

What: Parents in Academia

When: April 10, 1-2:30 pm

Where: 5047 VLSB

Who:   Graduate students, post-docs, faculty, and staff 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

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Working and Teaching Science at Liberal Arts Schools: IB WIS Meeting Mar. 12 1:00pm

Please join us for this month's Women in Science meeting on TUESDAY Mar. 12 at 1:00pm in room 547 LSA.  This month we will hear from Dr. Sharon Lynn, Associate Professor of Biology at Wooster College, and Dr. Morgan Benowitz-Fredericks, Assistant Professor of Biology at Bucknell University.  Dr. Lynn and Dr. Benowitz-Fredericks will discuss what it's like to get a job, teach, and work as a scientist in a liberal arts school.

When: Tue Mar 12, 1:00-2:30 pm

Where: 5053 VLSB (note room change)

Who:   Graduate students, post-docs, faculty, and staff (men and women!) are all welcome! 

*If possible, please RSVP to thammond [at] berkeley*

Lunch will be served.  Please 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 any of the IB WIS organizers.

Looking forward to seeing you at our next meeting!

-IB WIS Organizers

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Meeting Minutes - Feb 13 Social Media & Online Presence in Science

Thanks everyone for a great meeting on the role of online presence and social media in science.  At this meeting we learned that job search committees will look at your online presence, for better or for worse, so here are some tips about maintaining a positive online presence:

Blogs/ Twitter
-Can be a great way to connect with public and communicate science in an approachable way
-Unfortunately could be safest to hold off on promoting controversial issues until after a job is secured (or after tenure!)
-Even non-controversial issues on blogs can get picked up by extremists who can cause damage through email bombing and phone calls; you have to pick your battles
-Keep blogs positive and focus on exciting research or professional activities
-At conferences Twitter can be especially good for tracking what's going on and making connections
-If you want to have a "secret" page where you can be honest and open about anything, set up a special e-mail adress for it and don't put your name on it

Emails
-At Berkeley (and other federally funded/public email accounts) they have a record of all of your emails, even deleted ones...

Facebook/Social Sites

more after the break!

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Deep Sea News

An interesting and honest post from Kevin Zelnio at Deep Sea News on work vs. life balance and the leaky pipeline, two issues that affect most (if not all!) academics.
http://deepseanews.com/2013/02/19294/

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Feb WIS Meeting: Social Media and Web Presence For Scientists

Join us for this month's Women In Science Meeting on February 13 at 7pm in 2063 VLSB.  We will discuss the role of social media and web presence in science, public outreach and career development.  A panel of speakers  including professors and graduate students will consider the topic and a casual discussion will follow.  Thai food will be served!

When: Feb 13, 7-9pm

Where: VLSB 2063

Who:   Graduate students, post-docs, faculty, and staff are all welcome. 

*If possible, please RSVP to thammond [at] berkeley (or by replying to this email).*

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 any of the IB WIS organizers.

Looking forward to seeing you at our next meeting!

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Dec WIS Meeting 7-9pm 4110 VLSB Yamana Science and Technology Third Space

Join us for the final Women in Science meeting of the semester on December 5, 7-9pm in 4110 VLSB.  This month we will hear from Kennan Salinero, ED and President of Yamana Science and Technology, and Jack Bulat, co-presenter and current MCB grad student.  Yamana is an organization that envisions a science culture where both people and ideas flourish in the presence of effective support, balanced lifestyles, and thriving workplaces.  Yamana's Third Space interactive event is designed in three parts. First, the presenters will share a short biographical sketch, up close and personal, to open up the space. We will then present some of the current trends and statistics that we have gathered regarding employment, workplace dynamics, and other aspects of science in the United States. The final part will entail a creative exercise to explore possibilities for the future of science and the systems which support it.  A volunteer opportunity for interested grad students will also be discussed (see attachment).

When: Dec 5, 7-9pm

Where: VLSB 4110

Who:   Graduate students, post-docs, faculty, and staff are all welcome. 

*If possible, please RSVP to thammond [at] berkeley (or by replying to this email).*

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 any of the IB WIS organizers.

Looking forward to seeing you at our next meeting!

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Postdocs on Parade - Nov 14 Meeting Minutes

We heard from a number of current or soon-to-be postdocs who graciously shared their wisdom and helped to compile the following list about finding, funding and choosing a postdoc, and about work/life balance once you get a postdoc.  Thanks to all who came for a great discussion!

Finding a postdoc

-The #1 answer: Networking!

-Ask professors and current postdocs for suggestions and application examples

-Throughout grad school, go to as many conferences/meetings as possible and make connections...

-Narrowing the search: three main ways to initially pick potential postdoc lab:
(more after the jump)

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IB WIS Meeting - Nov 14 @ 1pm - Postdocs on Parade!

Please join us for November's Women in Science meeting on Nov. 14th from 1-2:30 pm in 4110 VLSB.  This month the theme will be "Postdocs on Parade"; we will discuss the process of getting and acquiring funding for a postdoc, work/life balance during the postdoc, and how to strategically plan postdocs to help prepare for the job search. A panel of current Berkeley post-docs will discuss their experiences with these issues.

When:  Nov 14, 1-2:30

Where: VLSB 4110

Who:   Graduate students, post-docs, faculty, and staff are all welcome. 

*If possible, please RSVP to thammond [at] berkeley [dot] edu*

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 any of the IB WIS organizers.  Looking forward to seeing you at our next meeting!

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The role of feminine charm in the negotiating process for women

A recent study from the Haas School of Business has found that feminine charm aids women when they are negotiating. Numerous studies have documented that women face a "double-bind" when they negotiate. If they act assertively in their best interests (a winning strategy for men), they are perceived as unlikable and consequently pay a negotiating penalty. If they fail to negotiate assertively, their interests are not taken seriously and their negotiation outcomes are poor (1, 2, 3). The authors of this recent study suggest that the use of feminine charm, a combination of friendly and flirtatious behavior, simultaneously communicates personal agency and willingness to cooperate with negotiating partners, allowing women to escape this "double-bind". Read more at:

The Daily Californian: Flirting improves chances of successful negotiations, Haas study finds

Kray LJ, Locke CC, and Van Zant AB. (2012) Feminine Charm: An Experimental Analysis of its Costs and Benefits in Negotiations. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. 38(10): 1343 - 1357.

Works Cited:

1. Rudman L. A. (1998). Self-promotion as a risk factor for women: The costs and benefits of counterstereotypical impression management. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 74, 629-645.

2. Rudman L. A., Glick P. (1999). Feminized management and backlash toward agentic women: The hidden costs to women of a kinder, gentler image of middle managers. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 77, 1004-1010.

3. Bowles H. R., Babcock L., Lai L. (2007). Social incentives for gender differences in the propensity to initiate negotiations: Sometimes it does hurt to ask.Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 103, 84-103.

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Meeting Minutes - Oct. 10 2012 - Biases in Science

RACIAL BIASES

• Minorities are underrepresented in STEM fields 
• Socioeconomic status and race are often related; the playing field is not level
• In other fields, a resume with a stereotypically black name will elicit lower hiring success than the very same resume with a stereotypically white name (Bertrand and Mullainathan 2003).

GENDER BIASES

• Women are underrepresented in STEM fields

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IB WIS Meeting on Gender, Race, and Subconscious Bias in Academic Science, 10/10, 1pm, 4110 VLSB

Please join IB Women in Science for a lunchtime discussion about gender, race, and subconscious bias in academia on Wednesday, October 10th from 1pm to 2:30pm in 4110 VLSB. We will be discussing the recent, highly controversial PNAS article "Science faculty's subtle gender biases favor male students" by Moss-Racusin et al., as well as research on subtle racial biases in science, over a delicious meal of Thai food. One goal of the meeting is to create a list of ways that individual scientists, departments, and universities can mitigate the effects of subconscious bias. Please RSVP to Sofia Chang (swchang at berkeley.edu) so that we know how much food to order.

You can find the PNAS article here: http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2012/09/14/1211286109.abstract

Other recent coverage of the article:
Bias persists against women in science, a study finds (NY Times)
Room for Debate: Breaking the bias against women in science (NY Times)
Even scientists are sexist as hell (Gawker)
Scientists, your gender bias is showing (Discover Magazine)

This is event is sponsored by the UC Berkeley Graduate Assembly.

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Miss Representation screening, Weds, 9/12 at 7pm

Please join IB Women in Science for a screening of the hit documentary Miss Representation, a contraversial film about the portrayal of women in the media, on Wednesday, Sept. 12th. We will provide the movie, lots of yummy snacks, and opportunities for discussion - you just need to bring yourself (and maybe a first year labmate)! Everyone is welcome - the issues that face women in science face us all, directly or indirectly.

When: Wednesday, Sept. 12th, 7-9pm
Where: 2063 VLSB
Who:   Graduate students, post-docs, faculty, and staff are all welcome. Please RSVP to wrightml@berkeley.edu so that we know how many people to expect!

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Where are the women in Ecology?

A new letter published in Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment looks at gender inequality in authorship.

ESA Article: Laura Jane Martin

Using authors published in Ecology in 2011, Laura Jane Martin compared the differences between men and women in the number of papers authored, author position (lead or last), and acknowledged field assistants. Have a look to read what she found.

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