Isn’t it great being a woman in STEM?
My name is Dana. I’m from Germany and I have a PhD in materials physics. I look at the inner structure of materials - mostly metals. What I have called here “inner structure” is scientifically referred to as microstructure and no, I’m not talking about the atomic structure. A common piece of metal consists of a huge amount of tiny crystals that that contain each millions of atoms. We call those crystals grains. Usually they are closely packed - so there is no space between the crystals.
If you are curious why this is fascinating and important, let me tell you that the microstructure is not static. It can change more or less strongly during deformation but also due to thermal treatments and sometimes even at room temperatures. Now you may say: Alright, the crystals change over time. This is surely interesting to watch, but why focus your scientific life on it? Well, there is one more thing. The microstructure and, in particular, the crystal size, influences many materials parameters such as the strength of a material. So, whenever the microstructure changes, the properties change. And THIS can lead to the failure of a component, which is something that we don’t want to see!
Of course, my materials don’t care that I am a woman.
But people do.
Nowadays, there are so many news articles, reports, and even studies on equal opportunities, sex inequalities or even discrimination against women in science and especially in STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, where science usually stands for natural sciences. But especially here in Germany many programs have been developed over the past two decades focussing on supporting girls and women in physics, mathematics, computer science and engineering. There are programs for early support of girls still going to school. There are programs for female students. There are special funding opportunities for female PhD students and postdocs alike. And there are even special guest professorships for female researchers.
So you may think we have achieved not just something, but everything. Or maybe it even sounds like overachievement?
Well, let me tell you some stories:
During my last summer vacation I met some really nice people in my hotel. When they found out that I’m a researcher they showed a strong interest. This always makes me happy. I really like talking about my research and life as a scientist; about challenges and, of course, about my guest professorships. What I didn’t expect was the following question: “As a woman, you must have had an easy career path, right?”
And I felt like: Don’t get me started! Why do people seem to think that either being a woman helped my career or that it must be hard being a woman in a male-dominated science environment? There seems to be hardly anything in between.
Let me make one thing clear: I think being a woman has never really helped me achieve something but it has also hardly ever prevented me from achieving something that I totally wanted! How so?
Well, it was a very interesting early experience back when I was a student taking classes on computer science. I wanted to gain additional experience in programming and especially in the field of modelling for my PhD research. The university – or rather the Faculty for Computer Science – offered a number of interesting courses given by different professors with different focal points.
But image, it is early in the morning. The first lecture is about to start, and you are the only female student in the room. The professor enters and greets: “Good morning, Miss Zöllner! Good morning, Gentlemen!”
There is no other way than saying, you may stand out, when studying something like computer science or physics or engineering. These are subjects that are often “dominated” by male students, researchers, professors. Some young women may find this irritating or even intimidating. But, on the other hand, there are also fields of study that are totally “dominated” by female students – often in human sciences. In these cases, you could stand out as a male student.
So, the question is: Would it bother you?
Honestly?
I loved it.
Everybody wants to be unique? And sometimes you are.
Well, the thing is that in general here in Germany the number women studying at a university is not smaller than the number of men. Indeed, it is the other way around: Since the year 2016, more women than men have started studying each year. For example in the winter term 2022/2023, there were around 207,000 female first-year students versus a good 190,000 male first-year students according to the German Federal Statistical Office. However, it is true that there are subjects that attract more male students but there also subjects that attract more female students. So, you would think everything is fine, right? Everyone simply chooses the course of study of their choice.
But I can tell you that there is a questing that I got again and again ever since I was a student: As a woman, why did you study such a complicated thing? And this question has always puzzled me. Are there really subjects that are harder for women than for men? Or does this question even imply that I am too stupid for physics being a woman?
Of course, not everybody can study everything.
If you can’t see blood, studying medicine is a stupid idea.
If you are unsportsmanlike, studying sports is not a brilliant idea.
If you are simply not good at learning foreign languages, studying a foreign language is maybe simply not a good idea.
But, I am good at mathematics and physics and I like technology, so for me it never was a complicated thing. And don't get me wrong: Naturally, I was not good at every course that I took and there are things that I still don't get 100% in physics.
Well, then later as a PhD student I had trouble with this one male professor. I had known him already as a student. Then as a PhD student, I saw him one day coming down the hallway of the institute. I greeted him as I am a polite person. He stepped into my path and started making small talk. I admit I was rather in a hurry and tried to cut him short. Then one moment he commented on my nice necklace, stepped closer and grabbed it. And no, there is nothing wrong with your eyes or your ears or your screen. He had actually put his hand in my cleavage and grabbed the pendant. I was shocked, but did the most sensible thing. I just stepped back. And lucky him, he didn’t follow. I have always wondered whether he knew I had been practicing street defence or not?
