16th Anna Mani Lecture by Dr. Sukanya Chakrabarti: 19 May 2023, Friday at 6 pm
YouTube live stream link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eM2MLPRwBc
Title: “The dynamics of social change in academia”
Abstract: While it may not seem obvious, galaxies are born and have life histories, just as we do - only they evolve on much longer time scales than our own lives. Social change, while slow (like the lives of galaxies), can be visible over a person's lifetime. There have been advances for women in astronomy over the last several decades, though there is more to be done in achieving parity. I will review my understanding of this history by making some references to the slow, yet now measurable process of galaxy evolution. I will discuss the recent demographics survey of the Committee for the Status of Women in Astronomy (CSWA), focused primarily on astronomers at US institutions. One of our goals from this survey is to analyze the demographics of hiring, recruitment, and retention, paying attention to the impact on individuals at the intersections of multiple identities. I also discuss the importance of fully respecting maternity leave. I will end by noting that it is important now to progress to more nuanced discussions of women in science and to acknowledge the impact of additional dimensions (race, ethnicity, and socio-economic background) in understanding and analyzing the dynamical evolution of women in astronomy.
