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| Me (left) and former classmate (2000) |
As many other professional women, I am thrilled to see many
discussions and articles actively being published about women in science and
the professional world. Recently, the Harvard Business Review published an
article titled “Emotional, Bossy, Too Nice−
the biases that still hold female leaders back and how to overcome them” about obstacles
many of us may think do not exist for women in the workplace but are very much
alive. New York Times recently took a realistic look at women in science with
their article titled “Why Are There Still So Few Women in Science?” in
which the author, a former physics student at Yale University discusses her
experience and challenges as a student in an environment in which women were
not encouraged to pursue a career in physics, a field typically dominated by
males. As I was reading the article, many of her experiences awoke my own
memories. As I was reading the article I
found myself saying ‘that definitely happened to me’ as a science major during my
undergraduate years. Like the author and other women interviewed for the
article, often times I felt discouraged, sad, and ready to drop out of my
department. The key difference is that I was not discouraged by my parents like
the author was, but by my female science professors. Some felt that I didn't
have the right preparation and therefore instead of offering support, thought
the easiest thing for me to do was to change my dreams completely and major in
something else.
It may sound hard to believe other female professors and advisers;
the same ones who likely faced discrimination and lack of support themselves
when they were completing their studies would be themselves unsupportive. But
my situation was a bit unique. I was not a typical student. By the time I
started college I had major obstacles I was to overcome if I was to become a
scientist or admitted into veterinary school. By the time I started college, I
had done 4 years of bilingual High School having immigrated to the US at 14
years of age. Like most students in the South Bronx High School, I was grossly
under prepared for any science studies. Even so, I was determined to major in
biology as I pursued my dreams of become a veterinarian or some kind of
scientist. I struggled as the courses levels increased but through many hours
of tutoring and hard studying I was able to pull nearly perfect GPA during my
first semester. Having conversations with fellow students and professors was a
different issue nevertheless. I was extremely shy and self-aware, and often
felt inadequate.
Throughout my years as an undergraduate, I joined student
organizations, became president of a student organization, gave free Latin
dance lessons, and joined the physics students group as I
also developed great interest in learning about the subject. I had read physics
books about quantum mechanics during my summer breaks, and became fascinated by
a world difficult to understand. Of course, I never discussed the possibility
of pursuing a degree in physics with anyone and I’m glad I didn't. After two years at a state school, I was
popular for being ‘smart’ and my confidence was better. It was time to do what
most students with good grades do who attend Morrisville: apply to Cornell
University. I was ready to continue my bachelors for two more years in biology,
and my adviser knew I would eventually apply to veterinary school. When she
learned of my plans, she discouraged me based on the fact that she didn't want
me to go through the “back door”; she wanted me to enter through the “front
door” which meant applying to their premed school program first. I knew that
would be a difficult task for me, as I needed more preparation. I deduced I was not going to kid myself and
never applied. The same adviser discouraged me to applying to other schools I
was interested in. Still, I needed to transfer so I settled into applying into three
state schools. My application was accepted for all the schools I applied to. I
sent an angry E-mail to my adviser, and always wondered what if…
Those experiences had a tremendous amount of influence on
the type of decisions I made about my future after graduation, like working instead
of applying to graduate school. My
ability to trust people who were supposed to encourage me to ‘aim high’ was definitely
affected. Yet, I am sure what happened to me happens to other students-
especially ones of minority backgrounds- all the time. As Eileen Pollack reminds us in her article …“The
numbers of black and Hispanic scientists are even lower; in a typical year, 13
African-Americans and 20 Latinos of either sex receive Ph.D.’s in physics. The
reasons for those shortages are hardly mysterious — many minority students
attend secondary schools that leave them too far behind to catch up in science,
and the effects of prejudice at every stage of their education are well documented.
But what could still be keeping women out of the STEM fields”. These issues are not unique to the field of
physics. As a student in the biological sciences I experienced the same lack of
preparation and challenges she describes.
Today, I work not as a scientist but as a research safety
specialist for Columbia University. In my daily activities, I encounter
scientists at the top of their field, with grants in the millions of dollars.
Their research is featured in the news, newspapers, journals, and scientific
articles on a regular basis. The job
also offers me with a good opportunity for me to learn about different types of
bio-medical research.Most principal investigators are men, while most laboratory
managers are females. Why aren't more women principal investigators? Surely, Columbia University puts a great amount
of effort to recruit women and other minorities. But there are still obstacles
women and minorities of underprivileged backgrounds face. And they must compete
with brilliant colleagues with impeccable preparation and qualifications that
happen to be male.
Male cliques, favoritism, “and boys club” mentality
in any professional or scientific setting is harmful for women. Managers, presidents,
chairs, and other persons with position
of power must commit to change those types of behaviors in the work place. I can hardly blame women who sabotage each
other in the workplace as they’re trying to be taken seriously, and compete for
the same benefits male colleagues do.
I’m glad things are changing. Businesses and schools are working harder
than ever to recruit women. Whether women will give up, or continue their
career in any field will depend on how much support they get.
Like me, many will not give up based on self-motivation and persistence. A
little discouragement can go a long way though, and we ought to remember this
when our little girls are young ready to explore the world.
Information about the articles:
Harvard
Business Review. Sep2013,
Vol. 91 Issue 9, p12-1. 1p.
