A Program for Graduate Women in Engineering Pursuing Academic Careers (iFEAT: Illinois Female Engineers in Academia Training)

摘要

A casual scan of department websites in the college of engineering at most universities reveals an obvious imbalance in the ratio of male to female professors. According to data collected by the National Science Foundation, women were conferred roughly 40% of doctoral degrees in STEM fields from 2002-2012, yet in 2010, women accounted for only 27% of tenuretrack assistant professorships in engineering. While the gender gap in STEM fields remains an ongoing discussion, programs that provide resources and support for female engineering doctoral students interested in pursuing academic careers may help to address this gap. The cause of this 'leaky pipeline' is likely the culmination of several factors including academic environment and lifestyle.