Re: gender bias: a summary of ecolog-L responses
Thank you, Anita, for this summary. I was noticing the same pattern: the women describing their experience and the men classifying this experience as anecdotal and asking for studies. Where there are studies, I appreciate seeing them. When each generation of women scientists experiences bias, however, it is hard to see what the studies do, other than prove the bias is still there and that each woman's experience is not idiosyncratic to her alone. I am white, but I have also noticed race bias. In my studies in the US from college through Ph.D., non-white classmates were from other countries. In Taiwan, aborigines are almost missing from biology programs. CL Anita Lahey wrote: From a survey of Virginia Tech faculty: On-campus women respondents assessed every aspect of the climate less positively than did men. While only a third of women respondents rated the university climate relatively non-sexist, more than two-thirds of men perceived the climate for women as positive, and, Whites were largely unaware of the extent of racism perceived in the university climate by African-Americans. For example, 65 percent of African-Americans judged the university climate as relatively racist compared with only 18 percent of white respondents. http://www.dsp.multicultural.vt.edu/climate/ Similarly, on this listserve, 8 out of 9 (89%) women said there is gender bias in ecology/biology, while 3 out of 5 (60%) men said that gender bias does not exist. 3 out of 3 women were not concerned with age bias, while 2 out of 3 men expressed concern about age bias. 4 out of 6 (67%) of women believed that maternity/paternity leave or raising children poses an additional challenge/problem, while 7 out 9 (78%) men said that maternity/paternity leave should not pose a problem. Anita Lahey Disclaimer: My goal in citing a personal anecdote was not to indict (or incite) a particular person, department, institution, field of research, the American Fisheries Society or to discourage undergraduate women from the applied sciences. My goal was to shake up complacency. ~~ Cara Lin Bridgman P.O. Box 013 Phone: 886-4-2632-5484 Longjing Sinjhuang Taichung 434 Taiwanhttp://web.thu.edu.tw/caralinb/www/ ~~
Re: Fwd: Re: Environmental consequences of having a child
Because I am trying to work on a manuscript, I have been restraining myself from returning to this Listserv since my initial posting last week, which presumably started this whole procreation-environment debate. However, seeing Edward's comments just compels me to respond. On Sat, 4 Nov 2006 07:30:14 -0800, Edward Sismour [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Like it or not, demographics rules the world. Which part of the world is currently experiencing the largest demographic increases as a consequence of child-birth? It's not the US. The author's criticism of the birth rate in the US (it's a 1994 article) misses one small point. If people in the United States stop having babies, then eventually there won't be a United States or the United States will begin (and by some accounts has already begun) to become the dis-United States as more people come to this country that choose not to assimilate. In other words, there won't be enough people born into this culture (by any race) who grow up to appreciate and value it. (Don't suggest that I'm bashing anyone here. It boils down to a sense of ownership. Generally speaking, when someone has a sense of ownership they value that thing more than if it were common property.) You mean like how native Americans used to own this continent, and now it's dis-native America? Look at the demographics of Western Europe. They stopped having babies at their replacement rate a long time ago. If you want to read something, go read about the impact of demographic changes that Europe is now experiencing. Here are two quotes from The Population Media Center (http://www.populationmedia.org/issues/demographics.html#popgrowth): For at least 25 years, 20 European countries and Japan have had below replacement-level fertility rates (2.1 children per woman). By now a total of 44 countries have fertility levels that low. Without the projected gain of 2 million immigrants a year from developing countries, many industrial nations would shortly experience population declines. The 48 countries classified as least developed have even more rapid population growth. If current trends continue, the combined populations of these nations will almost triple by mid-century-from 658 million to 1.8 billion. Among the 16 countries with extremely high fertility rates (seven children or more per woman) are Afghanistan, Angola, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Somalia, Uganda, and Yemen. I'm all for populaiton regualtion in all these places, however, the right- wing Bush government (whom I assume Ed voted for based on his tone of voice) has threatened to cut aid to many of these countries for family planning related projects. It would be nice if the world operated by a few simple rules or solving one particular problem would be the keystone to solving everything else, but then there are always unintended