Women are entering the sciences and receiving PhD's in record numbers, close to 50% in some fields, but the percentage of women achieving professor rank or a leadership position lags well behind men (National Science Foundation, 2013). In the US, women make up approximately 15% of professors in all STEM fields-although this is highly field specific, ranging from a high of 22% in the biological/life sciences to a low of 8% in engineering. In terms of leadership positions, the overall percentage of women deans and department chairs in 4 year colleges and universities is 31% (National Science Foundation, 2013) and, although more detailed data are difficult to obtain, it would most likely mirror the data on women professors in each field and will vary depending on the academic standing of the institution. These are obvious gains to embrace and celebrate. Nonetheless, we have a long way to go even, sadly, at the professor rank.
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