EDUCATION
SMALL INCREASE IN WOMEN FACULTY C&EN’s ANNUAL SURVEY shows women making slow progress LINDA R. RABER, C&EN WASHINGTON
DESPITE SOME PROGRESS gained over the past year, women continue to suffer from low representation on chemistry faculties in the U.S. At the 50 chemistry departments that spend the most on research, the proportion of women on chemistry faculty rose to 15% from 14% last year. Representation of women at the assistant and full professor ranks increased slightly at these universities while holding steady at the associate professor rank. Universities in the second tier, those ranked 51–100, which were surveyed for the first time this year, have a considerably smaller proportion of women at the associate professor rank than do universities in the top 50; otherwise, there is little difference in the representation of women among the first- and second-tier university chemistry departments. These are some of the results of C&EN’s most recent survey of chemistry departments in the U.S. This fall, C&EN surveyed the 100 universities identified by the National Science Foundation as having spent the most on total and federally funded research in chemistry during fiscal 2005, the latest year for which data are available. C&EN contacted the universities by e-mail and asked them to provide the number of male and female tenured and tenure-track faculty holding full, associate, and assistant professorships with at least 50% of their salaries paid by the chemistry department in the 2007–08 academic year. These numbers exclude emeritus professors, instructors, and lecturers, as well as any faculty and endowed professors whose salaries are not paid by the chemistry department. The response rate was 98%; nonresponding departments’ data were taken from the faculty listings on their websites. For 2007–08, women make up just 11% of full professors and 22% each of assis-
College, with 35% women, and third, the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras, with 30% women. In absolute numbers the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras, with 12 on its faculty has the most women. At an October hearing in the U.S. House of Representatives, University of Miami President Donna E. Shalala reiterated what is becoming an often-heard but little-heeded call to action. Along with others testifying before a subcommittee of the House Committee on Science & Technology, Shalala called on “faculty, university leaders, professional and scientific societies, federal agencies, and the federal government” to unite to ensure that “all of our nation’s people
tant and associate professors at the top 50 chemistry departments. These ratios have changed little from last year (C&EN, Dec. 18, 2006, page 58). This year, there are a total of 1,616 chemistry faculty in this tier; of them, 235 are women. The second-tier departments were surveyed this MINOR PROGRESS year on the chance that the Just 15% of chemistry professors at top 50 U.S. proportion of women on universities are women their faculties might be different at this level. There 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 Full 6% 7% 7% 8% 8% 9% 10% 11% was very little difference. Associate 21 20 20 20 19 21 22 22 Overall, women at departAssistant 18 20 21 21 20 21 21 22 ments in this tier also make All ranks 10% 11% 12% 12% 12% 13% 14% 15% up 15% of all faculty, includNOTE: The top 50 are schools identified by the National Science Foundaing 11% of full professors, tion as having spent the most money on total and federally funded re18% of associate professors, search in chemistry. SOURCE: C&EN annual surveys and 23% of assistant professors. In these 50 universities, women held are welcomed and encouraged to excel in 169 of 1,149 faculty posts in chemistry. science and engineering in our research universities.” Shalala, who was testifying as chair of a FOR THE TOP 50 schools, there is a