HR: 0800h
AN: ED11B-0471    [Abstracts]
TI: Rethinking the Meaning of Success in Academia: Strategies of a Female Scientist from a Far – Away Land
AU: * Mekik, F
EM: mekikf@gvsu.edu
AF: Grand Valley State University, Department of Geology, Allendale, MI 49401, United States
AB: Earning and receiving tenure is essential for success in academia and there are obstacles, particularly for women in the sciences. Scholarly publications and formal reviews from peers and students make the road to tenure and promotion ambiguous and unpredictable. As a female scientist, I benefited from my upbringing in Turkey where women are raised to perceive themselves as both empowered and strong. Several recent studies on academicians in physics have shown that while in countries like Turkey, former Yugoslavia, Slovenia and Poland female scientists make up 20% or more of college faculty, they hold only 5% or less of faculty positions in universities in western Europe and the United States. Similar statistics prevail in earth science and geology departments world wide and will be discussed in my presentation. I also developed several strategies that helped me on the road to tenure, which I believe may have use to others—my part of this session will be to explain them more fully. They are: [1] Concentrate on your work, and do not be distracted by the multiple drains on time and energy such as competition with peers; [2] Wherever possible, develop a broader definition of "success," so that collaborations with other scientists, with students, and with the general public are valued; [3] Build your department by participating in searches and interviewing job candidates; [4] Seek colleagues who share your values about leadership and collegiality; and [5] Be confident about your own competence.
DE: 0840 Evaluation and assessment
DE: 0855 Diversity
DE: 6630 Workforce
SC: Education and Human Resources [ED]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting