Prof. Jordan A. Goodman, Chair, Physics Department

By Jordan A. Goodman,
Physics Chair

Dear Readers,

This month, I would like to talk to you about the importance of recruiting women and minorities - to the Maryland Physics program and to the field of physics in general. The statistics regarding the representation of women and minorities in physics are alarming. *In 2001, only three percent of all Ph.D. degrees awarded were awarded to African-Americans, only two percent to Hispanic-Americans and only 13 percent to women. The entire country only awarded 18 degrees to African-Americans and, even though the number of women taking high school physics is essentially equal to the men, women represent only 23 percent of the students earning undergraduate degrees in physics and only 13 percent of those earning Ph.D. degrees.

Here at the University of Maryland Department of Physics, we have taken several steps to reach out to women and minority students and faculty and to create an environment that is attractive to members of underrepresented groups. We have targeted professional associations such as the National Society of Black Physicists for student recruitment, applied and received GANN fellowships for minority graduate students, provided excellent mentorship to women and minority students. In fact Dr. S. James Gates was just awarded the 2004 University System of Maryland (USM) Board of Regents' Faculty Award for Excellence in Mentoring. We search for the best scientists for faculty positions, including talented women and minority candidates. While we have not had the opportunity to hire anyone in the last few years, I am particularly gratified to see that, now that we are beginning to search again, a number of the candidates being brought in for faculty searches fall into this category.

Since we are in the midst of recruitment season, I want to take a moment to urge our entire department to continue to work diligently in these efforts. A diverse faculty and a diverse student body are very beneficial to the Department and consistent with the mission of the University. I encourage our faculty search committees and those involved in student recruitment (who are already doing a great job) to be sure to communicate to women and minorities the benefit of a Maryland Physics education. In addition to boasting our top-notch academic curriculum and the breadth of our research opportunities, we can offer the social advantages of our large, diverse campus and the multi-ethnic, multi-racial Washington, D.C. area. We have extremely talented faculty (including women and minorities) who do an excellent job mentoring faculty and students - a task that includes fostering their interest and knowledge in exciting areas of physics, providing a safe, supportive environment for everyone and helping them manage some of the challenges unique to women and minority scientists. These are benefits that we need to show all our recruits - especially underrepresented recruits.

It is also important that when prospects visit the Department, we take the time to meet with them, talk with them and show them that they are wanted. We need to listen to what they are looking for and see how we can meet their needs. We have a great feeling of family here at Maryland and we need to showcase that. This is a key step in recruiting any top candidate or prospective student and it is especially important when we are courting someone who is a member of a group that is underrepresented by existing members of the community. Talented women and minorities will have their choice of many top universities. Our Department has already established an excellent reputation for its strong academic and research programs. We must also work to establish a reputation for ourselves as an attractive environment that is comfortable for anyone to work or study, no matter their race, ethnicity or gender.

I also want to encourage the entire physics community to work toward increasing interest in physics among women and minorities when they are young. The field of physics - not just this university - has one of the lowest representations of women and minorities of all the sciences. So, it is incumbent on us to show children and teens the excitement of physics and the many opportunities that it provides. Our Summer Girls Program, which introduces 8th grade girls to physics through a two-week summer day camp, has been very effective in the nearly 15 years that it has been operating. The Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC), housed within our department, also offers many free-of-charge programs, which usually represent the multi-racial demographics of the Maryland-D.C. area that they serve. For example, the MRSEC's GK-12 program does a great job bringing the physical sciences and engineering to area public schools. In this program, graduate fellows use their expertise, teaching skills and the department's lecture demonstration equipment in the classroom to help teachers teach science, including physics. Other universities have similar programs that I also applaud.

To our faculty and our alumni here in the Greater Washington, D.C. Area, I encourage you to take the time to talk to classes of public school students or volunteer to mentor a young woman or minority student. Donna Hammer (dhammer@mrsec.umd.edu, 301-405-8349) in the MRSEC can help you find a way to volunteer that best fits your interests and matches your expertise. To our alumni and friends outside of the D.C. area, I encourage you to volunteer in your area. A nearby university may have programs similar to ours, for which you can volunteer. We all know the amazing opportunities available for physicists and how enjoyable of a career it can be. Sharing that knowledge with young women and minorities will help them and it will grow and strengthen our field.

If you have questions about how you can help or ideas for ways the Department can better reach out to women and minorities, please do not hesitate to contact me at 301-405-5946 or goodman@umdgrb.umd.edu.

Sincerely,

Jordan A. Goodman
Professor and Chair

*All statistics are from the American Institute of Physics Statistical Research Center's 2002 Enrollments and Degrees Report. For additional statistics, please visit http://www.aip.org/statistics/trends/reports/