Equality in Academia: Investing in Women for Better Science With Janet, Ulrike, and Ursula

Academia plays a crucial role in societal progress, supported by significant public funds allocated to higher education and research institutions. However, this support is compromised by pervasive sexism within academia, leading to the loss of talented women and impeding scientific advancement.

Today, we're addressing a critical issue afflicting academia: sexism and its detrimental effects on science and public funding. Our discussion is inspired by the paper "Sexism In Academia Is Bad For Science And A Waste Of Public Funding," authored by Nicole Boivin, Susanne Täuber, Ulrike Beisiegel, Ursula Keller, and Janet G. Hering.

We're joined by Professor Janet Hering, Ulrike Beisiegel, and Ursula Keller to delve into the challenges and barriers women face in the academic world. Together, we'll examine the pervasive nature of sexism in academia and its consequences.

With a distinguished career beginning at Caltech and UCLA before her move to Switzerland in 2007, Professor Hering is the Director Emerita of the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science & Technology (Eawag) and Professor Emerita at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zürich (ETHZ) and Lausanne (EPFL).

She is a former Associate Editor of Environmental Science & Technology and a member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering and Academia Europaea. Professor Hering has played a pivotal role in advancing gender equality as the founding Vice Chair of the ETH Women Professors Forum and received a Distinguished Women in Chemistry or Chemical Engineering Award from the IUPAC in 2015.

Ulrike Beisiegel brings extensive experience from her scientific career. She has held significant roles, including Professor of Biochemistry and Director of the Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University Hospital in Hamburg, and as President of the University of Göttingen.

Ulrike has been an influential figure in the German academic system, with memberships in the German Science Council and the Max-Planck-Society. Her contributions have been acknowledged with honorary doctorates from the Medical Faculty of Umeå and the University of Edinburgh, ensuring her insights will enrich our discussion on sexism in academia.

Ursula Keller, a distinguished physics professor at ETH Zurich since 1993, is celebrated for her pioneering contributions to ultrafast science and technology. Keller's honors include the Swiss Science Prize Marcel Benoist, the OSA Frederic Ives Medal, and the SPIE Gold Medal.

Beyond academia, she has ventured into entrepreneurship, co-founding companies like Time-Bandwidth Products and K2 Photonics. She currently serves on the supervisory board of Jenoptik and has authored the graduate textbook "Ultrafast Lasers," published by Springer Verlag. Keller's expertise promises to add a dynamic layer to our conversation today.

 

In This Episode:

[03:58] The causes of gender imbalance and what can be done to correct it. Caring for families can inhibit women's careers. Academia is also dominated by male networks. There's also unconscious bias.

[04:37] Women need to become more resilient and courageous. Men need to be more open and accept different perspectives.

[05:08] The academic system has a large number of built-in incentives that encourage competitiveness and sometimes hostility. Awards are given to individuals in small groups even though science is done in large teams.

[06:15] Ursula talks about how the more successful she became, the less she was accepted. Bias towards women is a substantial problem. 

[07:45] Ulrike talks about how when women become highly qualified competitors, they become a threat to the male scientists. Female scientists are well tolerated when they adapt to the system and stay quiet.

[09:04] There are double standards for men and women in every sector. There has been harsh backlash against women in politics.

[09:42] When there's bad governance the power structure is ruled by informal networks.

[10:53] Power is masculine annotated. Women are criticized when they are assertive. The benchmarks for leadership quality are measured differently for men and women.

[12:02] Ulrika talks about how women are criticized when they admit to a mistake, but men aren't criticized even when they make mistakes. They also don't admit to them.

[13:09] How forcing medical students to work 80 hours a week is a filter against women who are trying to raise a family. Artificial filters waste the education of these qualified people.

[15:02] Janet talks about science funding. Investment and public funds is made with the expectation that the project will move forward over time and not be cut off. Some of the resources do fall back to the colleagues such as a lab.

[16:40] It's also a loss of expertise and perspective. There is also a cost to society. Women in the system will see the gaps. 

[20:41] Younger women also feel like they need to look away when they see a problem when the older female scientists move on to something else. It seems like they need to accept a certain amount of discrimination to survive.

[21:56] There are also young men who are unhappy with the current system. Men who understand that they are part of the system can be important allies.

[22:52] Scientists at the end of their careers or about to approach retirement are often willing to step up, because they have nothing to lose at this point. 

[23:48] The leadership makes a huge difference.

[24:47] How female presidents don't always support women, because they're afraid of being discriminated against or not re-elected.

[26:22] To address the systemic problems, there needs to be training and common standards and governance. There should be basic accountability for people in leadership positions.

[28:40] Transparency can come a long way in opening the door to solutions. Opening things up and being clear about gender distribution and advancement. 

[30:42] Problems in the system about sexual harassment, accountability, and disciplinary actions.

[32:43] In universities, performance needs to be recognized and sensibly defined. There needs to be accountability for all.

[34:42] In the US, the National Science Foundation is demanding accounting from people who are getting funding from them.

[35:58] Janet advises women to act collectively. Also, look at the allies. There are also advantages for men to make sure it's a fair system for women.

[37:15] Ursula suggests women also need to be aware of the informal power groups. There is resistance, and women are played against women. Better governance does not mean more bureaucracy.

[39:27] Ulrika says that we need to have open governance and open communication. Success is increased by diverse opinions including the female perspective.

 

Resources: 

Sexism In Academia Is Bad For Science And A Waste Of Public Funding

Prof. em. Dr. Janet Hering

Janet Hering Twitter

Prof. Ulrike Beisiegel

Prof. Dr. Ursula Keller

Ursula Keller Twitter

Experience of Women at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology