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Chairs and Change According to National Science Foundation
data, in 2001, just 14 percent of full professors in science and engineering were female. In 2010, that figure had risen slightly to 19 percent. Harvey Mudd College consistently exceeds the national average. In 1994, women made up 18 percent of the College’s faculty members, and they now account for 35 percent of all tenured faculty and 50 percent of tenure-track faculty. As of July 2014, women serve as chair in four of the seven academic departments at the College. Representing biology, chemistry, engineering and mathematics, these four department chairs acknowledge Harvey Mudd as a trailblazer of gender equity in higher education—and recognize that there’s work yet to be done.
Lisette de Pillis, Mathematics “We have to be intentional about our efforts to recruit and keep women students. A lot of it is just making them feel welcome. One example is the Grace Hopper convention in computer science. That is an intentional act with money and time behind it, with the whole College on board. There are active things we can do to encourage women in STEM, and we need intentional work to create these shifts. It’s about providing a supportive environment and encouraging women to understand that even if they encounter difficulties, it doesn’t mean they don’t belong. “I’m looking forward to working with the new chairs. They’re a great group and also cooperative. I think it’s going to be interesting to see what we can do for our departments and for the College.”
Approved for tenure faculty, and President Klawe has focused on bringing in more women students. Putting it at the forefront is one of the key factors. With our attention now focused on increasing diversity at all levels, I’m confident that we will achieve a similar success. “For me, more open communication is key. One of the factors that I think is helping bring more women onto the Department Chairs Committee is that the College is focusing on building more leadership into the faculty and trying to rotate chair positions.”
Catherine McFadden, Biology “I think it’s going to be interesting to see the new dynamic among the department chairs and how it affects things at all levels. Nationwide, you tend to find more women students in the life sciences at the undergraduate level, and that’s been the case here as well—though maybe not in other disciplines until more recently. At the faculty level, Mudd is ahead of the curve in terms of women faculty in engineering— it has been for a long time—and in computer science.”
Elizabeth Orwin ’95, Engineering
“Right now, in the field of engineering, there’s a lot being done in teams and a lot of focus on leadership and communication. I think that helps with accessibility for women. One of the biggest factors with female students in the past has been confidence. Hands-on, project-based things help them build confidence, help them realize, ‘I can do this.’ That translates into the rest of the curriculum as well. I think that kind of confidence building has a disproportionate effect on women in engineering. Kerry Karukstis, Chemistry “One thing that I think has been successful in “With the national picture in mind, attracting women to engineering at Harvey Mudd is that now there are six women in the department, and the gender changes at Harvey we’re all very different, with diverse research backMudd are even more impressive. grounds. There’s not just one way to be a successful Our efforts over time to increase woman engineer.” the presence of both women students and female faculty have been highly successful and have enabled the increase in women faculty in leadership positions. President Jon Strauss really worked on bringing in more women
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Harvey Mudd College
Dagan Karp, associate professor of mathematics (hired in 2008). His research focuses on algebraic geometry, quantum geometry and Gromov-Witten theory— the latter of which intersects enumerative geometry, mathematical string theory and the modern theory of moduli. Karp is also active in STEM diversity causes, including SACNAS, and he is a member of the diversity committee of the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute. Talithia Williams, associate professor of mathematics (2008). Her passion for integrating the educational process with real-world statistical applications drives her research, which emphasizes the spatial and temporal structure of data with environmental applications. Involved with several STEM diversity and outreach programs, including the Association of Women in Mathematics and the Sacred Sistahs, she is the first African-American woman to earn tenure from Harvey Mudd.
Promoted to full professor Jon Jacobsen (2002), professor of mathematics and associate dean for academic affairs. His research interests include differential and integral equations and their applications, particularly in mathematical ecology. He is also involved in Pathways, a mathematics community outreach program featuring faculty members who share their love of mathematics with elementary, junior high and high school students. Qimin Yang (2002), professor of engineering and associate director of the Engineering Clinic, specializes in fiber optic communications, including highcapacity optical networks and network architecture designs. She is an advisor for the College’s chapter of the Society of Women Engineers.