The APS, through the Committee on the Status of Women in Physics (CSWP), is committed to encouraging the recruitment, retention, and career development of women physicists at all levels. Workshops for women physicists provide valuable communication and negotiations training. The site visit program assists physics department chairs in making their atmosphere more welcoming to women. The Blewett Scholarship allows women to return to scientific research after an absence. Publications feature the accomplishments of women in physics and encourage young women to consider physics as a career.
Professional Skills Development Workshops
APS offered one-day workshops for post-docs and newly tenured or tenure-track women physicists on March 9 in New Orleans and April 11 in St. Louis, MO, in association with the 2008 APS annual meetings. Women of color were especially encouraged to apply. Similar workshops will be held in March and April 2009. Information will be available in Fall 2008.
Special Events
CSWP sponsored or co-sponsored a variety of events of special interest to women (and others) in physics at the recent APS annual meetings. In addition to invited sessions these included:
In St. Louis:
 |
| Patricia Rankin |
CSWP/Division of Particles and Fields Networking Luncheon
Sunday, April 13, 12:00-1:30 pm
Buffet luncheon and an informal talk by Patricia Rankin, University of Colorado, "From Pipeline to Pathways: How to Demolish the Labyrinth?"
"From Pipeline to Pathways: How to Demolish the Labyrinth?" notes
Dr. Rankin's Reading List
Committee On Minorities/CSWP Dessert Reception
Sunday, April 13, 7:30-9:00 pm
Dessert buffet while learning about the work of the committees and networking with colleagues.
Gender Equity Conference
APS sponsored a workshop, Gender Equity: Strengthening the Physics Enterprise in Universities and National Laboratories, that brought together chairs of 50 major research-oriented academic physics departments as well as about 15 physics-related managers of major national laboratories.
See the agenda and selected presentations.
See also the suggested reading list from the Gender Equity conference.
M. Hildred Blewett Scholarship
To enable early-career women to return to physics research careers after having had to interrupt those careers for family reasons, APS offers women the opportunity to apply for the Blewett Scholarship. The scholarship consists of a one-year award of up to $45,000 (applicants can apply in a subsequent year for one additional year of support). Allowed expenses include dependent care (limited to 50% of the award), salary, travel, equipment, and tuition and fees. Applicants must have an affiliation with a research-active educational institution or national lab. While no matching contribution from the institution is required, institutional support would be viewed as evidence of support for the applicant. The deadline to apply is June 2, 2008.
The winner of the Blewett Scholarship for 2007 is Archana Dubey of the University of Central Florida.
Find out more on the scholarship page and the FAQ.
Improving the Climate for Women in Physics
CSWP helps to fund site visits by teams of women physicists to college and university physics departments and national labs. Following the visit, the team makes recommendations to improve the climate for women undergraduates, graduate students and faculty.
APS Prizes, Awards and Fellowship
A nomination to Fellowship in the APS or for a prize or award is among the highest honors a physicist can receive.
Nominate a woman for a fellowship from APS, and see current women fellows.
Nominate a woman for an APS prize or award, and see current women recipients.
See also information on the Maria Goeppert Mayer Award, which recognizes and enhances outstanding achievements by women physicists in the early years of their careers and provides opportunities for them to present these achievements to others through public lectures.
