AdvanceVT Progress Report
Pl Meeting
Atlanta, Georgia
April 19, 2004
4/19/04 Virginia Tech
Programmatic Activities to Date
January 12 initial workshop big success– Positive feedback and priorities for action
Met with other Advance institutions at University of Washington
Hosted networking reception for Women’s Month
Surveyed faculty, staff and graduate students regarding child care needs– Identified as high priority at January workshop
Began compiling institutional data for NSF reporting requirements
4/19/04 Virginia Tech
Pipeline Element:AdvanceVT Fellowship Recipients
Miriam Stewart, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Olga Pierrakos, Mechanical Engineering
Megan Elwood Madden, Geosciences
4/19/04 Virginia Tech
Recruitment and Retention Element: Increase the representation of women
Element Activities to Date
Compiled listservs and websites for faculty recruitment
Co-hosted Caroline Lasser, TU Munich, with math department
Identified mentoring as central retention element; plan to develop tool kit
Led and participated in numerous faculty searches in the two colleges
“Some of the main factors resulting in my choosing Virginia Tech were the supportiveness of the hiring committee, the fact that my spouse was hired, and the quality of research in the university as a whole."
A Recent Faculty Hire,
Fall 2003
4/19/04 Virginia Tech
Dr. Kathleen MeehanElectrical and Computer
Engineering
Dr. Corina SanduMechanical Engineering
Dr. Naira HovakimyanAero and Ocean
Engineering
Dr. Linsey MarrCivil and Environmental
Engineering
Dr. Julie DunsmorePsychology
Dr. Lynn AdlerBiology
Leadership Element:Recipients of AdvanceVT
Research Seed Grants
4/19/04 Virginia Tech
Leadership Element:Recipients of AdvanceVT Leadership Fellowships
Dr. Brenda WinkelBiology, Fralin Biotechnology
Center
Dr. Andrea DietrichCivil and Environmental
Engineering
4/19/04 Virginia Tech
Institutional Change Element: Policy review
Element Activities to Date
Dual career accommodation policy– Identified as high priority at January
workshop– Collected and reviewed policies from
other institutions– Draft policy/procedure prepared and
circulated for discussion– Plan to present to Board of Visitors this
summer
“[There is a] ‘nothing written down’ trend in our department. I have no idea what some of the policies are.”
Female Assoc. Prof. at Virginia
Tech.Fall 2003
4/19/04 Virginia Tech
Assessment and ResearchActivities to Date
Completed first interviews with new faculty in colleges of science and engineering
Completed interviews with female associate professors in colleges of science and engineering
In process of interviewing comparable group of male associate professors
Preliminary findings distributed to department heads and work group members
"It's important to address scientists in a scientific way. The only way you are going to convince scientists that change is needed is by giving them data. Give them a lot of data."
Associate Professor, College
of Science
4/19/04 Virginia Tech
Assessment and Research
Faculty Survey Goals:
– Assess institutional transformation, – Assess gender differences and organizational
factors associated with success in faculty positions Partnering with other Advance institutions Contracted with Survey Research Center for
logistics Anticipated distribution fall 2004 Requesting support from University leadership
to increase response rate