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Slide 1
Ethnicity, Gender, and the Physics Community Results from the
Statistical Research Center of AIP (Humbly reported by Keith Clay
of GRCC)
Slide 2
DISCLAIMERS 1. I am a white male. 2. I am not a statistician.
3. I did not collect the data. 4. Statistics can only hint at
causes. 5. As an advisor to SRC@AIP I would gladly relay
suggestions to AIP staff.
Slide 3
GENDER: Part One Are women less able? Earlier this year Harvard
President Laurence Summers: Perhaps we should investigate whether
women are innately less able than men in math and science.
(paraphrased: the exact quote is not available)
Slide 4
GENDER: Part One Are women less able? Consider the case of
Rachel Ivie Becomes Experimental Psychologist. Emphasizes
statistical research. Takes a job with SRC at AIP. Dec. 2004:
Authors study on women in physics. Prepares for long winters nap.
Jan. 2005: Summers makes asinine statement! The next day: Time,
Newsweek, NYT, Washington Post, and NPR descend on AIP!
Slide 5
GENDER: Part One Are women less able? The best conclusion of
the SRC@AIP... based on all available data after months of
investigation no
Slide 6
GENDER: Part Two Are women less successful? Do women fail or
drop-out more than men? Is discrimination statistically visible?
None of this data comes from pre-high school Most of the data is in
physics All of the data is in academia
Slide 7
GENDER: Part Two Are women less successful?
Slide 8
Slide 9
Percent of Bachelors Degrees Earned by Women in Selected
Fields, 1966-2001. Source: National Center for Education
Statistics. Data for Academic Year 1999 were not available.
Compiled by AIP Statistical Research Center. 2001
Slide 10
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Slide 12
GENDER: Part Two Are women less successful? They have fewer
numbers, but On average they succeed (about) as often All trends
are positive (except comp. sci.) Upper levels mirror earlier lower
levels The Leaky Pipeline doesnt leak much Were now at 46% in high
school
Slide 13
ETHNICITY: Do equal skills lead to equal success? Preamble:
Using self-identified ethnic classifications Observations on math
and science: Average performance of Caucasian and Asian Americans
is at one level. Average performance of African and Latino
Americans is at another. When (maybe why?) do differences
appear?
Slide 14
ETHNICITY: How can we judge equal skills? Likelihood of Earning
a Bachelors Degree vs. Mathematics Scores in Senior Year of H.S.
Standardized Math % Earning a Bachelors Scores Test, (decile)
within the next 8 years =============== =============== Highest79
9th 63 8th 47 7th 40 6th 32 Lower 8 Average 32
Slide 15
Bachelors Degrees Awarded by Field and Race, Class of 2001 (NSF
& AIP) African American % Hispanic American % Total Number
Psychology 108 74,124 Computer Science 105 43,597 Business &
Management 98 275,287 Chemistry87 9,815 Biological Sciences87
62,010 Mathematics & Statistics 75 11,437 Education76 118,492
Engineering87 71,825 Physics44 3,447 Geosciences14 3,968 TOTAL87
1,260,308
Slide 16
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Obvious question: why are Latinos less successful than
African-Americans? Easier question to answer: What helps
African-Americans to succeed?
Slide 19
African American Bachelors in Physics Universities that awarded
the largest number of bachelors over last five years African
American 5-Year Totals 57Xavier University (LA) 40Lincoln
University (PA) 39Southern University A&M (LA) 25Alabama
Agricultural & Mechanical University (AL) 22Dillard University
(LA) 22Grambling State University (LA) 22Hampton University (VA)
20Benedict College (SC) 19Jackson State University (MS) 19Tuskegee
University (AL) 18Norfolk State University (VA) 17Morehouse
University (GA) 788Total Number of African American physics
bachelors from all degree granting departments: 1996, 1997, 1998,
2000 & 2001 Source: AIP Statistical Research Center compiled
from data collected by NCES
Slide 20
Slide 21
What inspires African-Americans who succeed in physics? When
asked for top 3 sources of inspiration 40% refer to an
African-American teacher of a subject other than physics 20% cite
inspiration from a white teacher Very few cite a white physics
teacher. Even at HBCUs, most never see an African American physics
teacher.
Slide 22
Pseudo-Conclusion There are no definite conclusions. These
studies are ongoing. AIP has accepted a huge research grant from
NAS so expansion into new research areas is unlikely in the
immediate future.