•
•
•
•
The National Academy of Sciences study “Beyond Bias and Barriers: Fulfilling the Potential of Women in Academic Science and Engineering” on the under use of women in science and engineering has been released. The recent report stated that “women in these fields are hindered not by lack of ability, but by bias and “outmoded institutional structures in academia.” The panel was led by Donna E. Shalala, Ph.D., former secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) and now president of the University of Miami. The report emphasized that while great advances have been made in the number of women receiving doctorates in social and behavioral sciences, less than half of full professors in those fields are women, and women from minority groups are ‘virtually absent’. The report recommends altering procedures for hiring and evaluation, changing timetables for tenure and promotion, and providing more support for working parents. The full report is online at www.nationalacademies.org.
