Our Work is Not Done: Joyce Y. Wong
Expertise, diversity, philanthropy, and fellowship are woven throughout Boston University Women’s Guild, Women of Color Circle, and the greater BU community. Tapping into the University’s professional, academic, and philanthropic network, BUWG proudly welcomes a variety of BU professionals—all of whom share their experiences within their specified vocations.
Our Work is Not Done
After two decades teaching at a top-ranked engineering department, I was stunned when I received an email from an undergraduate senior saying I was her first female STEM professor during her four years at Boston University.
This might not have surprised me when I joined BU in 1998. But by 2018, when this email landed in my inbox, female faculty representation in our department had doubled to nearly 30 percent.
BU Engineering prides itself on students seeing female professors in the classroom from their first year. Their first stop is Intro to Programming, taught by Prof. Stormy Attaway. Revered by undergraduates, she was awarded the 2014 Metcalf Cup and Prize for her caring, creative, and compelling teaching. But this student, like many, used her AP credits to place out. There is no doubt we must cultivate a more diverse faculty that reflects an increasingly diverse student body.
On International Women’s Day, we are reminded that the road to equity demands vigilance. In the face of today’s enormous global challenges, we cannot afford to lose a single talent from lack of representation, let alone 51 percent of the world’s population.
The first step is to acknowledge gender bias in academia and beyond: women are cited less, invited less frequently as colloquia or keynote speakers, and are too often written out of history. The road to equity is continuous: no act is too small, and everyone can contribute. We can highlight contributions from women in our classes through case studies and embrace a diverse slate of external colloquia, seminar, and guest lecturers. Our students will take note – the same student email also thanked me for having equal representation in my class guest lecturers because “you can’t be what you can’t see.”
ARROWS at Boston University supports women in STEM at all levels by building community to #BreakTheBias. For example, we recently launched Hidden HERstories to commission student artists to bring to light women in STEM alumnae before 1960 who led extraordinary lives despite societal barriers. Other organizations such as the BU Women’s Guild elevate and support a broad community at BU.
1/1/1 Challenge
On Intl Women’s Day, join the @ARROWS_BU @BUWomensGuild 1-1-1 Challenge to highlight 1person -1book-1article to #BreakTheBias. My 1-1-1: https://t.co/1qprfsoiNd Passing on to: @JoyYWu @ErinLavik @mchvdm @DrKlapperich @Chem_Diva @Lola_UMich @TejalDesaiUCSF @davidodde @doc_tmp
— Joyce Wong (@profjoycewong) March 8, 2022
Join me in the 1/1/1 Challenge and share “1 person – 1 book – 1 article” examples on social media to #BreakTheBias.
1-Denice Denton; 1-Maya Dusenbery “Doing Harm” 2018 ISBN:978-0062470805; 1-“Pandemic-related barriers to the success of women in research: a framework for action” Nature Medicine #BreakTheBias 1/1/1 Recommendations: Prof. Joyce Wong
We owe it to our students and the world to manifest a fair, just, and inclusive future.
Explore the BU Women’s Guild, celebrate International Women’s Day & Women’s History Month, and learn about membership opportunities.About the author: Joyce Y. Wong, PhD, is a Boston University Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Materials Science & Engineering; the Inaugural Term Distinguished Professor of Engineering; Inaugural Director of ARROWS, Office of the Provost; and President-Elect, American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering.