RFS Briefings - August 10, 2018

August 2018 issue of RFS Briefings has some timely and encouraging updates on women in science, particularly:

Nancy Hopkins Named Xconomy's 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award Winner
Nancy Hopkins, professor emerita at MIT, is being honored with Xconomy's 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of her career in genetics and cancer biology research. An RFS Founding Board Member, she is also lauded for her groundbreaking work advocating for women in science in both academia and industry. Hopkins cautions that efforts to monitor gender inequity is "'a process that you have to keep doing until women are really seen as equal."' 

Rosalind Franklin and the Damage of Gender Harassment
"Taken for Granted," a monthly column by the scientific workforce expert Beryl Lieff Benderly, focused on Rosalind Franklin for its August publication. Prompted by the recent National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) report addressing the prevalence of sexual harassment in university science, Benderly identified Franklin as the victim of "gender harassment." 

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RFS Briefings - July 2018

July 2018 issue of RFS Briefings has some timely and encouraging updates on women in science, particularly:

To Prevent Sexual Harassment, Academic Institutions Should Go Beyond Legal Compliance to Promote a Change in Culture: Current Approaches Have Not Led to Decline
The National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine released its Consensus Study Report. Sexual Harassment of Women - Climate, Culture, and Consequences in Academic Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. Read More.

How Universities Deal With Sexual Harassment Needs Sweeping Change, Panel Says
A new report by The National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine concluded that despite concerted efforts over the years, we have not seen significant reductions in sexual harassment in these fields.

Goldman Sachs Pledges $500 Million for Female Founders
Goldman Sachs announced a new initiative, "Launch with GS," which will invest $500 million of firm and client capital in businesses and financial products run by women. 

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RFS Briefings - June 2018

June 2018 issue of RFS Briefings has some timely and encouraging updates on women in science, particularly: 

How far will your essay take you?
The Science & SciLifeLab Prize for Young Scientists is open for entries, with an application deadline of July 15, 2018. Now in its 6th year, the international prize will offer four recent PhD graduates "a life-changing" opportunity.

Theranos Founder Elizabeth Holmes Indicted on Fraud Charges
Elizabeth Holmes, the founder of Theranos – a lab testing company – and its former president were indicted on charges of defrauding investors out of hundreds of millions of dollars and deceiving hundreds of patients and doctors.

How far has Elizabeth Holmes set back women who want to start a biotech company?
Mary Ann Liebert, founder of RFS and publisher of 90 peer-reviewed journals, as well as books and trade publications, published an editorial in the company's flagship publication, Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News (GEN), about the impact of Elizabeth Holmes' debacle. With nearly 15 women-owned biotechnology companies, Ms. Liebert questioned whether women will now have a greater challenge getting capitalists and private investors "to commit to a woman-owned biotech startup?" This concern will be addressed at the annual Rosalind Franklin Society meeting on November 1-2, 2018 in Philadelphia. 

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RFS Briefings - May 2018

May 2018 issue of RFS Briefings has some timely and encouraging updates on women in science, particularly:

RFS Board Member Newly Elected Member of the National Academy of Sciences
The National Academy of Sciences announced the election of 84 new members and 21 foreign associates in recognition of their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research. RFS Board member Clare M. Waterman, distinguished investigator and director, Laboratory of Cell and Tissue Morphodynamics, Cell Biology and Physiology Center, NHLIB/ NIH, is included in the new members.

Women's voices are being drowned out in science
A study at Cambridge University found women in science, when compared with their male counterparts, are not offered equal opportunities to present their research. Dr. Heather Ford, a research fellow in the Department of Earth Sciences, said, "We need the majority groups to think about representation, otherwise minority voices will continue to be drowned out." And, sadly, this is not the first time that gender inequality has been highlighted in the world of science.

Science & SciLifeLab Prize for Young Scientists
In an effort to entice the best and brightest to continue their chosen fields of research, Science/AAAS and SciLifeLab, a coordinated effort of four universities, have joined forces to create the Science & SciLifeLab Prize for Young Scientists. The prize is awarded annually to one young scientist for outstanding life science research. 

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