Message from Judith and Shelley Note from the Editor

Message from Judith and Shelley
With half of the year now over, we’ve been fortunate to already have two opportunities for
women in CUDOS to network and share ideas. The first, our Women in CUDOS breakfast at
our annual workshop in February and the second, just last month, was a new initiative to
get the women of CUDOS and Finisar together.
Both events were very well received, with close to full attendance and overwhelmingly
positive feedback. You can read overviews of the events in the newsletter. We also aim to
organise more networking events for women working and studying in CUDOS throughout
the year. One issue that came up at the most recent event was the gender pay gap, with
people asking what causes it and how should it be overcome? We have included some links
to articles and reports for those wanting to delve further into this issue.
Shelley Martin and Judith Dawes
Note from the Editor
Recently, I was asked by one of our researchers, what is the image we use in our masthead?
For those of you unfamiliar with the women wearing the red head scarf, she is Rosie the
Riveter, an iconic figure originally used in the 1940s to encourage American women to
fill the gap in factories and other trades experiencing labour shortages during the Second
World War.
Over the years she has become the symbol for working women and gender equality. When
thinking about an image to represent Women in CUDOS, I can imagine that for the original
editor of this newsletter, Rosie immediately came to mind! As the current editor, I can’t
think of a better symbol for women who are studying or working in a traditionally male
space. Read more about Rosie the Riveter on the History Channel page http://www.history.
com/topics/world-war-ii/rosie-the-riveter.
Jacqueline Charlesworth
Women
in CUDOS
Breakfast
Women in
CUDOS &
FINISAR
inaugural
networking
event
During the CUDOS Workshop earlier this year,
we were fortunate to have Dr Melanie Bagg from
the Australian Science Media Centre (AusSMC)
talk at the Women in CUDOS breakfast. Dr Bagg,
who was conducting social media training at
the workshop, is a former researcher herself.
She spoke about her transition to a new career
in science communications and her personal
experiences and challenges as a women working
in research and why she left the field. Dr Bagg
also looked at the ‘big picture’ context of women
working in science – what the news media
and research is saying and how can gender
imbalance in STEM be addressed.
“We need to improve career pathways for all
scientists for it to be a sustainable and desirable
study/career option,” she said in her talk.
Close to 25 researchers, students and
administrative staff attended the breakfast
session, with most attendees finding the talk
informative and interesting. A few people
suggested that the session be opened up to all
staff while others liked the security and freedom
to express personal experiences a women only
event allowed. The workshop organisers will
carefully consider all suggestions for next years’
Women in CUDOS breakfast session.
Bio: Melanie has a PhD in Medicine, Obstetrics and
Gynaecology and more than 10 years of experience
in science communication, marketing management
and education outreach. Melanie helped create and
was inaugural editor of e-Science magazine, a unique
digital science publication with international reach.
She also spent over five years working closely with
journalists at the SA Advertiser on specialist science
print publications and a weekly “Can you believe it?”
column.
WOMEN in CUDOS and FINISAR’s first
networking event on the afternoon of Friday
20 May, was a resounding success. Thirty-nine
women from both organisations met at Finisar
laboratories and offices in Rosebery, Sydney
to get to know each other and talk about the
challenges and opportunities for women in
science and research.
Finisar is one of CUDOS’ Industry Partner
Organisations. Some attendees travelled from
Melbourne and Canberra to meet like-minded
women working in high tech photonics research
and commercialisation. The afternoon was
filled with energy, enthusiasm and camaraderie
as we discovered many similarities and a few
differences as women working in photonics.
We discovered that while both organisations
were supportive of women such as providing
part-time employment and networking
opportunities, there was room to improve
gender imbalances, such as creating better
protocols for women who are pregnant, ensuring
career progression when women return to work
and allowing for opportunities to work from
home (and get payed for it).
Organised by Finisar’s Rebecca Lodin (a former
honours student at The University of Sydney)
and CUDOS’ Shelley Martin, the afternoon
consisted of a variety of small group activities,
informal discussions, presentations and a
Women in CUDOS | 2
tour of the Finisar labs. Highlights included
talks given by six women from both groups on
‘A typical day (there’s no such thing!),’ Kate
Gunn, CAASTRO’s Chief Operating Officer’s
presentation and viewing the Finisar’s nano
fabrication facilities.
One of the themes that cropped up a lot in
conversations was the gender pay gap. For those
wanting to look a bit further into the issue, there
are some articles, reports and other resources
focusing on the gender pay gap on page 7.
Feedback about the event was very positive.
Here are a few comments….
