SWE - Spring 2009 - (Page 14)

Setting the stage for dialogue and action on SWE priorities BY ANNE M. PERUSEK, SWE DIRECTOR OF EDITORIAL AND PUBLICATIONS Public Policy Update T he new administration and Congress are facing a crowded agenda, with the economic impact of the stimulus and related matters taking precedence. Despite this, within days of his inauguration, President Obama signed the first bill of his presidency, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which helps ensure that women receive equal pay protection, and have recourse to challenge discriminatory actions. While not directly addressing the Society’s official policy issues, this law signals the administration’s stand on women’s issues and is relevant to all women and underrepresented groups. At this writing, Title IX, K-12 science, technology, engineering, and math education, and diversity in STEM, appear to be on the periphery. However, the current administration supports these issues, and momentum on the Hill to work on them continues to build, as seen in the following: While the above are positive developments, ongoing efforts by SWE and other organizations to communicate the importance of diversity in STEM are further evident in the official White House agenda for women. Bullets number one and three under the heading of education state: I Protecting Title IX: President Obama and Joe Biden support eliminating gender discrimination in American schools. For 35 years, Title IX has been a bulwark against sex discrimination against students and employees at all levels of education. President Obama and Vice President Biden will fight to make sure women have equal opportunities and access from pre-kindergarten through graduate school. I Promoting Women in Math and Science: Women constitute 45 percent of the work force in the U.S., but hold just 12 percent of science and engineering jobs in business and industry. Women also make up just 9 percent of the recipients of engineering-related bachelor’s degrees. President Obama and Vice President Biden believe that every student should have equal access to education in math, science, and technology in order to compete on a global scale. For additional information, please visit http://www.whitehouse.gov/agenda/women/ I Prior to the election, SWE and the Association for Women in Science (AWIS) posed policy questions regarding diversity in STEM, Title IX, paid family leave, and related matters to both presidential candidates. Both campaigns responded and their answers were posted on the SWE and AWIS Web sites. I Following the election, SWE and AWIS met with members of the Obama transition team to discuss the importance of diversity in STEM. I In early January, the House Diversity and Innovation Caucus re-released their 8-point policy agenda, titled “Toward a More Diverse STEM Workforce,” and sent it to John P. Holdren, Ph.D., President Obama’s designate for director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy. In the accompanying letter, the D&I caucus requested that Dr. Holdren, “make a diverse science and engineering workforce a priority in the new administration,” and requested feedback regarding the common priorities of the caucus and the administration. I The number of women nominated for high-level STEM positions in the Obama administration is also encouraging. The most prominent of these is environmental scientist and marine ecologist Jane Lubchenco, Ph.D., serving as administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). [Dr. Lubchenco was interviewed for the article “Engineering’s Grand Challenges — What’s Your Pick?” in the SWE 2008 conference issue, pp. 32-38.] Next steps With the many pressing issues facing the new Congress and administration, it is critical that the Society’s message and issues are clearly communicated. The Society’s first congressional briefing of 2009 was Feb. 24 in the Rayburn House Office Building. Making a reference to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) recent observation — that innovations in STEM will build the needed infrastructure of America’s future prosperity — the briefing announcement noted that the lack of women in STEM fields has significant implications both for women’s economic security and the country’s global competitiveness. Held in conjunction with the House Diversity and Innovation Caucus, the briefing focused on proactive strategies that universities and the STEM community are currently using to improve the retention of women and underrepresented groups in STEM fields. Speakers were Darryll J. Pines, Ph.D., dean, A. James Clark School of Engineering at the University of Maryland, and Klod Kokini, Ph.D., assistant dean for academic affairs, College of Engineering, at Purdue University. For full coverage on the briefing, see the next issue of SWE Magazine, and check both the government relations and public policy portion of the Society’s Web site, and news at: http://www.swe.org. I 14 SWE SPRING 2009 http://www.whitehouse.gov/agenda/women/ http://www.swe.org

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of SWE - Spring 2009

SWE - Spring 2009 Heritage Club Contents President's Note View from the Executive Suite Editor’s Page Honoring Women’s History Public Policy Update First Lady: The “Second-Hardest Job in America” Bringing Science and Engineering into Public Policy At the Intersection of Engineering and Public Policy From Research to Reality Coffee Table Dialogues Membership Information & Calendar A&B Winning Essays from the Lava Lounge Engineering World: Issues • Events • Technology • People Point of View: Your Role in Public Policy Career Toolbox: Communicating with Congress; Finding Your Voice Corporate Partnership Council Media Shelf: Women’s History Opportunity Index SWE Scrapbook: Dressed for Success

SWE - Spring 2009

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