New Grant Aims to Shatter the “Glass Ceiling” for Female Professors in the Sciences and Social Sciences

According to a recent grant proposal written by several TCNJ faculty members, the College follows a nationwide trend of underrepresentation of women attaining full professorships in the sciences and social sciences. Only 12 percent of TCNJ’s full professors of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics are female, and women in social, behavioral, and economic sciences constitute just 27 percent of the top rank. But those percentages should improve thanks to a recent grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF).

The $688,132 NSF award is being used to develop a comprehensive career development model for TCNJ’s female faculty members. The program will encompass four phases—mentorship, professional development, family-friendly policies, and equity assessment—and will eventually be integrated into the College’s Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning.

The principal investigator on this grant is Lisa Grega, associate professor of mechanical engineering. Carol Bresnahan, provost and executive vice president, and Diane Bates, chair of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, collaborated with Grega on the project. Also involved as senior personnel on the projects are Elizabeth Borland, associate professor of sociology and anthropology; Karen Clark and Suriza van der Sandt, associate professors of mathematics and statistics; and Karen Yan, assistant professor of mechanical engineering.