“I imagine all women struggle with
different situations at work, but when
I listened to women talking about this
and their daily lives - all the advice
they gave and received - I felt there
is a supporting community for me if I
experience difficulties.”
“I really liked the amazing combination
of two groups (CUDOS+Finisar) and
having the chance to share our opinions
and suggestions. I was very glad to see
Finisar facilities, equipment and the
nano-fabrication room.”
“I had a lot of fun at this event and
would definitely attend another one if it
happened. I liked that we could all just
chat and talk about our experiences!”
“It has been a really enjoyable and
valuable experience. ….I notice some
feelings and thoughts can only be shared
between women. However, given the
limited number of females in physics,
it’s not easy to have many close female
friends. Therefore, such networking
meetings become even more important.
I definitely hope we will have more such
events in the future!”
Due to popular demand, there are plans to
have another Women in CUDOS and FINISAR
networking event - this time hosted by CUDOS in October.
Women in CUDOS | 4
Women in CUDOS & Finisar networking event | 20 May, 2016
ARTICLES
Victorian government trials blind job
applications to overcome hiring bias
Article about the Victorian Government’s
decision to remove personal details – like name,
gender and age – to tackle unconscious bias in
new staff recruitment processes.
20 May 2016 | The Age
http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/victoriangovernment-trials-blind-job-applications-toovercome-hiring-bias-20160519-goz8pf.html
Lack of confidence proving to be real killer for
women in technology
Key findings from two recent surveys of women
working in technology.
14 April 2016 | Network World
http://www.networkworld.com/article/3056571/
careers/lack-of-confidence-proving-to-be-realkiller-for-women-in-technology.html
Top Sydney University mathematician Nalini
Joshi laments gender discrimination
“Research in modern science is still conducted
within organisational cultures that resemble a
feudal monastery.” Article covering Professor
Joshi’s address to the National Press Club and
the experiences of other female researchers in
Australian universities.
30 March 2016 | Daily Life
http://www.dailylife.com.au/news-and-views/
news-features/top-sydney-universitymathematician-nalini-joshi-laments-genderdiscrimination-20160329-gnsywt.html
Despite more women in science, we still
perceive women to be incompatible with
STEM fields, new study finds
Discusses the findings of a recent paper about
stereotypes about gender and science.
28 March 2016 | Science Daily
https://www.sciencedaily.com/
releases/2016/03/160328193128.htm
Fathers and Childless Women in Academia
Are 3x More Likely to Get Tenure Than
Women With Kids
This is an interesting article about the
challenges facing women in academia in the
United States who also want a family. The
comments at the end are eye opening too!
12 February 2016 | Jezebel
http://jezebel.com/fathers-and-childlesswomen-in-academia-are-3x-more-lik1758704068?utm_campaign=socialflow_jezebel_
facebook&utm_source=jezebel_facebook&utm_
medium=socialflow
What can men do to stem the exodus of women
from science?
“Men have dominated the evolution of
contemporary scientific culture, now we need
to own the problem of gender inequity. The onus
is on us to be part of the solution.” Dr Darren
Saunders, a Senior Lecturer in Medicine at the
University of New South Wales talks about the
role of men in addressing gender inequality in
science.
11 February 2016 | ABC
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-02-11/whatcan-men-do-to-stem-the-exodus-of-womenfrom-science/7155366
Why Women in STEM need to become the New
Normal
In this opinion piece, a high school student
studying engineering and robotics argues for
greater representation of women in STEM in
popular culture.
20 January 2016 | Femsplain
https://femsplain.com/why-women-in-stemneed-to-become-the-new-normal-ec5dfcf34631#.
ickni4z1n
Women scientists are here: we need to be seen
and heard
University of NSW Professor Emma Johnston
calls for greater diversity of scientists appearing
in the media.
29 March 2016 | The Sydney Morning Herald
http://www.smh.com.au/comment/womenscientists-are-here-we-need-to-be-seen-andheard-20160329-gnt0bm.html
Women in CUDOS | 6
Focus on the
gender pay gap:
articles, reports
& resources
Gender equity Insights 2016: Inside
Australia’s Gender Pay Gap
Data collected from 4 million employees
and 12,000 employers in Australia reveals
illuminating statistics about the gender pay gap
and workplace equity.
2016 | Workplace Gender Equity Agency and
Bankwest Curtin Economic Centre
https://www.wgea.gov.au/sites/default/
files/BCEC_WGEA_Gender_Pay_Equity_
Insights_2016_Report.pdf
Pay fairness isn’t just about teaching
employees to negotiate
This article talks about equipping organisations,
not just individual employees, to make fair
decisions about renumerating women.
4 May 2016 | Harvard Business Review
https://hbr.org/2016/05/pay-fairness-isnt-justabout-teaching-employees-to-negotiate
How much would you make if you were a
man?
Type in your age and occupation to see how
much pay you’d receive if you were a man.
Alternatively, men can see how much less you’d
receive if you were a woman doing the same
work! Calculations are based on US data and
expressed in US currency.
3 February 2016 | MOTTO/Time
http://motto.time.com/4201637/pay-gapcalculator/
Accenture is shaking up its 360,000-person
workforce to try to fix its pay problem
‘Women are less likely to ask for a raise. So it’s
important for pay parity to come from the top.”
– a look at how one company is working towards
bridging the pay gap.
19 November 2015 | Business Insider
http://www.businessinsider.com.au/accentureceo-advocates-for-equal-pay-2015-11
Equal pay? It’s time to close the gap
Great infographic explaining the gender pay gap
and the main reasons why women are payed
less over their lifetime for doing the same job as
men.
02 November 2015 | European Commission
http://ec.europa.eu/justice/newsroom/genderequality/infographs/equal-pay-day-2015/equalpay-day/index_en.html
20 cognitive biases that screw up your
decisions
An interesting look at some of the cognitive
biases that effect our decision making – but
could also be handy when negotiating at work!
Anchoring bias for example, could help you
negotiate higher pay.
27 August 2015 | Business Insider
http://www.businessinsider.com.au/cognitivebiases-that-affect-decisions-2015-8?r=US&IR=T
Women in Leadership: Understanding the
gender gap
A report looking at why women lag behind men
in workplace participation and earnings and in
senior roles, with a focus on the gender pay gap.
June 2013 | Centre for economic development
of Australia (CEDA)
http://adminpanel.ceda.com.au/folders/Service/
Files/Documents/15355~cedawiljune%20
2013final.pdf
BOOKS &
VIDEOS
Rise of the Rocket Girls: The Women Who
Propelled Us, from Missiles to the Moon and
Mars
“The riveting true story of the women who
launched America into space.” Rise of the Rocket
Girls is an inspirational book about the women
who worked at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory
during the early years of space exploration.
5 April 2016 | Nathalia Holt
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0316338923/
ref=tsm_1_fb_lk
The Innovators
This article is a review of the book “The
Innovators” focusing on the female
programmers who created modern digital
technology.
6 October 2016 | NPR
http://www.npr.org/sections/
alltechconsidered/2014/10/06/345799830/theforgotten-female-programmers-who-createdmodern-tech
Women in CUDOS | 8
Realizing gender equality’s $12 trillion
economic opportunity
A report showing how advancing women’s
equality can add $12 trillion to global economic
growth.
May 2016 | McKinsey & Company
http://www.mckinsey.com/global-themes/
employment-and-growth/realizing-genderequalitys-12-trillion-economic-opportunity
Women in Science
Female chemists talk about what motivates
them, how they got into the profession and
experiences as women working in science.
7 March 2016 | Clariant
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CSuMjEwTIc
10 tips for dealing with work and parental
leave
Fabulous tips from Dr Emily Nicholson, Deakin
University for researchers who want to know
how to approach parental leave within their
science career.
26 March 2016 | Women in Science Australia
https://womeninscienceaust.org/2016/03/26/10tips-for-dealing-with-work-and-parental-leave/
What can women do for science?
Some very good tips from Dr Cathy Foley on how
to succeed as a women working in science
14 November 2014 | TEDx Talk, Melbourne
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaQlkztNVxU
Engineering and Science – Where are the girls
and why aren’t they here?
Dr Jenna Carpenter talks about implicit bias and
how to address it in male dominated professions
like engineering and science.
29 May 2013 | TEDx Talk, Monroe
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pw_9t82qD60
Reflections on Women in Science – diversity
and discomfort
An older, but very relevant and fascinating
TEDx Talk by Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell about
her journey as pioneering women in science
and her advice on tackling gender inequality
accumulated through life experience.
4 April 2013 | TEDx Talk, Oxford
https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=jp7amRdr30Y
How the Universe Got its Spots
Mathematician and astrophysicist Janna Levin’s
letters highlighting her research and musings on
whether the universe is finite or infinite.
