by STACEY GRIJALVA
At Parry McCluer Middle School’s first science fair, all the winners of the judges’ awards were boys.
One of the judges, Washington and Lee University physics professor Irina Mazilu, sees similar disparities at universities where she’s taught.
She was the only female in the physics and engineering department at W&L when she arrived three years ago. When she taught at Virginia Tech, she was one of three women in physics.
Mazilu participates in an advanced
program by the National Science Foundation that promotes women in
science and engineering, especially for women teachers in the region.
Statistics by NSF and the U.S. Department of Education support Mazilu’s
observations.
NSF found that although women outnumber men in enrollment at universities across the nation for the past 10 years, disparities pop up for freshmen intending the major in science. A chasm exists between the sexes for computer sciences and engineering. More than six times more men than women intended to major in those fields in 2004. However, women surpass man in social/behavioral sciences.
Mazilu sees the gap in her classroom. Only four women out of 20 students are enrolled in her introductory physics class. She said last year was slightly better with seven women out of 30 students.
Interestingly, Mazilu did not see the same male-female ratios when studying in her homeland of Romania.
“It was about half and half while I studied undergraduate physics,” she said. “Here, I think the problem starts in high school. You definitely see it happen by college.”
Pam Simpson, president of the Rockbridge Valley’s chapter of the National Organzation of Women, agrees with Mazilu that the problem could be alleviated with more female science teachers to serve as role models at all levels but especially in high schools.
Yet one Rockbridge County High School student says most of her science classes have an equal number of boys and girls.
“One of my classes even has more girls than boys,” senior Katie Bennett said.
However, only four girls are in her Advanced Placement Physics class, for which students can receive college credit.
At Maury River Middle School, 12 out of the total 21 female teachers teach math or science. Lylburn Downing Middle School has an all female faculty except for one male who teaches science.
At Randolph-Macon’s all-female college in Lynchburg, eight female professors teach in the science and math departments out of 20 total professors. In the biology department, women make up almost half of the faculty.
In other fields historically dominated by men, such as the military, blame is often put on the physiological differences between men and women. But in the sciences, the issue is not ability, said Mazilu.
“When we had the George Washington Honor Scholars here, these women scored off the roof on the SATs,” she said.
Simpson added that the female honor scholars she saw were all interested in science.
“If we can get them here, it could help change things,” she said. “It’s already changing even here.”
One class of W&L women unknowingly contradict the stereotype. This year, more women than men intend to be physics majors.
More role models can help, but Simpson said the issue rests on parental expectations and intimidation.
“It’s about being comfortable,” she said. “If you feel inferior in a room full of men, you won’t score your best.”
Bennett has already decided to major in chemistry when she goes to college. She said her parents support her but others are a bit dubious.
“Everyone thinks I’m crazy,” she said.
Produced by Washington and Lee journalism students.
Lead supervisor: Prof. Claudette Artwick
Reporting supervisors:
Technical supervisor: Michael Todd