WISE cosponsors Woman to Woman panel for grad students

This November WISE cosponsored its Woman to Woman: Success Strategies for Graduate Women panel, which featured panelists Thandi Sule, research fellow at UM's Center for the Education of Women, Martha Cotera, Assistant Professor of Latina/o Studies and Assistant Professor of Women's Studies, Sam Daly, Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Bing Zhou, Professor and Associate Chair of Physics.

Panelist Dr. Thandi Sule spoke on the professional socialization of Black female faculty at universities. She found 3 guiding principals for how these women found a fit in places where they were minorities.

These consist of, first, enacting norms that these faculty members agree with, i.e. understanding norms and replicating those that are important to you (such as publishing). Second, these faculty discard norms they do not agree with, which is a necessary act for people who are outside norms. Last, there is a transforming of institutional norms, a process that is particularly important for making the institution more reflective of who you are. Faculty must get involved and be persistent via committees, student organizations, employment within a discipline, and connecting to people with resources.

Dr. Sule's last message was to network and from grad school on, to people who will affirm you.

In looking for a way to build a career, panelist Dr. Martha Cotera found an ally-mentor via her master's program, which enabled her to get funding for the telling of her immigrant narrative. Cotera says: get your foot in door and then go for it. Her colleagues had parents who were professors, while she was 1st generation. She recommends place yourself for next goal to set yourself up so you can get the job you want.

Dr. Cotera attended Stanford, where there was a sense of not belonging as a female person of color. She spoke of a feeling of insecurity – something all norms of the university seem to perpetuate. However, says Cotera, not only do people belong, but everyone's perspective enriched the conversation and may transform or change or expand understanding of a topic.

When you are being marginalized, says Cotera, you typically take yourself out of the game. Her solution? Don't do it. You must seek out faculty attention, and you deserve it.

You must be proactive, says Cotera, and you shouldn't measure yourself against others – it's a destructive dead end. Instead, focus energy on yourself.

Panelist Dr. Sam Daly spoke on the importance of doing at least one thing every day. She, for instance, is learning to speak Russian and raising horses. While some people check email, get coffee, poke around Daly says don't waste time – be efficient so you can do other things too.

Daly spoke on the real time commitment involved in being on faculty; teaching takes 25-30 hours per week, followed by research, mentoring grad students, committees, and writing proposals for equipment and projects. Guiding grad students takes energy, but it's a service both inside and outside the university. As such, she advises choosing your advisor very carefully and making sure that they have a good source of funding.

Daly also spoke on finding balance, recommending working hard but not letting your ego get tied to your work. Focus on the big picture, and avoid focusing on just getting things done without learning, and, if you have a failure, that can lead to a good discovery.

If someone criticizes your work, says Daly, use it as an opening for a conversation – it's an opportunity for you to express your opinion and learn from theirs.

Dr. Bing Zhou spoke of her work with the Large Haldron Collider, which broke after 9 days. Dr. Zhou warned, then, to be prepared for the unexpected.

Dr. Zhou's other suggestions included trying to graduate in 5 years, seeing possibilities and push for them, trying to work as efficiently as you can, trying to find balance and set specific short-term goals, making a long-term plan, and sharing your work. If you want a family, Dr. Zhou says, just have one – you will be able to handle it. Women are very smart and very capable, they can handle both family and research career.

The panel was followed by a networking event with panelists and additional faculty: Marci Swansen, Pamela Davis Kean, Linda Samuelson, Professor of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, Medical School, and Pauline Bigby, Adjunct Lecturer in Education, School of Education.

December 2008 eNews

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