But yes, this was the only case that a male colleague, or any colleague for that matter, has ever really overstepped a boundary. And again: Don't get me wrong, there were other colleagues - male and female - with whom I didn't work well together or with whom I even hated working together. Yes, also in science not everything is great, soft, fluffy and shiny. There are colleagues, who think they are better than everybody else or they know better than all others or who even dislike you for being good, for being successful. Sometimes, I even got the feeling that a particular colleague or two actually looked at me with envy and treated me accordingly.
But yes, it happened rarely that a male colleague, or any colleague for that matter, has ever really overstepped a boundary. Most male colleagues have always been at least polite. Some have become really close cooperation partners, some have become mentors, and others have even become friends.
Of course, I’m not going to lie about it.
Most of my co-researchers are male. This is not unusual in the field of physics or materials science. But does this mean that I have ever felt lonely? And yes, many years ago I got a question like: Isn't it lonely being the only woman at a conference?
This was again a question that I found absolutely irritating - even though I am tough. But there are not one but two things wrong with this question that I found vexing.
The first is: Why would I feel lonely at all at conferences with hundreds and sometimes even thousands of people around? I usually go to a conference for scientific exchange. I will give a talk or present a poster, hear other people’s talks, meet for discussions, … things like that. Sometimes there are also excursions and sometimes conference dinners. There are always colleagues to talk to. It is about exchange. In the end, I want to take home new ideas.
And again, why would my sex matter? Such a questions on being possibly lonely at a conference as the only woman implies furthermore that I am the only woman there. But this is also strange. Even if I were the only woman, still the argument that scientists come to a conference for exchange applies.
But, no: There are, of course, other female researchers of different scientific levels that come to conferences. To some of them I have a good connections, to others not. Some have become cooperation partners or friends and to others I have become a mentor.
And sometimes, just sometimes, a conference can be so crowded that you may want to escape.
Well, still it is not completely wrong that there were times when I was indeed in a room full of men - not just as the only woman taking a computer science class, but also later. As a postdoc I have been teaching a lot. One thing that I really loved teaching has always been Physics for Engineers. This is the basic course for first and second semester students who have a different path ahead of them. Some will simply make their Bachelor’s degree in Engineering others in Economics Engineering and then there were those who took Biosystems Engineering. The focal points of these studies are as diverse as the young people taking them. When you look close you will notice that Biosystems Engineering is a subject mostly taken by female students, whereas Economics Engineering has always attracted mostly male students.
In some semesters, I had been teaching Physics for Engineers for the Economics Engineering students - and all of them were male. While I do notice something like this, I don’t care. But, nevertheless, I got the question from a colleague if it isn't hard to teach a room full of young male students? Honestly? I loved these courses particularly. Not because the students were young men, but because they were enthusiastic students.
Well, years later I became the Dorothea Erxleben guest professor - a position that was given back then once a year to an aspiring young, female scientist at the Otto von Guericke University of Magdeburg. Thinking about it, I had indeed only a chance to get this position because I’m a woman. Now we could start a discussion on whether it is fair to have scientific positions that are open not to simply the best but to people depending on their sex. But this is a story for another day. Let’s just say, I understand 100% why universities and research institutes take such measures. There is the idea behind it that this attracts more women to STEM.
But I think there is something much more important than promoting somebody based on their sex. I think promoting the best students, doctoral students, and researchers alike is the basis of a strong research community. You need the brightest minds, creative people and out of the box-thinkers. This opens up the chance for innovation.
Well, like I said, being a woman has not prevented me from getting a certain job - what has been problematic is the thing called network. And this is not just me. I have talked to many researchers over the years also on career decisions and a lot of them agreed on this matter: If you do have a famous PhD supervisor that promotes you, your chances are way better than if you don't.
So, what advice would I give to a young woman who wants to study or do her PhD in physics or engineering or any "male" subject?
Actually, the same advise that I would give to a young man. If you are interested in a certain field of study, think about really picking this one subject of study that you actually want.
Don’t pick something that someone else tells you. I know that sometimes people get advice from family or friends and they even try to get career advice with the thought that I - as an advisor - could tell them exactly what to do. But it does not work like that. I can only show options and tell about the upsides and downsides of certain choices from my point of view.
You are the one that has to live with the choices you make. There will be many years ahead of you filled with work - so you better work on something that you love!
And if you are a woman and want to pick for example physics because you simply love finding out what makes the world spin?
Or you want to study materials science because you do have a passion for materials and how they work?
Or you want to study mathematics because you can see order in a bunch of numbers?
Go for it! Follow your heart.
And if someone tells you that your subject is too hard for a woman? Smile. It just means that this person doesn't have a clue.
And if someone tells you that you must be lonely among all the men in your field? Laugh. And tell them about the great colleagues that you have - and I'm sure you will have.
And if someone tells you that your career ladder must have been easy to climb because you are a woman? Relax. Breathe. You know you are an intelligent and strong woman, who can totally do it on her own.