Statistical Research Center (SRC) director Rachel Ivie gave a presentation Feb. 27 at the Understanding Interventions conference in Philadelphia. This conference enables researchers and practitioners to obtain the latest data on the initiatives and interventions that have been shown to increase the participation of women and underrepresented minorities in science.
At a session focusing on the role of professional societies in broadening participation, Ivie presented results from the SRC’s Longitudinal Study of Astronomy Graduate Students, which is a collaboration with the American Astronomical Society and is funded by the National Science Foundation. “The results of our study pinpoint specific factors that may make women more likely to work outside of the fields of physics and astronomy,” said Ivie. “Once these factors have been identified, policies can be adopted to lessen negative effects on people’s careers.”
After each Understanding Interventions conference, the organizers publish a summary of the research presented. These summaries can be downloaded for free at the Understanding Interventions website.
