Promoting Mentoring Among and For Women in Chemistry: The Experiences of COACh
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Date
2010-06-20
Authors
Stockard, Jean
Greene, Jessica
Lewis, Priscilla
Richmond, Geraldine
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
American Chemical Society
Abstract
A growing body of research documents numerous factors that contribute to women's
under-representation in the top tiers of technical and scientific fields. This literature describes the
ways in which biases against women, particularly those that are more subtle and implicit, can
translate into lower salaries, slower rates of promotion, and less recognition through honors and
awards for women relative to their male colleagues (Committee on Science, 2007; Greene, et al,
2010b; Valian, 1999). In 1999 a small group of senior women chemistry faculty from around the
United States began meeting to discuss their concerns that women in their field were not
experiencing the same career opportunities and advancement patterns as men.
With seed funding from the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation, they formed an organization
called COACh, the Committee for the Advancement of Women Chemists.
Over the last decade COACh has sponsored numerous career-oriented workshops for
women chemists as well as workshops for department heads. One aspect of this work is
encouraging mentorship relationships for and by women, an area recognized by the COACh
founders as important for career advancement. This paper uses data gathered by COACh to
examine women chemists' mentorship experiences and then discusses ways that COACh has
promoted mentoring and the apparent results of these efforts. We end with a brief discussion of
future research that needs to be done in this area and lessons for policy and action.
Description
11 pages
Keywords
COACh, women chemists, chemistry, mentoring, mentoring workshops