consequences. What will be the (unintended) consequences of these demographic trends? What consequences would you like to discuss: political, societal, environmental, cultural, religious, (have I left anything out)? It would be nice if birth rates in all countries could be lowered, some have but many have not. But people will be people, influenced by factors other than environmental footprints and babies will be produced (let's not forget the possible unintended consequence of sex-selective infanticide in countries where birth control is mandated). And, unless you live in Communist China where having more than two babies could get you jail time (or worse, tell me if I'm wrong), reducing the number of babies is an entirely volunteer effort counter to biological imperative. That's why in countries like China where the overcrowding problem is beyond the initial stages (or even mid stage), voluntary effort is not the most effective solution. Have you ever been to China or any east Asian countries? New York city looks like Kansas compared to them. I'll try to petition to send Ed to commie China one of these days. For a couple lying together, hearts racing, palms (and other places) sweaty with anticipation, what's the incentive to deny the biological imperative of reproducing the species? (If contraception were the answer, would we be having this discussion?) How about the thought of preventing the earth from imploding on itself as a result of overpopulation? Is that good enough? And some final thoughts: In case you haven't noticed, I'm Chinese. I came from Hong Kong, so I know first hand about all the consequences of overpopulation. And consider that HK is a place where 80% of the public don't even own cars. Imagine how the US will be like when it reaches a population density comparable to HK. People like Ed give me doubt about choosing to come to the US. I'm just glad there are at least still people like Kristina and Doug here. -George Wang
Re: gender bias: a summary of ecolog-L responses
I am surprised at this interpretation of the postings. As I recall, no male poster stated that gender bias does not exist although some, such as Gary Grossman, felt that the degree of discrimination had been exaggerated. As for the men who said that maternity/paternity leave should not pose a problem, the key word here is should -- I certainly argued that it should not pose a problem, but that is different from stating that it is a problem. I think that most of the male posters admitted that there are serious problems, and some of us tried to point to solutions It appears that at least in some quarters though we are bound to be condemned. This is not a good way to make progress. Bill Silvert - Original Message - From: Anita Lahey [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU Sent: Monday, November 06, 2006 12:30 AM Subject: gender bias: a summary of ecolog-L responses Similarly, on this listserve, 8 out of 9 (89%) women said there is gender bias in ecology/biology, while 3 out of 5 (60%) men said that gender bias does not exist. 3 out of 3 women were not concerned with age bias, while 2 out of 3 men expressed concern about age bias. 4 out of 6 (67%) of women believed that maternity/paternity leave or raising children poses an additional challenge/problem, while 7 out 9 (78%) men said that maternity/paternity leave should not pose a problem.
Re: gender bias: a summary of ecolog-L responses
Maybe the post was a bit exaggerated, the general line is clear, and that is that what women experience differs from what men see. Kim William Silvert wrote: I am surprised at this interpretation of the postings. As I recall, no male poster stated that gender bias does not exist although some, such as Gary Grossman, felt that the degree of discrimination had been exaggerated. As for the men who said that maternity/paternity leave should not pose a problem, the key word here is should -- I certainly argued that it should not pose a problem, but that is different from stating that it is a problem. I think that most of the male posters admitted that there are serious problems, and some of us tried to point to solutions It appears that at least in some quarters though we are bound to be condemned. This is not a good way to make progress. Bill Silvert - Original Message - From: Anita Lahey [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU Sent: Monday, November 06, 2006 12:30 AM Subject: gender bias: a summary of ecolog-L responses Similarly, on this listserve, 8 out of 9 (89%) women said there is gender bias in ecology/biology, while 3 out of 5 (60%) men said that gender bias does not exist. 3 out of 3 women were not concerned with age bias, while 2 out of 3 men expressed concern about age bias. 4 out of 6 (67%) of women believed that maternity/paternity leave or raising children poses an additional challenge/problem, while 7 out 9 (78%) men said that maternity/paternity leave should not pose a problem. -- http://www.kimvdlinde.com
Ph.D. position in protist community ecology, University of Salzburg