tie 2006 National Academies study, “Beyond this year for the school with the highest Bias and Barriers: Fulfilling the Potential proportion of women faculty between Rutof Women in Academic Science and Engers University, which shared top honors gineering,” told lawmakers that women in last year’s list, and a newcomer to the scientists and engineers are impeded list, the University of Texas M. D. Anderson “because of gender and racial/ethnic bias Cancer Center; each has 25% of its chemand outmoded ‘rules’ governing academic istry faculty who are women. Coming in success.” She called women’s underrepsecond in the top 50 is the University of resentation on academic science and enCalifornia, Los Angeles, where 24% of the gineering faculties “deeply troubling and faculty are women. UCLA joined Rutgers embarrassing.” University at the head of the list last year. The study, which is available online at In third place this year is Purdue Univerwww.nap.edu, discusses the concept of atsity, with 23% of its chemistry faculty who taining a “critical mass” of women within are women. In absolute numbers, Purdue individual departments. The theory is that has the most women in the top tier, with 12 if the number of women in a department on its chemistry faculty. grows to about 20%, a social tipping point In the second 50 universities, Virginia occurs and women “start to perceive Commonwealth University leads its cohort their common interests and join together with 44% of its chemistry faculty who are to press for improvements in policies women. Coming in second in this tier is relevant to their needs.” Given this defithe City University of New York, Hunter nition, only 11 departments in the top 50 and 11 departments in the second 50 have the gender diversity to reach this critical mass. Many chemistry departments are likely lonely places for women faculty. ■
Many chemistry departments are likely lonely places for women faculty. WWW.C E N- ONLI NE .ORG
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D EC E M BE R 24, 20 07
WOMEN IN ACADEMIA, TOP 50 SCHOOLS
Women held the greatest share of chemistry professorships at Rutgers and M. D. Anderson Cancer Center FULL PROFESSOR TOTAL WOMEN %
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR TOTAL WOMEN %
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR TOTAL WOMEN %
TOTAL
ALL FACULTY WOMEN
%
Akron, U of Arizona State U Arizona, U of California Inst. of Technology California, U of, Berkeley
11 22 19 25 37
2 2 5 2 5
18% 9 26 8 14
5 11 5 1 7
0 2 0 1 1
0% 18 0 100 14
2 12 6 3 6
0 5 1 1 1
0% 42 17 33 17
18 45 30 29 50
2 9 6 4 7
California, U of, Irvine California, U of, Los Angeles California, U of, San Diego California, U of, San Francisco Chicago, U of
27 29 28 13 14
1 6 4 0 1
4 21 14 0 7
2 7 2 3 3
0 1 0 2 1
0 14 0 67 33
8 5 14 3 6
4 3 1 0 0
50 60 7 0 0
37 41 44 19 23
5 10 5 2 2
14 24 11 11 9
Colorado, U of Cornell U Delaware, U of Florida State U Florida, U of
28 19 17 14 26
5 2 2 2 1
18 11 12 14 4
5 5 8 8 11
1 0 2 2 3
20 0 25 25 27
10 5 5 11 9
1 0 2 1 2
10 0 40 9 22
43 29 30 33 46
7 2 6 5 6
16 7 20 15 13
Georgia Inst. of Technology Harvard U Illinois, U of, Urbana-Champaign Indiana U Johns Hopkins U
25 21 26 16 14
1 4 4 0 0
4 19 15 0 0
5 1 4 6 1
0 0 1 2 0
0 0 25 33 0
9 5 6 9 4
3 0 1 0 2
33 0 17 0 50
39 27 36 31 19
4 4 6 2 2
10 15 17 7 11
Louisiana State U Maryland, U of, College Park Massachusetts Inst. of Technology Massachusetts, U of, Amherst Michigan, U of
18 20 21 9 21
1 5 3 0 2
6 25 14 0 10
7 8 4 10 7
2 1 2 2 2
29 13 50 20 29
6 8 3 3 10
2 2 1 1 4
33 25 33 33 40
31 36 28 22 38
5 8 6 3 8
16 22 21 14 21
Michigan State U Minnesota, U of North Carolina, U of, Chapel Hill Northwestern U Ohio State U
24 23 27 23 25
2 0 5 1 4
8 0 19 4 16
7 9 6 2 3
1 1 2 0 1
14 11 33 0 33
4 6 4 1 7
1 3 0 0 0
25 50 0 0 0
35 38 37 26 35
4 4 7 1 5
11 11 19 4 14
Pennsylvania, U of Pennsylvania State U Pittsburgh, U of Princeton U Purdue U