January 2016 | Brain Pickings
https://www.brainpickings.org/2015/01/27/
janna-levin-how-the-universe-got-its-spotsinfinity/
RESOURCES
CODE: Debugging the Gender Gap – panel
discussion
Released in 2015, ‘CODE: Debugging the Gender
Gap’ – featured in the previous Women in CUDOS
newsletter – has stirred up a lot of debate about
women in STEM, specifically those in software
engineering. This panel discussion at Harvard
University gives a good overview of the subjects
and questions raised by this film.
26 April 2016 | Harvard Education
https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=E8e6VsabrFM
GRANTS &
SCHOLARSHIPS
National Industry Scholarship Initiative
July 2015-December 2016
http://www.wla.com.au/scholarships.
html?utm_content=buffer5b245&utm_
medium=social&utm_source=facebook.
com&utm_campaign=buffer
Opportunities for Women in STEM
December 2016
The national Innovation and Science Agenda
http://www.innovation.gov.au/page/
opportunities-women-stem
5 tips to write the perfect STEM CV
This article offers ideas on how to write and
structure a CV specifically for a STEM job.
22 March 2016 | Mashable
http://mashable.com/2016/03/21/stem-cvbrandspeak/#HWNYFoCl.8qF
8 Awesome science resources that you can
access for free online
Access a range of topics from evolution to
NASA’s ‘space tourism’ posters. Physicists might
be particularly keen on getting your hands on
Richard Feynan’s 1960’s Caltech lectures.
11 March 2016 | Science Alert
http://www.sciencealert.com/8-awesomescience-resources-that-you-can-access-onlinefor-free.
Student
Profile
Elena Goi
CUDOS researchers
featured in the University
of Sydney Physics
Newsletter
Two out of six female profiles featured in the
University of Sydney’s newsletter focusing on
women in physics featured CUDOS researchers.
Dr Shaghik Atakaramians and Dr Andrea
Blanco Redondo spoke about their background
in research and their experience as female
physicists. Shaghik also spoke about her
ongoing challenge of dedicating time to her roles
as a scientist and as a parent. She advises that
“Sometimes, you have to compromise and accept
you can’t do everything.”
CUDOS outreach
encourages senior science
students at all-girls school
CUDOS students Caitlin Fisher and Yang Liu
visited Domremy Catholic Girls College’s Year
11 physics class in early April. As well as
showing the students the laser telephone and
polarised lenses, their presentation included
an overview of ‘The World Communicates’
school curriculum topic the students had just
completed. In this topic students learnt about
how waves, such as light, have been used for
communication in the past, now and how they
will be used in the future. Caitlin and Yang
encouraged students to study photonics at a
tertiary level by highlighting the pathways
available to them at research centres like
CUDOS. Their visit was very much appreciated
by the Domremy school community.
What inspired you to study physics,
particularly photonics?
Since I was a kid I’ve always been very curious
and fascinated by science. I enjoy exploring
and understanding how things work, so physics
was the natural choice. I approached photonics
for the first time during my master. At that
time I was working on optical tweezers and
for me, manipulate objects using light was a
mind-blowing idea. I was totally fascinated by
photonics and I still am.
I think that studying physics, and photonics
in particular, is an absorbing and exciting
challenge, that develops the aptitude to
originality and teaches how to face problems
without predetermined solutions. For all these
reasons I’m very happy with my choice.
“It is totally up to us to develop
our full potential and become role
models for the next generation.” –
Dr Andrea Blanco Redondo.
What research projects are you working on
now?
The aim of my current project is the fabrication
of topological photonic crystals, and in
particular we want to realise the Weyl points in
the optical region. These structures are the 3D
photonic analogue of graphene and are expected
to exhibit exotic properties that we are looking
forward to explore.
Elena Goi, a PhD candidate at RMIT, has recently
been invited to join the CUDOS Advisory Board
as the student representative.
How long have you been with CUDOS? Where
were you before?
I’ve been in CUDOS for more than two years,
since I started my PhD in February 2014. Before
that, I completed my Bachelor and Master in
Solid State Physics at the University of Trieste,
in Italy.
What do you hope to achieve for CUDOS
students while serving as a member of the
CUDOS Advisory Board?
As a member of the CUDOS Advisory Board I
will do my best to bring the students point of
view in the Centre’s vision for the future. I will
also encourage young scientists to join the many
activities supported by CUDOS for establishing
new linkages between academia, industry,
government and society, because I believe that
studies could and should help prepare a better
future for the entire community.
Address:
CUDOS
The University of Sydney
School of Physics, A28
Camperdown, NSW 2006
Australia
Contact the Editor
Jacqueline Charlesworth
[email protected]
(02) 8627 4420 | 0407603905
Copyright © 2016 CUDOS. All rights reserved
Women in CUDOS | 10