Leaning In to Science and Education

  Yes, I have fallen into the trap of reading "Lean In" by Sheryl Sandberg but she makes so many good points about how our culture undermines women's roles. Are we still stuck in the 1950's? Is the only purpose of a woman to bear the children of men? And the greater question I have is why do we talk ourselves out of the things we deserve and have more than earned?
  My intent and contribution is to lean in to my major, Physics, and to encourage more women to pursue what are deemed the hardcore sciences, the sciences that are almost 100% made of men. Chemistry and Biology are not one of those sciences. I am talking about Math, Physics, and Engineering. Luckily, the population of Physics undergraduate majors happen to be composed of about 33% women at Roanoke College, much better than the national percentage of 2%. My question is, what happens to women in these fields and why do they drop out? After reading "Lean In," I can see why they leave the field, usually to raise families.
  Now this may not be the case all the time. Physicists can switch careers at any time and many may have. Obtaining a Physics degree, or any science degree, creates high end critical thinkers that would be highly desirable by any industry. So, the low percentage rate may be due to improper survey of women in Physics and where they work after college. The intentions to increase participation are there and can be viewed on the American Physical Society website.
  However, I happen to agree with Sandberg in the view that it is a much broader cultural change and paradigm shift that must take place. When people ask what I am learning in college, I simply say Physics. Then I get that look that says, "Wow, you must be smart!" Then they ask what I want to do with it. That is the point where I lose most people. The bright spot is that there are a few of my friends who understand my research and it makes me feel a little bit better about the world I participate in.
  Which has led me to the conclusion that women are facing a two-fold problem, lack of encouragement with self or among others and the lack of science literacy in our country. It is far easier for people to deny the existence of something that they do not understand than to try to learn about it. We are afraid to learn. We want to learn though. It is in our nature to learn and to deny that nature is to starve it of precious nutrients and water. The brain likes to be tickled. We are wired for play and for discovery. That is how we grow our desire to learn, by playing.
  This brings me to another point. Why do people, professors included, keep teaching it like it is the most boring thing on the planet to learn? Why are scientific papers so dry to read? Why are scientific presentations given in the same manner as the journals which they are based from (some have mastered the art of an interesting science presentation, many have not)? Why are people still afraid of math? We have people like Bill Nye and Neil deGrasse Tyson to lead the charge for science. Most recently, it was discovered that the most popular science web page, IFLS, was run by a woman, as if it should be shocking. Why? We need more women like her to take the lead to bring passion back to STEM fields. We have a large high tech gap to fill by 2025. We better get going.
  A final thought, I am blessed to be working with such wonderful, open-minded, and strong women in the Chemistry department over the summer. These women will be awesome in whatever field they choose and I would keep an eye on them if I were you.