Colorizing and feminizing physics?
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Current status of women and minorities
Why should we care
Strategies at the faculty level
Strategies at the student level
Partnerships
Recap
35000
18-24 year olds in school
30000
25000
Total (1000's)
White
20000
Black
Hispanic
Asian
15000
Pacific
Native American
Mixed
10000
5000
0
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
Population (in millions)
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
Population (in millions)
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Population trends are mirrored by trends of
those in some sort of educational track
However, these trends are in no way matched
in physics
If we agree that this needs to be corrected, how
can we do it?
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The Search Committee
 Establish specific criteria that assesses the ability of the
applicant to contribute to the diversity of the department—
intellectually as well as in terms of underrepresented
groups
 For example, in the teaching and research statements, ask
for how the candidate will address issues of diversity
 Have a discussion on what indicators of a candidates
interest in diversity might look like
 Ethnicity and gender
 Membership in minority organizations
 History of involvement
 Reference to sources
 The committee itself should be diverse
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Make the search proactive
Consult faculty of color and female faculty in the
department, or allied departments and programs
 Utilize person—to—person networks
 Personally call potential candidates
 Use national and regional professional minority
science societies (SACNAS, NSHP, NSBP)
 Utilize faculty of color Ph.D. directories. Candidates
may not have Physics Ph.D., but related field.
 Contact directly (not just fliers) HBCU’s, Minority
Serving Institutions, and Tribal Colleges.
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Evaluation of Candidates
 Review the position announcement, identify primary
job competencies.
 Discuss a rubric for evaluating candidates.
 Actually apply the criteria, employ a very easy to use
system. For example, exceeds, meets, does not meet scale.
 Do not change criteria when discussing who to offer
position to.
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Determine if you want and can recruit women
and underrepresented students to your
program.
If answer is no, doze off until last slide.
If answer is yes, then realize that you cannot be
reactive. You must be proactive in your efforts.
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Steps to Successful Recruiting of these
populations.
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Before recruiting:
 Realize that numbers are going to be pretty small.
 The best students are being heavily recruited, you may
not be able to compete for these students.
 Need a faculty that is diverse.
 Implement cultural changes in the department that
make it more open and welcoming.
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Recruiting:
 Women and minorities, on average, are much more people
oriented. You have to go out and meet these students.
 You must go to where they are.
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Area high schools
Community Colleges
Community centers
Churches
Homes
 You must talk to the parents and understand the important
role that the family plays in many of these students.
 There is no way around it, you must have some financial
incentives
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Recruiting:
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Realize that physics (or any science) as a career is not
well known in many of these communities.
 More than just statistics are needed, you need to
describe what is exciting about physics.
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Your personal story may be the biggest selling point.
Your department cannot do this in isolation, but it
also cannot be done as part of a university wide
effort alone.
 Divisional recruitment: recruit students for the sciences
in general.
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Summer bridge programs.
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A word about retention
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Recruitment of women and minorities is wasted if at
the same time, retention is not addressed.
 Students must feel connected to the department
 Do not rely on university wide retention offices, such as
those sponsored by Office of Minority Affairs. Efforts
must be localized within the division or department
 Retention efforts must begin from day 1.
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The best way to recruit and retain faculty and
students from underrepresented groups is
through real partnerships.
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High schools
Two—year schools
Minority professional associations
Other sciences and math departments within
university.
Other university units, such as Career Center and
Financial aid
Other universities
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What do I mean by real.
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Partners must be involved in all aspects.
 Planning of projects
 Executing of plans
 Responsibility for success
 Rewards.
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Paper partnerships will not work.
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The primary purpose of the partnership is to
increase diversity of the community. Let’s look
at some examples.
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University of Arizona Math Department.
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PURPOSE: To create a meaningful partnership with
local school districts and the area community
college.
 Provide teachers with intensive period of professional
development.
 University benefits from the wealth of teaching experience
they bring.
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HOW IT WORKS:
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School district/community college enter into an
intergovernmental agreement.
 Participants remain school district/community college
employees with full salary and benefits while at the
University.
 University pays the cost of replacement teacher.
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While at the university:
 Participants take courses
 Participate in math instruction colloquium and math
education research.
 Interact with department faculty
 Teach introductory courses
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Vanderbilt/Fisk Program.
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PURPOSE: Increase the number of Ph.D. from
underrepresented groups by creating a Master-to
Ph.D. bridge with HBCU, Fisk University.
 Not a “back door”, students must satisfy same PhD
requirements as all PhD students
 Focus is on facilitating successful mentor/mentee
relationships
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HOW IT WORKS:
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Students earn a Masters degree at Fisk, with full
funding support
Program is individualized to the needs of each
students, courses are selected to address any gaps in
undergraduate preparation.
Research experience provided for all students
Fast-track admission into one of Vanderbilt
participating PhD programs
Joint faculty appointments, advising committees,
social networks.
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DePaul CIRRUS program
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PURPOSE: Increase the number of science graduates
from DePaul and transfer to DePaul from the City
Colleges.
 Summer research program for students from City Colleges
and DePaul
 Summer internship program with partner institutions.
Argonne, Lincoln Park Zoo, Field Museum, Art Institute
 Academic year service and outreach activities
 Clearinghouse for REU’s, internships, financial aid, etc.
 Dual-Admission
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HOW IT WORKS:
 Students from City Colleges and DePaul apply for
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summer research program.
Selection is made by all partner institutions
Year 1: Students do a summer research program at
DePaul (Research 101) in either Physics, Chemistry, or
Biology
Residence provided by DePaul
Year 2: Students do research at partner research
institutions. Salary is negotiated with partner
institutions.
Academic year activities rotate among institutions.
Students from all the institutions are required to attend
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Characteristics:
 Real partnerships
 Partnerships are with institutions that have large
populations of underrepresented students.
 Partnerships involve multiple departments or multiple
institutions
 They all cost money, but many of these ideas can be
implemented without high costs
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For Faculty recruitment.
 If diversity is important, then it must be written into
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criteria.
Selection committee should be diverse.
Discussion on what indicators of diversity might look
like on the application.
Search should be pro—active and tap into many
sources to seek out candidates.
Stick to criteria
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For Student Recruitment
 Go to them, don’t expect them to come to you.
 Be pro—active.
 Establish a culture in your department that is open and
welcoming.
 Understand the culture you are trying to recruit,
personal stories as opposed to facts.
 Team up with other natural science and math
departments
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Partnerships are perhaps best way to do
accomplish diversity goals.
Establish strong connections to minority
professional societies (SACNAS, NSHP, NSBP,
SHPE…)
Before I thank SPIN-UP for inviting me, I must
be critical of APS for not leading the charge on
this issue.
Thanks SPIN-UP, especially you Ruth.