Below is a transcript of our conversation with Drs. Tracy Galarowicz and Katrina Piatek-Jimenez
David Nicholas:
I'm David Nicholas and this is Central Focus, a weekly look at research activity and innovative work from Central Michigan University students and faculty. We've come a long way since the idea that quote “girls can't do math and science.” In 2023, CMU received a grant from the National Science Foundation to foster gender inclusivity in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, what we know as STEM. To learn more, I sat down with Doctor Katrina Piatek-Jimenez, Professor in the Department of Mathematics, and Dr. Tracy Galarowicz, Associate Dean from the College of Science and Engineering, who told me first about this work as part of a continuing effort at CMU…
Tracy Galarowicz:
It builds on a previous award that we received from the National Science Foundation that allowed us to gather data about gender equity and related issues for faculty at CMU and using what we found from that project we are implementing programming and other activities to address issues to support faculty.
DN:
Now you say on campus; this is an award specifically to your college then or is it you are part of more of a university wide initiative?
TG:
So, the grant is university wide. The grant is to support gender equity. For STEM faculty in science, technology, engineering, and math. But that's more inclusive than the College of Science and Engineering. So, besides the departments in our college, it includes departments from three other colleges, but most of the activities that we're doing are for all faculty and staff. Much of the programming for (for) the entire campus.
DN:
And Doctor Jimenez, when I was in school, there was that adage that girls couldn't cut it in science and math. So, as you look back, did you face any resistance on your road to where you are now?
Katrina Piatek-Jimenez:
I definitely have through the years. I, my first story starts as young as fifth grade when my 5th grade teacher told me that girls just weren't good at math and (and) I have many stories through the years that I can share, which is part of why my research area as a faculty and scholar now is looking at women in mathematics and women in STEM. And I was very excited back in 2019 to create the course Women in STEM Fields for CMU students to take. It's most often taken by freshmen, and most often both women and men who are majoring in STEM courses or STEM fields, and it's a really exciting and fun course to teach.
DN:
How much interest have you received then overall from the university community? How much of it is kind of a collaborative effort? And do you find the level of? Interest. Regionally, nationally is, is there a movement overall to advance the goal of the initiative here at CMU to increase that gender inclusivity?
KPJ:
So, the Advanced Program began back around the year 2001 and has been around for about 20 years. They recently celebrated their 20th anniversary and many universities through the years have been able to take advantage of the Advanced Program to improve the culture and climate for women faculty in STEM with the, with the idea of diversifying the (the) STEM workforce in general.
DN:
A final thought then for you. Doctor Galarowicz, what do you see as CMU's role for setting an example here statewide? I, is this a singular award that came to our university? Are there others that you're aware of that received any kind of similar funding for other initiatives? What, what do our other sister institutions have going on in the same direction?
TG:
Correct. So, there's (there's) a long history of Advance in the state of Michigan. The University of Michigan was one of the first universities to receive an award and they since have a very successful Advanced Program funded by the university and other universities, like Wayne State, have also received an Advance grant too. I think ours, (ours) is different in taking this approach of providing programming and support through peer mentoring and different workshops, but also the policy review and thinking about recruitment and retention of faculty. So, I think we, we're going to contribute. We're, we're going to change CMU positively, but we'll also contribute to the broader knowledge of gender equity for faculty at universities.
DN:
Dr. Tracy Galarowicz, Associate Dean, College of Science and Engineering and Dr. Katrina Piatek-Jimenez, faculty from the Department of Mathematics, congratulations again to both of you for the work that has been done, work moving forward and thank you very much for joining us.
TG:
Thank you.
KPJ:
Thank you.
