Vanessa Burrowes knows the importance of a good role model. "My mom was one of three girls in a class of 120 as a chemical engineering major," said the freshman in biology. "She inspired me."
The National Science Foundation aims to create more role models for students such as Burrowes by awarding Ohio State a grant of $3.6 million to increase the presence and success of female faculty in science and math.
"We have increasing numbers of women students majoring in the sciences, both at the undergrad and grad levels," said Deb Ballam, associate provost for women's policy initiatives, in an e-mail. "Having role models for these students would be wonderful."
The grant is aimed specifically at female faculty in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines.
"I think (having more female faculty) will encourage women students to think about pursuing faculty positions," said Joan Herbers, principal investigator for the grant, and professor of evolution, ecology and organismal biology.
Among the four colleges that collaborated to write the grant, the highest percentage of female faculty was 27.1 percent and the lowest was 12.8 percent, according to a university press release.
"The units that have positive environments often are units that have more than 25 percent of women on the faculty," Ballam said. "Research has shown that when the numbers of women reach this percent, the negative stereotypes that often create hostile environments begin to subside." Ballam said many science departments have less than 15 percent of their faculty represented by women.
The goal of the grant are to start a series of programs that give women faculty the tools they need to become successful. There will also be programs aimed at deans and department chairs in order to help them to create positive environments in their respective fields, Herbers said.
About one-third of women faculty said they have delayed starting a family due to their careers, which is about twice as many as their male counterparts, according to an OSU faculty work environment report. More women than men also reported problems attaining child care.
Ballam said she thinks high-quality child care would go a long way in helping women faculty with families who spend a considerable amount of time doing research. "We have a severe shortage of child care," Ballam said. There are typically 1,000 people on the waitlist for the OSU child care center.
More specific goals of the grant-funded project include attaining 30 percent representation by women among the 80 anticipated faculty hires over the next five years in the participating colleges, and the appointing of at least three additional women as chairs and associate deans.
"Studies show the more you diversify large groups, the more productive they become," Herbers said. She said she would also like to see more faculty members from diverse backgrounds.
The grant has also motivated different sections of the university to come together and improve itself.
"(The project) is a great example of efforts at Ohio State to reach aggressively across our college boundaries and work together to create change that will make this a better institution," said Joseph A. Alutto, executive vice president and provost, in a press release.
Female Science Faculty by the numbers
$3.6 million given by NSF 27.1 percent was the highest number of female faculty among the four colleges 33 percent of women have delayed family for career 1,000 people on the waitlist for OSU childcare 30 percent representation of women out
Holly Davis can be reached at davis.2345@osu.edu
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