Gender imbalance is prevalent in academia, especially in STEM. Throughout my career, I was exposed to varied and different scientific cultures. I did find certain differences in work ethics at different institutions. However, I had few experiences throughout my career which left me questioning, did we really make progress with the inclusion and equity of women in science and research. The issue of gender equality in science is one for which I care very deeply.
Below I list a few of the articles (magazine as well as refereed) which I found helpful to understand gender imbalance in science. I will be updating this list with my latest read on the topic:
Motherhood penalties: Starting a family at a key career stage comes at a cost to birthing parents — and many end up leaving the profession as a result https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-01993-x
Women in physics: Why there’s a problem and how we can solve it https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg24032031-900-women-in-physics-why-theres-a-problem-and-how-we-can-solve-it/
Understanding persistent gender gaps in STEM https://science.sciencemag.org/content/368/6497/1317
Who asks questions at astronomy meetings? https://arxiv.org/abs/1708.02775
Why does the underrepresentation of women endure? https://www.pnas.org/content/116/10/4182
How Covid-19 is affecting the career of female academics? 10.3386/w28360
Stop telling women that they have imposter syndrome. https://hbr.org/2021/02/stop-telling-women-they-have-imposter-syndrome
Books which I loved on women empowerment:
- We should all be feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22738563-we-should-all-be-feminists)
- A room of one’s own by Virginia Woolf (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18521.A_Room_of_One_s_Own)
Mentoring: Having a good mentor is important to navigate this complex academic career path. To female post-doctoral researchers working in a Leibniz Institute, I highly recommend the mentoring program of the Leibniz Association. The objective of this program is to provide support to highly qualified female post-doctorate researchers on their path to obtaining a professorship or some other leading position. I completed this one-year program in 2016 with Prof. Dr. Heike Rauer (Director, DLR) as my mentor. I learned a lot about how, what, and when of a career in academia.
Mental health in academia is another issue that I feel needs active addressing. The two graphics by Dr. Zoe Ayres summarize the common stressors at Ph.D. and Post-doc levels. I am listing these here as these graphics could serve as a starting point for more serious discussion among students, post-docs, and mentors. This work https://leidenmadtrics.nl/articles/precarious-careers-postdoctoral-researchers-in-the-netherlands discusses some of the aspects of stress level at the Post-doc level. If you are a Universität Potsdam student then you can get assistance here: https://www.uni-potsdam.de/en/studium/advising-and-services/mental-health-counseling
Misc. I really like articles in the Science magazine career section. Articles are relevant and helpful and most importantly are written by real scientists.
What else do I do apart from work?
I am an avid reader. To make me happy – Give me a good book and a quiet corner plus some good coffee or chai 🙂
Books I read recently:
Left hand of the darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18423.The_Left_Hand_of_Darkness)
The soul of an octopus by Sy Montgomery (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22609485-the-soul-of-an-octopus)
All Systems Red by Martha Wells (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32758901-all-systems-red)
Rosewater by Tade Thomson (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38362809-rosewater)
Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4929.Kafka_on_the_Shore)
The Inheritance Trilogy by N. K. Jemisin (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21481566-the-inheritance-trilogy)
The books of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38459780-the-books-of-earthsea
Dune Series by Frank Herbert (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59380848-dune-complete-series-set-6-books?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=ED5Wf0LudP&rank=10)
The Broken Earth Trilogy by N. K. Jemisin (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38496769-the-broken-earth-trilogy)
The Three-Body Problem (Trilogy) by Liu Cixin (Translated by Ken Liu)
(https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20518872-the-three-body-problem)
Currently reading:
The Imperial Radch Trilogy by Ann Leckie
(https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34962215-the-imperial-radch-trilogy)
Mens sana in corpore sano To stay healthy I practice kickboxing, Pilates, and yoga. Because of Covid-19, I stopped training for kickboxing and resorted to online courses. If you are like me into group activities, Universität Potsdam has an extensive list of courses available at affordable prices: https://buchung.hochschulsport-potsdam.de/angebote/aktueller_zeitraum/index.html