Encouragement, Not Gender, Key to Success in Science

by Janet L. Holmgren and Linda Basch, in Carnegie Perspectives (February, 2005)

Janet L. Holmgren, president of Mills College and board chair of the National Council for Research on Women (NCRW), and Linda Basch, president of the NCRW, respond in February's Carnegie Perspectives to the recent controversy surrounding Harvard University President Lawrence Summers. Summers's suggestion that women may be innately less capable than men in math and science, they argue, has shifted public debate in exactly the wrong direction. Instead of arguing about women's abilities, the authors write, we need to begin "a constructive discourse about educating women to be leaders in their chosen fields--especially in areas like science and engineering."

Holmgren and Basch point out that although some progress has been made in recent years, women in the sciences still face many challenges. Data show that "women drop out of the sciences at almost every significant transition"--many potential women scientists are lost along the education pipeline. Moreover, women who do become professional scientists and mathematicians face both the glass ceiling and a persistent wage gap. To address such problems, the authors conclude that "we need systemic change and a long-term commitment to advancing women in the sciences, beginning in kindergarten and continuing throughout women's careers." Summers's remarks were so disappointing, they say, because college and university presidents are uniquely positioned to make such commitments and encourage women in science.

The full text of this Carnegie Perspectives piece is available on the Web site of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.