A PhD position is available at the University of Salzburg in a project examining metacommunity dynamics in laboratory experiments using a protist model system. The project is focused on how predation, disturbance and the degree of connectance interact in linked communities to regulate diversity. The successful candidate should have experience in community and aquatic ecology, and/ or protist ecology. Experience running ecological experiments and a knowledge of statistics would be assets, as would some experience with molecular methods (primarily DGGE). While German language skills are not essential, they are an obvious advantage in a German-speaking milieu. The position is funded for three years and will begin 1 January 2007 or shortly thereafter. For more information please contact: Dr. Stephen Wickham phone: +43 662 8044 5603 Organismal Biology fax:+43 662 8044 5698 University of Salzburg Hellbrunnerstr. 34 5020 Salzburg Austria Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: gender bias: a summary of ecolog-L responses
I have the feeling that we have run into a dead end in this discussion. As Cara Lin points out, women on the list have been describing their experiences, but I think the men are trying to identify the scope of the problem and talk about what can be done about it. Given that some women have complained of extreme bias while others have praised supportive advisors, I really do not come away from this with a sense of how widespread the problem is, whether there are a few very bad universities or whether they are almost all dens of evil, except for a handful (or maybe just the odd good person in the mix). In the second paragraph of the posting below is a good example of the sort of statement that makes some of us automatically guilty -- I have also noted the dominance of non-white students in some classes. In fact, I used to teach at a US university located close to an urban ghetto, and although there were many black students in the introductory classes, some from the neighbourhood and some from Africa, the local students were almost all functionally iliterate, while the Africans were mostly the product of top British schools. The Africans moved up while many of the US blacks left, despite many remedial programs. There was certainly racial bias in the educational system, but I don't really feel that it was working at the university level. Still, statistics don't lie, and we are all guilty as charged. I guess we leave it at that and don't try to fix the system. Bill Silvert - Original Message - From: Cara Lin Bridgman [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU Sent: Monday, November 06, 2006 5:24 AM Subject: Re: gender bias: a summary of ecolog-L responses Thank you, Anita, for this summary. I was noticing the same pattern: the women describing their experience and the men classifying this experience as anecdotal and asking for studies. Where there are studies, I appreciate seeing them. When each generation of women scientists experiences bias, however, it is hard to see what the studies do, other than prove the bias is still there and that each woman's experience is not idiosyncratic to her alone. I am white, but I have also noticed race bias. In my studies in the US from college through Ph.D., non-white classmates were from other countries. In Taiwan, aborigines are almost missing from biology programs. CL
PhD Research Fellowships in Population Ecology at the University of Georgia
Dr. John Drake at the University of Georgia's Institute of Ecology is seeking highly qualified graduate students to pursue a PhD in Ecology, starting in the Summer or Fall of 2007. Research in our lab focuses on population dynamics in experimental systems, infectious disease ecology, and ecology of invasive species. We have strengths in modeling, computation, and stochastic population theory. Past work has focused on topics as diverse as species invasions in the North American Great Lakes, experimental extinction with zooplankton, and the 2003 SARS outbreak in Singapore. For other past research see Drake's website (www.nceas.ucsb.edu/~drake). Students primarily interested in either modeling/computation/theory or empirical research are encouraged to apply. Current and potential future projects include: - Experimental population dynamics, demography, and life histories of Daphnia in fluctuating environments - Population dynamics and control of vector-borne infectious diseases (West Nile Virus and malaria) - Allee effects and population dynamics of sexually reproducing species - Computational ecological niche identification and modeling (applications to invasive species and global change biology) - Aquatic biodiversity conservation and invasive species ecology in the southeast United States - Dynamics and persistence of populations in ephemeral habitats - Experimental epidemiology of zooplankton Research fellowships are available for qualified students. Potential students are strongly encouraged to email ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) a letter of introduction and expression of interest. Formal application (deadline: January 1, 2007) is to the Institute of Ecology. For more information about the Graduate Program in Ecology and instructions for applying, please see http://www.ecology.uga.edu/programs/doctorate.htm.
Fire Ecology Specialist Position Announcement
Fire Ecology Specialist Position Tall Timbers Research Station, Fire Ecology Program Tall Timbers Research Station (Tallahassee, Florida) is seeking a field ecologist to conduct research on prescribed fire and vegetation dynamics in southeastern U.S. ecosystems with an emphasis on upland pinelands. The Fire Ecology Specialist will work closely with the Fire Ecologist in implementing collaborative and independent research associated with the Fire Ecology Program. Qualifications: (1) Masters degree in ecology or related field, (2) ability to work in difficult (hot) outdoor conditions, (3) plant identification skills, (4) experience with prescribed burning preferable, (5) ability to organize and manage a laboratory, (6) ability to supervise interns and technicians, (6) enthusiastic about conducting independent research and writing articles for publication, (7) relational database and GIS skills highly desirable, (8) supportive of land management practices for conservation (prescribed burning, timber thinning, wildlife management, hunting). Oversight: Fire Ecologist Description: The Fire Ecology Specialist is responsible for assisting the Fire Ecologist in implementing and developing fire ecology / plant ecology research and providing information and education to the public. Duties will include supervision of existing long-term research projects, assisting development and initiation of new research projects, data management, hiring interns, acquiring and maintaining supplies and equipment, managing the herbarium, assisting with prescribed burning and other institutional needs, and assisting with extension and education activities. Research interests of the Fire Ecology Program are diverse and include effects of fire regime on natural community composition and structure, landscape fire history, fire and soil nutrient cycling, response of plant communities to soil disturbance, fire in hardwood forests, and remote sensing of burn severity. Salary and Benefits: Salary will be within the range of $30,000-$35,000 annually depending on qualifications. Benefits include full medical, unemployment, and worker's compensation insurance, and retirement benefits after one year of employment. To Apply: Submit by mail or e-mail CV, college transcripts (if graduated within the past 5 years), and names, addresses, and phone numbers for three references to: Kevin Robertson Tall Timbers Research Station 13093 Henry Beadel Drive Tallahassee, FL 32312 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Review of applications will begin December 15, 2006 with the goal of the position beginning in January 2007.
MSc or PhD Position in Remote Sensing (Lidar/forest structure)
Position: MSc or PhD Position in Remote Sensing Location College of Forest Resources University of Washington Contact Dr. L. Monika Moskal Contact Info [EMAIL PROTECTED] Salary: $1406-$151 / Monthly Job Category: Remote Sensing / Photogrammetry,LIDAR,Other Description: What is the Precision Forestry Cooperative? PFC is an Advanced Technology Initiative program established by the State of Washington to develop applications of advanced technologies in the forest sector. PFC focuses on converting data from new technologies into useful metrics and subsequent integration with information and decision support systems to improve competitiveness of the forest sector, sustain forest values, meet or exceed regulatory requirements. PFC Remote Sensing Research Program Areas Remote sensing of forest land and vegetation Forest canopy modeling and visualization Riparian vegetation structure and inventory Forest health and change Forest fuel loads and associated fire risks Airborne LIDAR/IFSAR, GIS, high resolution photography Precision Forestry Cooperative College of Forest Resources University of Washington Box 352100 Seattle WA 98115-2100 http://www.cfr.washington.edu/research.pfc/ For information about the UW-CFR Graduate Programs contact: Student and Academic Services [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.cfr.washington.edu/Acad/grad.html DEADLINE: January 15th for fullest consideration for the 2007-2008 academic year, but, applications will be reviewed as received -- L. Monika Moskal, PhD Assistant Professor - Remote Sensing Biospatial Analysis College of Forest Resources Precision Forestry Cooperative University of Washington Box 352100 Seattle WA 98195-2100 Office Phone: 206.221.6391 http://faculty.washington.edu/lmmoskal/
Re: Graduate Research Assistantship in avian ecology
Graduate Assistantship (PhD) in Avian Ecology Available at Iowa State University. A Graduate Research Assistantship leading to a PhD at Iowa State University is currently available to examine the ecological response of grassland birds to fire-grazing interactions. The successful candidate will be part of an interdisciplinary team comprising faculty and students at Iowa State and Oklahoma State Universities with expertise in ornithology, entomology, botany, fire ecology, range management, and sociology. The research is fundamental to achieving the group's overall goal of devising and implementing strategies to conserve native grassland species on reserved lands and in working landscapes. Salaries and research support are competitive. The 12-month stipend level is $17,500/year, and the position includes a tuition waiver and health care benefits. A start date of summer 2007 is preferred. The ideal candidate should have a degree in ecology, wildlife management, zoology, or a related discipline. Previous experience in ornithology, a strong quantitative background, and excellent English writing skills are essential. Preference will be given to candidates with the ability to identify prairie plants, familiarity with GIS, and experience in conducting independent research and publishing the results. Application Process: Applicants should send (via email) a cover letter outlining their research interests, a CV detailing their academic and professional backgrounds, and the names and contact addresses (including email) of three references to Dr. James Miller ([EMAIL PROTECTED]). Applications will be reviewed upon receipt and the position will remain open until a suitable candidate has been found. Applications received by January 1, 2007 will be guaranteed full consideration. Visit http://www.nrem.iastate.edu/students/prospecgrad.htm and http://www.grad-college.iastate.edu/EEB/ for additional information on graduate programs in ecology at ISU. *** Dr. James R. Miller Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management and Department of Landscape Architecture 339 Science II Iowa State University Ames, IA 50011-3221 Phone: 515-294-6764 Fax: 515-294-7874 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.nrem.iastate.edu/jrmiller/ ***
Re: gender bias studies
I find it interesting that the comparison people are making is between men and women pursuing their careers. To bring home the cultural bias for everyone I think that it might be useful to compare how stay at home fathers (those who are primary child care providers for a family) are dealt with and perceived in a society with how women pursuing careers are perceived. I think that women have made more progress in bucking the cultural norms than men. However, as I'm sure many of you can imagine the disdain and exclusion experienced by stay at home fathers, we should recognize that ambitious, career driven women started out from that same point and that, as a culture, we still have a very long way to go before we completely overcome that bias. Having lived on several other continents during my life I have to say that this holds true across many cultures (although perhaps not all) and so it should not be taken as culture = U.S. culture. In both cases a supportive spouse is very necessary for a person to buck the cultural norms and I think it's about time men realize that they are not fighting for their own rights to be treated equally and have the same opportunities as women. When men value the option of being a primary child care giver enough to fight the discrimination men experience who pursue that path, women will find that they also benefit from greater equality. Until then, men and women will not be treated equally regardless of their chosen field and we all lose as a result. By and large I find that ecologists are more aware of the bias than the average person but many comments made to this list recently have shown me that, even within our field, we suffer from sexism as individuals, as institutions, and as cultures. Working on the problem at only one scale does little to remove the problems of bias if they are still operating quite effectively at the other scales. -Erin -- Erin O'Brien Post-Doc EEMB-Biological Sciences UC Santa Barbara 805.893.2975 [EMAIL PROTECTED] c/o Bruce Mahall Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology Univ. of California Santa Barbara, CA 93106 On Campus: 103 Bldg 539
Graduate student position in community or macroecology
GRADUATE STUDENT OPENING The Ernest Lab at Utah State University has an opening for a graduate student with interests in Community Ecology or Macroecology. Active areas of research in the Ernest lab include desert ecology, long-term dynamics of community properties, and the role of body size in the ecology and life-history of mammals. While students interested in one of the general areas listed above are preferred, students are free to develop their own research projects depending upon their interests. Graduate students in the Ernest lab are funded through a combination of research assistantships, teaching assistantships, and fellowships. Students interested in pursuing a PhD are preferred, though exceptional students interested in a M.S. will be considered. Utah State University has an excellent graduate program in ecology with over 50 faculty and 80+ graduate students across campus affiliated with the USU Ecology Center (http://www.usu.edu/ecology/). For more information regarding the lab and application procedures see: www.biology.usu.edu/labsites/ernestlab/Ernest.htm Interested students should contact Dr. Morgan Ernest at: [EMAIL PROTECTED] DEADLINE: For full consideration, applications should be submitted by January 10, 2007.
