Women in Medicine and Science Forum Tuesday, October 3, 2017 (All day) - Wednesday, October 4, 2017 (All day) University Club, Ballrooms A and B

Best practices have been developed that can make the recruitment, retention and promotion of women in science and engineering more gender equitable. This session will focus on how individuals can leverage those strategies into effective techniques for their own mentorship and sponsorship, networking, and professional interactions for career advancement. 

Senior academic leaders will discuss the academic obstacles that impede the retention and advancement of women faculty and the institutional challenges to implementing transformative change.

Gender differences in task allocations may sustain vertical gender segregation in labor markets. Dr. Vesterlund will report on studies examining the allocation of a task that everyone prefers be completed by someone else (writing a report, serving on a committee, etc.) and will present evidence that women more than men volunteer, are asked to volunteer, and accept requests to volunteer for such tasks. Beliefs that women, more than men, say yes to tasks with low promotability appear as an important driver of these differences. If women hold tasks that are less promotable than those held by men, then women will progress more slowly in organizations.

You can look at the pipeline in a negative light (and that is appropriate), but Dr. Masur suggests that you should not stop there because, in addition, you can look at it another way. She argues that we are at a tipping point. In this presentation, Dr. Masur will examine a) case studies that illustrate how progress has been made, b) the role of diverse teams in improving scientific progress and impact, c) institutional and national programs that make a difference in gender equity, and d) how to celebrate success to create positive feedback loops.

Networking is an important component for career success and, when strategically implemented, can be utilized to advance one’s career. This interactive workshop will cover the various forms of networking, incorporate small group discussions on the benefits and challenges related to networking, and provide tips and techniques that can immediately be put into action to improve one’s networking skills.

A panel of accomplished academic scientists will share their experiences building collaborative relationships and offer insights and advice on how to identify and cultivate relationships with potential collaborators.

You will have the opportunity to sign up for a personal 15-minute career consultation with faculty members from across the campus. Have your CV reviewed, ask for a referral, or just talk to someone knowledgeable about your career aspirations. Registration will close by noon on Tuesday, September 19, 2017. Registrants will be contacted tshortly after via email and given instructions for choosing a career guide.

As women in academia, we’re conditioned to see opportunity as a scarce commodity. When one presents itself, no matter what it may be or how much time we may not have, we feel pressure to say yes because another one might not come along. However, not every yes is created equal. In fact, a no can often be the best thing for you and everyone involved. This workshop, "Saying No So You Can Say Yes", teaches how to embrace your true purpose, identify the projects that support it, and most importantly, say no to the ones that don’t. When all's said and done, you won’t be judged by how many things you did, but by how effective they were.

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