Reducing the Impact of Negative Stereotypes on the Careers of Minority and Women Scientists

Here's a link to the article, whose first sentence reads: "Social science research powerfully demonstrates how stereotypes, even those that people are not consciously aware of, can influence the careers of women and minorities."

Click the link for the rest of the insightful article by Daisy Grewal

This is a departure from my usual format. I'd like to speak to stereotypes, diversity and science.

A counselor stopped me at my high school. My general review (from the students) is pretty good. The counselor was candid with a comment that stuck with me: "I'm the first black physics teacher they've ever met."

Not that there are a plethora of us, but since I attained my undergraduate degree in physics at an HBCU: North Carolina A&T State University, the fact that I'm the first was a little disturbing at first...

I worked initially as a Communications/Computer Systems Officer in the US Air Force.

I worked in the semiconductor industry in process, device, manufacturing and product engineering.

Although I was quite active (when my kids were young) with the Austin Alumni Chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers, that's not quite the same as getting in front of a classroom on a daily basis.

Neither activity mentioned gave me that opportunity.

Unfortunately, that is where urban youth are: their expectations of what they can accomplish are shaped primarily by what they "see." They "see" Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, Chris Paul perform their skills on the basketball court, they don't see black physicists and astronomers, or black engineers. I was delighted NSBE, the Texas Alliance of Minorities in Engineering and Prarie View A&M set up booths at the Austin Science Festival (still burning footage to disk to upload to my You Tube Channel and embed on this site).

One way to fight stereotypes is to celebrate as much as possible scientists and engineers of the African diaspora so that our youth can "see" themselves in other roles that society has "typed" them for.

This spurs me to show them even more as long as I am...in front of them.

Or sadly, nothing will ever change.

Story about the president of the National Society of Black Physicists:

Dr. Peter Delfyett has been selected as the recipient of the American Physical Society 2011 Edward A. Bouchet Award "for his significant scientific contributions in the area of ultrafast optical device physics and semiconductor diode based ultrafast lasers, and for his exemplary and continuing efforts in the career development of underrepresented minorities in science and engineering.” The award, which consists of $3,500 and a certificate and carries with it a lectureship program, will be presented at the DAMOP Annual meeting (June 13-17, 2011) in Atlanta, GA.