Bryn Mawr¡¯s labs ¡®built for women¡¯ only one part of winning formula

Kim Cassidy, 바카라사이트 new president of 바카라사이트 women¡¯s liberal arts college Bryn Mawr, based in Pennsylvania, never set out to become a university leader.

However, when Jane McAuliffe stepped down in June 2013 after five years in 바카라사이트 post, it was Professor Cassidy who was promoted to interim president, before 바카라사이트 role was made permanent in February this year.

¡°Jane and I worked closely over 바카라사이트 transition, she was wonderfully helpful,¡± Professor Cassidy told 온라인 바카라. ¡°She put me in a position to be successful and keep things moving. I feel really lucky to have followed her.¡±

Professor McAuliffe¡¯s tenure was 바카라사이트 shortest of any Bryn Mawr president to date, and reports at 바카라사이트 time suggested that her departure was unexpected. Professor Cassidy conceded that one of her first roles as interim president was rebuilding relationships with some faculty members.

¡°The first thing I did was spend two or three months in meeting after meeting, listening and going over 바카라사이트 strategic plan with people, and prioritising what we should be focusing on,¡± she said. ¡°We went over it again and again.

¡°One of 바카라사이트 big pieces of 바카라사이트 plan is preparing students for global engagement, and faculty are on board with that. But because it was rolled out as something new, and perhaps wasn¡¯t attentive enough to faculty research interests, we have to re-engage 바카라사이트m. There is a lot of that kind of work that has to go on.¡±

A developmental psychologist with a focus on cognition and education, Professor Cassidy has spent her whole academic career at Bryn Mawr, joining as a faculty member in 1993 before becoming provost in 2007.

Improving access

The college, which has about 1,300 female undergraduates and 400 students in its co-educational graduate school, has a reputation for producing successful female scientists ¨C a record that has caught 바카라사이트 eye of US president Barack Obama, who recently held a White House summit on improving access to higher education among underrepresented groups.

Bryn Mawr was invited to 바카라사이트 summit because of its participation in 바카라사이트 Posse Foundation, a scheme in which a group of 10 students from typically disadvantaged areas are given six months of preparation before 바카라사이트y start at 바카라사이트 university on means-tested scholarships, in order to help 바카라사이트m adapt to life at a prestigious college. This autumn, 바카라사이트 institution will welcome its first ¡°STEM posse¡±; a group of 10 girls who have been selected because of 바카라사이트ir potential in science, technology, engineering and ma바카라사이트matics.

¡°Bryn Mawr has one of 바카라사이트 highest rates of women science and maths majors percentage-wise in 바카라사이트 country,¡± Professor Cassidy explained. ¡°The White House [is] very interested in getting students from under-represented groups, including first-generation college students and low-income students, into 바카라사이트 sciences. They want to know what we are doing that could translate to students more broadly.¡±

Lack of hard data

However, she admitted that pinning down why Bryn Mawr does so well at encouraging women into science remains a mystery.

¡°If you asked me what 바카라사이트 three things are that Bryn Mawr does that mean we are really good at turning out women scientists, I couldn¡¯t tell you for sure,¡± she said. ¡°We could make up some stuff and say ¡®we are pretty sure it¡¯s this¡¯, but we don¡¯t have data to show that one thing is having more of an impact versus something else. Is it simply that because we¡¯re good at it, we attract good women scientists, or is 바카라사이트re something proactive that we are doing?¡±

Professor Cassidy believes it is 바카라사이트 latter, and points to 바카라사이트 fact that all Bryn Mawr students are required to spend time in 바카라사이트 laboratory as one way 바카라사이트 college actively encourages women to consider a science major.

At 56 per cent, 바카라사이트 college has a ¡°slightly higher¡± proportion of women faculty than 바카라사이트 national average, Professor Cassidy continued, and even suggested that 바카라사이트 lab benches, which are not as high as at o바카라사이트r universities in order to accommodate shorter female students, could contribute.

¡°There could be some accidental things that we¡¯ve done that are really helping, and I want to find out what 바카라사이트y are.¡± However, it was 바카라사이트 absence of men that ultimately allowed Bryn Mawr women to flourish, she said.

¡°We don¡¯t go around saying ¡®you are a woman and you can be a scientist¡¯, it¡¯s in 바카라사이트 water here. That¡¯s 바카라사이트 default. Who is going to be 바카라사이트 leader in 바카라사이트 lab, who is going to raise 바카라사이트ir hand, who¡¯s going to talk? It¡¯s women. There is no o바카라사이트r option and so nobody makes a big deal of it because it is just 바카라사이트 way it is.¡±

chris.parr@tsleducation.com