University of Colorado at Boulder physics Professor Patricia Rankin, associate vice chancellor for faculty diversity and development, will participate in a United States-Japan Gender Equity Roundtable in Sapporo, Japan, on Feb. 16-18.
The roundtable dialogue in Japan was initiated by the National Science Foundation's Tokyo regional representative's office and is focused on strengthening the environment for women's success in academic science and engineering fields.
"There is widespread concern that the U.S. is not developing the science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, workforce that it will need to remain competitive in the future," Rankin said. "We also know that teams that are diverse work better than ones that are not.
"This roundtable demonstrates the international recognition of the need to broaden participation in the STEM fields to provide the skills needed to solve increasingly complex problems," she said. "By having discussions that cross national boundaries we can explore more solutions and strengthen activities in both countries."
Science policy in Japan is managed under a five-year plan, known as the Third Basic Plan, that lays out investment priorities. One of the primary goals of the plan, which has a timeline extending from 2006 to 2010, is to strengthen human resources in science and technology by expanding opportunities for female researchers. The plan set a target of 25 percent of researchers being women by 2010, which if achieved, would more than double female participation in the research workforce, Rankin said.
Women scientists in Japan have become increasingly interested in learning from the experience of the United States, which they see as substantially more experienced in efforts to strengthen the environment for women in science and engineering, she said. The intention of the roundtable is to allow participants to become acquainted and to learn more about the opportunities and challenges each country faces.
Rankin has been the principal investigator for CU-Boulder's Increasing the Participation and Advancement of Women in Academic Science and Engineering Careers, or ADVANCE, Institutional Transformation grant from NSF for the last seven years. She is working to identify and remove barriers to the advancement of women and members of other underrepresented groups in the academy -- especially in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Barriers to women entering these fields include the effects of stereotyping, unconscious bias and lack of professional networking opportunities, Rankin said. Encouraging best practices such as transparency and inclusion in institutional management helps not only to make the environment more supportive for women and minorities but helps make the institution more supportive for everyone, she said.