WASHINGTON WIRE

September 2021

» Happening At AWIS

‣ Introducing AWIS News Brief. We know how important it is to have direct access to the latest information, trends, and developments in our ever-changing field, therefore Washington Wire will be moving to a weekly in-depth news brief. We are also taking this opportunity to rebrand as AWIS News Brief and partnering with Multiview to produce the newsletter. Please add awis@multibriefs.com to your safe sender list and look out for AWIS News Brief on Tuesdays!

‣ Disability in STEM event this week. On Thursday, September 23 at 2 p.m., hear from a panel of disabled in STEM advocates on why disabilities make better scientists and how science can become more inclusive. The event will be recorded and live captioning will be provided.

‣ AWIS is turning 50! Join the virtual celebration on Thursday, October 28 from 2-3 p.m. EDT. We’ll celebrate 50 years of advocating for women in science; hear from keynote speaker Dr. Marie A. Bernard, Chief Officer for Scientific Workforce Diversity at NIH; and announce AWIS’ annual award winners.

‣ Member perk: AWIS directory. AWIS members can use the newly re-launched membership directory to expand their professional networks, connect with possible collaborators, identify potential members, and more. Not a member? Consider joining.

» In Case You Missed It

‣ Gender pay gap in academia vs. industry: For women in science, the gender pay gap is worse in academia than in industry. Why is this? AWIS member Dr. Joanne Kamens explains, “The complex processes and politics of academic institutions lend themselves to such disparities.” (Inside Higher Ed)

‣ Authorship disputes point to inequity: A new survey reveals that women scientists face more authorship disputes than men, including lack of consensus on the order of authors listed and the unfair omission of contributors. Women’s contributions are ultimately being undervalued, according to the coauthor of the study. (Physics Today)

‣ Olay teams up with Joy Buolamwini: Data scientist Joy Buolamwini, star of the documentary Coded Bias, is the face of Olay’s new #DecodeTheBias campaign, aimed at pushing back on racial bias in facial recognition technology and increasing the number of women of color entering STEM careers. (Essence)

‣ The Latinas taking NASA to Mars: In celebration of Hispanic and Latinx Heritage Month, three Latina NASA engineers—Clara O’Farrell, Christina Hernandez, and Diana Trujillo—are being recognized for playing key roles in NASA’s Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover mission. (Axios)

‣ Award opportunities for chemists: The American Chemical Society (ACS) awards nomination process is open until November 1, 2021. Nominators do not have to be ACS members and many awards are open to non-ACS members. Nominate your colleagues today. (American Chemical Society)

» The Bottom Line

“

By investing in your working mothers, and all of your employees, you become a beacon of hope in a field long-mired by a lack of equality.”

– Read the full article “How to Work Well with Working Mothers – and Why it’s Worth It” by Jessica Larson on the AWIS website.