ADVANCE-IT and
Institutionalization at Columbia
University (Lamont Campus)
Kuheli Dutt, Ph.D.
Assistant Director, Academic Affairs &
Diversity
Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
Columbia University
November 2011
Columbia’s ADVANCE-IT grant (2004-2009)
Goals:
 Change the demographics of the science and
engineering community at Columbia through innovative
hiring practices and by targeting women and minority
leaders
 Cultivate an environment that fosters and attracts
women and minorities in science and engineering
 Stimulate an institutional cultural shift based on social
science research about gender and race
LDEO at a Glance
• Earth Science campus of Columbia University
• Home to 400-500 scientists, staff & administrators
• Predominantly soft money environment
• Demographic composition of scientific staff:
predominantly Caucasian male
• Six divisions/ departments, each headed by an
Associate Director
• Central oversight over all divisions: Office of the
Director, LDEO
Office of Academic Affairs & Diversity, LDEO
• Created October 2008 to institutionalize NSFADVANCE. Housed within the Office of the Director
• Twin focus areas:
Enable better representation of women and minorities
across all scientific ranks

Develop and implement policies & initiatives for:
appointments and promotions, hiring policies, salary
structures, policy & governance, awards and recognition,
advancement of junior staff and postdoctoral scholars

Search Committees
• New guidelines developed - search processes
restructured internally:
 AAD included on all search committees
 Focus on increasing diversity in applicant pool
 Informational materials for search committee
members to be reviewed prior to evaluating
applications
 Dramatic results
Search Committees
Diversity in Applicant Pool for Searches 2007-2010
(arranged by start date of search)
100
90
80
Percentage Diversity*
70
60
2009-10
2007-09
50
40
30
20
10
0
Searches 2007-2010
*Defined as no. of female and/or minority candidates as a percentage of the total applicant pool
Search Committees
LDEO Demographics
LDEO Scientists by Gender 2005-2011
90
80
70
Percent
60
Male
Fem
Male
Fem
Male
Fem
50
40
30
20
10
0
2005
2008
2011
Do herty/LRP
Dohe rty/ LR P
Re s Sci
Res Sci
Staff Assc
Staff Assc
LDEO Demographics
Junior Scientists - Doherty/LRP
90
80
70
Percent
60
50
Male
Fem ale
40
30
20
10
0
2005
2008
2011
LDEO Demographics
Gender:
Race:
Female
Male
2005
19%
81%
2011
26%
74%
Minority
Caucasian
2005
15%
85%
2011
17%
83%
Gender:
Pipeline exists - 50% at postdoc level; 60% at doctoral level (CU)
Better institutional climate and progressive policies: can impact
gender composition favorably
Race:
More challenging - broken pipeline much earlier
Approx 90% of PhD degrees in earth sciences awarded to
Caucasians. Less than 5% of PhD degrees for URM
Diversity & Academic Affairs: Some Key
Initiatives at LDEO

Diversity Seminar Series (ADVANCE)

Marie Tharp Fellowship (ADVANCE)

Institutional Studies & Reports

Family Leave Policies

Postdoctoral Mentoring Plan

Women’s Networking Event
Diversity Seminar Series
Started during ADVANCE. Now institutionalized
within LDEO Directorate

Invite distinguished speakers to our Earth Science
Colloquium talk about diversity to LDEO scientific staff

Goal: Increased
awareness on diversity
issues among scientific
staff

Marie Tharp Visiting Fellowship
Started during ADVANCE. Now
institutionalized by LDEO Directorate.

Named
after Marie Tharp, a pioneer
of modern oceanography
Goal: to promote women in the
earth sciences and build meaningful
collaborations. Visibility and prestige

Institutional Studies & Reports

Salary comparisons for different ranks of scientific
staff w.r.t gender and race

Demographic composition of scientific staff at
different ranks (gender and race)

Demographic composition of invited speakers
(gender and race)

User friendly summary of bylaws, governance, and
decision making processes
Family Leave Policies

Soft money institution - complex scenario
Parental
Workload Relief Plan (paid time off following
birth or adoption; new for LDEO)
Part-time Career Appointment: Ability to work part
time without losing full time status and benefits (new
for LDEO)


Stop the clock provision for promotions
Postdoctoral Mentoring Plan
LDEO Postdoctoral Scholars:

Most diverse cohort at LDEO

Approx. 50% Male, 50% Female

Racial Diversity: Approx. 30%

Large proportion international: Approx 80%
Mentoring plan result of discussions at
“Postdoctoral Lunch with Director”

Women Scientists’ Networking Event

Approximately 60 women earth scientists from Northeast
US attended this event

Goal:
LDEO junior women to meet senior women
scientists in an informal setting to discuss issues pertaining
to women’s career advancement in the earth science

Expected to become a biannual event
Institutionalizing ADVANCE-IT at LDEO

Multi-pronged approach: Numerous initiatives at all
levels of administration and ranks

Office of Academic Affairs & Diversity housed in LDEO
Directorate will full support from the Director, LDEO
who takes ultimate ownership of all these initiatives

Participation in key areas of governance: LDEO
Executive Committee, Observatory Management Group,
Promotions & Careers Committee, Annual Performance
Review Committee, Mentoring Award Committee, Search
Committees and others as appropriate

www.ldeo.columbia.edu/academicaffairs
Discussion…