21 18 11 17 32
2 2 1 0 4
10 11 9 0 13
6 9 7 2 13
1 2 1 2 5
17 22 14 100 38
3 6 11 3 7
1 1 2 0 3
33 17 18 0 43
30 33 29 22 52
4 5 4 2 12
13 15 14 9 23
Rice U Rutgers U South Carolina, U of Southern Mississippi, U of Stanford U
14 30 15 4 15
1 7 1 1 1
7 23 7 25 7
2 5 4 2 4
1 3 1 0 0
50 60 25 0 0
4 5 8 8 2
0 0 2 1 1
0 0 25 13 50
20 40 27 14 21
2 10 4 2 2
10 25 15 14 10
State U of New York, Buffalo State U of New York, Stony Brook Texas A&M U Texas, U of, Austin Texas, U of, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
23 18 34 34 5
1 3 4 1 1
4 17 12 3 20
4 6 3 6 6
1 2 0 1 1
25 33 0 17 17
7 5 8 10 5
1 1 1 3 2
14 20 13 30 40
34 29 45 50 16
3 6 5 5 4
9 21 11 10 25
Utah, U of Virginia Polytechnic Inst. & State U Virginia, U of Washington, U of Wisconsin, U of, Madison
21 15
1 2
5 13
4 8
1 1
25 13
6 5
2 0
33 0
31 28
4 3
13 11
21 26 27
1 2 2
5 8 7
2 3 4
0 1 1
0 33 25
3 7 7
2 1 1
67 14 14
26 36 38
3 4 4
12 11 11
1,043
110
263
58
310
67
1,616
235
TOTAL
11%
22%
NOTE: Appointments as of 2007–08 academic year. SOURCE: C&EN survey
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22%
11% 20 20 14 14
15%
EDUCATION
WOMEN IN ACADEMIA, SECOND 50 SCHOOLS
Virginia Commonwealth University and Hunter College have greatest share of women FULL PROFESSOR TOTAL WOMEN %
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR TOTAL WOMEN %
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR TOTAL WOMEN %
TOTAL
ALL FACULTY WOMEN
%
Alabama, U of, Huntsville Arkansas, U of Boston C Boston U Brown U
7 13 13 14 11
0 2 1 0 0
0% 15 8 0 0
4 5 1 4 6
1 0 0 1 1
25% 0 0 1 17
2 3 7 7 4
0 0 1 0 2
0% 0 14 0 50
13 21 21 25 21
1 2 2 1 3
8% 10 10 4 14
California, U of Santa Cruz California, U of, Davis California, U of, Riverside California, U of, Santa Barbara Carnegie Mellon U
16 21 14 19 10
1 7 1 1 0
6 33 7 5 0
4 7 6 4 7
1 0 1 1 2
25 0 17 25 29
4 6 5 5 4
0 2 2 2 1
0 33 40 40 25
24 34 25 28 21
2 9 4 4 3
8 27 16 14 14
Case Western Reserve U Clemson U Colorado State U Columbia U Connecticut, U of
11 12 19 15 15
1 1 4 2 2
9 8 21 13 13
3 5 7 2 6
1 1 1 0 1
33 20 14 0 17
3 6 2 5 7
0 1 1 1 1
0 17 50 20 14
17 23 28 22 28
2 3 6 3 4
12 13 21 14 14
Cincinnati, U of Dartmouth C Duke U Emory U Georgia, U of
15 11 14 13 16
1 1 1 0 0
7 9 7 0 0
6 2 4 2 5
2 0 0 0 0
33 0 0 0 0
5 2 4 4 5
2 1 1 1 1
40 50 25 25 20
26 15 22 19 26
5 2 2 1 1
19 13 9 5 4
Houston U Illinois, U of, Chicago Iowa State U Iowa, U of Kansas, U of
13 10 20 6 16
1 1 3 1 2
8 10 15 17 13
7 4 2 10 8
0 0 1 2 3
0 0 50 20 38
4 5 5 9 6
1 0 2 1 1
25 0 40 11 17
24 19 27 25 30
2 1 6 4 6
8 5 22 16 20
Kentucky, U of Maine, U of Mississippi State U Missouri, U of, Columbia Montana State U
15 6 4 10 10
2 1 0 1 1
13 17 0 10 10
8 6 4 6 6
1 1 0 3 3
13 17 0 50 50
4 0 3 3 3
0 0 1 1 0
0 0 33 33 0
27 12 11 19 19
3 2 1 5 4
11 17 9 26 21
Nebraska, U of New Mexico State U New York U New York, City U of, Hunter C North Carolina State U
12 8 10 13 14
1 0 1 4 0
8 0 10 31 0
5 5 5 2 3
0 1 0 0 1
0 20 0 0 33
5 6 3 5 8
1 3 0 3 2
20 50 0 60 25
22 19 18 20 25
2 4 1 7 3
9 21 6 35 12
North Dakota State U Northeastern U Notre Dame, U of Oklahoma, U of Puerto Rico, U of, Rio Piedras
5 17 22 15 31
0 2 0 1 9
0 12 0 7 29
6 6 6 7 3
1 0 2 2 0
17 0 33 29 0
5 2 6 7 6
0 1 2 3 3
0 50 33 43 50
16 25 34 29 40
1 3 4 6 12
6 12 12 21 30
Southern Calif., U of Tennessee, U of Texas Tech U Texas, U of, Dallas Vanderbilt U
17 24 11 6 12
1 2 1 0 0
6 8 9 0 0
6 1 7 5 3
1 0 1 1 1
17 0 14 20 33
3 4 7 4 5
0 0 1 1 1
0 0 14 25 20
26 29 25 15 20
2 2 3 2 2
8 7 12 13 10
Virginia Commonwealth U Washington State U Washington U, St Louis Wayne State U Yale U
8 18 14 17 16
4 3 1 2 1
50 17 7 12 6
3 2 3 3 3
2 0 0 1 1
67 0 0 33 33
5 3 7 9 3
1 1 1 2 1
5 33 14 22 33
16 23 24 29 22
7 4 2 5 3
44 17 8 17 14
679
72
235
43
235
54
1,149
169
TOTAL
11%
18%
NOTE: Appointments as of 2007–08 academic year. SOURCE: C&EN survey
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D EC E M BE R 24, 20 07
23%
15%