New Job Opportunities
The following are new opportunities that opened. For details on these and other ongoing recruitment activities please visit the Employment page on DNR's Internet site: http://www.dnr.wa.gov/jobs/ NR Engineer 2 Recruitment #2006-11-3189 Coast District, Forks Closes: November 17 Yacolt Presales/Silviculture Forester Recruitment 32006-11-6418 Battle Ground Closes: November 17
Postdoc: database approaches to conservation biology
DATABASE APPROACHES TO CONSERVATION BIOLOGY A postdoctoral position is available for a project involving informatic approaches to generating recovery goals and objectives for federally listed endangered and threatened species. The incumbent will be responsible for finding, compiling and analyzing life history, threat, and distribution data for numerous species from published and gray literature. This position is an excellent opportunity to work on multispecies conservation problems at the interface of academic science and conservation practice. We seek a highly motivated individual with exceptional attention to detail and a meticulous approach to data collection. Knowledge of the US Endangered Species Act, international conservation programs, and object-oriented databases is helpful but not required. The incumbent will work regularly with faculty, graduate and undergraduate students, a database developer, and a broad array of agency personnel, and thus should have excellent communication skills. This position is funded via a collaborative, Department of Defense (SERDP) research grant that seeks to develop quantitative approaches to the establishment of recovery goals and objectives for poorly known species that are not amenable to population viability analyses. The position will be housed in Dr. Maile Neel's lab at the University of Maryland, College Park (alyxia.umiacs.umd.edu) and will involve close collaboration with Dr. Bill Fagan's lab (http://www.life.umd.edu/biology/faculty/fagan/). Position is available immediately.. The position is available for one year with possible extension to two years. The salary is highly competitive and will be based on the candidate's experience. Health benefits are offered with the position. Applicants should have a Ph.D. in a biologically related field and an interest in working at the interface between the basic science and conservation. The diversity of faculty, post doctoral scientists and graduate students interested in ecology, evolution and conservation at the University of Maryland provides an excellent scientific community in which to develop professionally. Proximity to Washington, DC offers extensive opportunities to become involved with conservation agencies and organizations. For more information, contact Maile Neel ([EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] or 301-405-9780). To apply, please email a cover letter explaining your research interests in general and your interest in this position specifically, a CV, and names and contact information for 3 references.
Re: gender issues in ecology
Hello, As a mother of 2 small children (2 and 5), I have very limited available time but I have been trying to follow the thread. Mostly what I have issues with ends up being addressed by someone else and so I have kept aside. But there are two things that seem to have been missed: (1) supportive husband is redundant. If he isn't willing to support your dreams and ambitions why on earth would you marry the guy??? (2) I just need to say this for those of you that haven't yet experienced the fantastic trip that is to be pregnant. The word incapacitated is so far out! Thank you to my buddy Jim Roper (tudo bem, Jim?) for catching up on this but I thing there is need for some follow-up. During my total of 18 months of pregnancy I was at peak efficiency and academic performance. I just love that hormonal linearity (which actually extends for an extra 3-4 months after birth). I successfully wrote grants and/or worked on and published high profile papers during that time. I worked until the eleventh hour and then started working again within a couple of days after birth (in fact I gave a job talk (successfully) less than 3 weeks after the birth of my second child). Why on earth should being pregnant affect your ability to think? You are making a child, why not invest and concentrate on giving he/she a happy accomplished mum? Prepare of course, stay fit for one, eat well. I wasn't perfect on either of these but I tried and it all worked out ok. Note: Sorry about the preaching tone... Now, there are exceptions. Some pregnancies are complicated and require rest. But I wonder what the stats on that are? Anyone with that info handy? We are lucky in our field there is so much writing to do. Grants, manuscripts (publish or perish, right?), protocols, etc. I was able to work more from home for the first weeks or even months in one case and then gradually pass on the kiddos to a good daycare for good socialization. Of course I would love if daycares were more available (i.e. cheaper and closer). But as it has been mentioned good enterprises have seen the light. More should follow. Further, some societies are now making daycare available at meetings - the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene for one. Kudos! Are there others? Others thinking about it? It helps! Just my 2c. Dina
