Chemical world This week
The Top Stories The chemical industry's dismal financial performance is mainly due to an almost unprecedented lack of growth in demand 23
University of Southern California scientists develop sensing device for blood sugar 23
Carbon monoxide is probably removed from the atmosphere by ordinary soil microorganisms 24
Difficulties of marketing new drugs in the U.S. lead the drug industry into new areas 26
1970 was a bad year for Canadian chemical companies, and the near-term outlook isn't bright 36
FDA Commissioner Charles C. Edwards defends agency's policy on combination drugs before House subcommittee 44
NATO programs give international scope to scientific research in numerous countries 50
Hydrometallurgical process produces pure metals from ocean nodules 56
C&EN's Dave Kiefer examines the housing industry and concludes that only a gradual revolution is underway 62
May 10, 1971
FEW WOMEN IN ACADEM A Nearly 60% of the chemistry de- nesota chemists obtained informapartments in U.S. universities and tion from the graduate directory colleges do not have any women on and Statistical Abstracts on faculty their faculties. Of all faculty mem- composition for 67 of the remainbers in chemistry, 3.1% are women. ing 71 faculties that didn't respond. These statistics are based on 105 If data for 172 schools are used, .the university and college chemistry percentage of women on chemistry faculties surveyed for the academic faculties drops to 2.2%. "Academic institutions readily acyear 1969-70 by Dr. Shyamala Rajender, assistant professor of chem- cept women as graduate and underistry at the University of Minnesota, graduate students in chemistry, but when it comes to women on the facMinneapolis. Despite the fact that the percent- ulty, the picture is woeful/' Dr. age of women on chemistry facul- Rajender contends. She finds, for ties is low, the survey does not nec- instance, that in 1969-70 women acessarily point to blanket discrimi- counted for 17.8% of all undergradnation against women chemists in uates in chemistry (1943 women out academia, simply because there are of 10,888 undergraduates) and several unknowns with which the 14.2% of all graduate students in survey does not attempt to deal. chemistry (1141 women of 8015 However, in 105 For example, how large is the sup- graduates). ply of qualified women chemists for schools investigated, of a total 2261 academic positions? But the sur- chemistry faculty members, only 72 vey is apparently the first compre- were women. In 172 schools having hensive study on the status of a total 3925 faculty members, only women chemists in academia and, 90 were women. Among the 90 women, Dr. Rajenas such, it is likely to have some impact on university administrators der finds that 13 had the rank of full professor (including three emand educators. Assisted by research associate eritus), 15 women were associate Joan Rosenfield, Dr. Rajender sur- professors, 23 were assistant proveyed 176 faculties listed in the ACS fessors, and 39 were subprofessorial Directory of Graduate Research. and other appointees, such as inIn addition to 105 faculties that structor, research associate, and adcompleted questionnaires, the Min- junct professor. Not one of the 90 Most university chemistry faculties do not have any women members Number of women on faculty1
Number
Total group of faculties surveyed
Per cent
Faculties w th 25 members or more Per cent Number
0
113
65.6%
42
67.7%
1
41
23.9
13
20.9
2
13
7.5
4
6.5 0
3
2
1.2
0
4
0
0
0
0
5
2
1.2
2
3.2
6
0
0
0
0
7
1 TOTAL 172
0.6 100.0%
1 62
1.6 99.9% b
a None of the faculties surveyed had more than seven women members. b Total does not equal 100.0% because of rounding. MAY 10, 1971 C&EN 21
