Ever wonder why most of your professors in science and engineering are men?
A recent report released by the National Academy of Sciences blames institutional bias for the lack of female scientists and engineers in academia, but officials at Penn's Engineering School say they recognize the problem and are working to fix it.
The report concluded that "women faculty are paid less, are promoted more slowly, receive fewer honors and hold fewer leadership positions than men." It added that "these discrepancies do not appear to be based on productivity, the significance of their work or any other measure of performance."
A panel of academics, composed of 17 women and one man, compiled the report. It recommends several steps universities and government agencies should take to increase opportunities for female faculty in the sciences. Suggestions included new policies in hiring, tenure and promotion, along with more resources for female professors with families.
Women in science became a contentious topic recently when Lawrence Summers, the former president of Harvard University, caused an uproar after indicating that female scientists may be less successful than their male counterparts because of innate differences in ability.
Many female faculty in science and engineering agreed that more work needs to done, but said that if any bias exists at Penn, it's more unconscious than overt.
In Penn's School of Engineering and Applied Science, only eight professors of a faculty of 100 are female.
Susan Davidson, professor of Computer Science and the deputy dean in Engineering, said that this number is "low - but not usually low."
Davidson added that this year, three female professors will be joining the Engineering faculty, and this is "not by chance."
Being serious about hiring female professors means paying special attention to female applicants, Davidson said.
While "excellence in teaching and research are non-negotiables" for new hires, Davidson said that compromises in negotiable areas like exact area of expertise can help female candidates move up on a hiring list.
Studies have shown that women in academia are much more likely than men to have spouses who also work, meaning that women may have more family responsibilities on average than their male counterparts, according to Hanna Wallach, a visiting graduate student in the Engineering school.
For this reason, Penn and other universities have programs that give women who are starting families resources and a longer timetable for achieving tenure, Davidson said.
The gender imbalance is also felt in the Engineering School's classroom, where men outnumber women. The uneven ratio is more pronounced in certain departments, like Computer Science.
Engineering and College senior Michelle Aleong, a Computer Science major, said this environment could be intimidating at first. She said she has often asked herself, "The guy next to me has been coding [programs] since he was 6. How am I going to compete?"
But eventually, "you get used to the feeling of being the only girl in the room," Aleong said.
Aleong has countered the imbalance in her own way. She was president of the Women in Computer Science club and said she found positive female role models in summer internships at Microsoft Corp. and at conferences for women in science.
For Wallach, who is finishing her doctorate in Penn's Computer Science department, it's no deterrent having the odds against her as she looks toward a future in academia.
"I like a challenge," she said.
