Ep. 33 It Just Didn't Feel Like Me: Belonging and Sexism in Science

Sustainable Nano

How often do college women in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) experience sexism? And how do these experiences affect their likelihood of staying in scientific fields? In this episode we talk with Majel Baker, a counseling psychologist who investigated these questions in her doctoral dissertation. Spoiler alert: sexism is bad. But there are ways we can work to improve the situation. Plus, we have a mini-interview about what this year's chemistry Nobel prize had to do with sustainable nanotechnology.

(photo courtesy of Majel Baker)

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ABOUT THIS EPISODE

Related links:

• Majel Baker: website, Twitter
  • articles coming soon (links will be added when available): Daily Sexism Experienced by Women in STEM Majors; The power of peers: Correlates of classroom climate in undergraduate women in STEM
• Natalie Hudson-Smith: website, Twitter
• National Academies Report: Sexual Harassment of Women: Climate, Culture, and Consequences in Academic Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (2018)
• Cheryan, et al. Why are some STEM fields more gender balanced than others? Psychological Bulletin, 2017, 143(1) 1-35.
• Grogan, K. How the entire scientific community can confront gender bias in the workplace. Nature Ecology & Evolution, 2019, 3,3-6.
• Pollack, E. What really keep women out of tech. New York Times, Oct 10, 2015.
• Rogers, M. STEM-ming the Tide. Inside Higher Ed, Nov 27, 2013.
• Resources about gender: Planned Parenthood - Sexual Orientation and Gender; GLAAD Glossary of Terms - Transgender; The Trevor Project - Trans + Gender Identity
• Liz Laudadio: website
• 2019 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
• Sustainable Nano blog posts:
  • How do lithium-ion batteries work?
  • Does Eating Turkey Make You Sleepy? (Answer: No, but tryptophan can teach us about nanotoxicology!)
  • Turkeys and Photonic Crystals: Lots to Be Thankful For
• The Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology

Interviewees: Majel Baker & Liz Laudadio

Interviewer: Natalie Hudson-Smith

Producer/Host: Miriam Krause

Music: PC III and Dexter Britain

Note: This episode description was edited on Nov 27, 2019 to reflect the fact that Majel Baker has not yet received her PhD. Although she has successfully defended her doctoral dissertation, we're still not allowed to call her "Dr. Baker" quite yet.

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under the Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology, grant number CHE-1503408. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed on this podcast are those of the participants and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation or the participating institutions.