"Math is hard", Barbie
<p>Here we go again! Derrick Jackson summarizes Harvard President, <font color="#ffff00">Lawrence Summers</font>'s recent bungling in his <a href="http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2005/01/19/summerss_tortured_logic/">Boston Globe editorial</a>. Summers suggests that under representation of women in science and engineering may be due to women's innate lack of ability or willingness to work hard. Gee, I wonder why Harvard has so few tenured women professors!? Can you say "class action law suit"?  I am a professor in computer science and information technology at a small university, and I am frustrated by how few women attempt to major in either discipline. I understand the social dynamics that steer women to other majors. Despite these influences some sciences have made spectacular advances, like the biological sciences. There is a significant research suggesting how we as teachers can make our disciplines more appealing to women. For computer science, may I suggest: <a href="http://www-2.cs.cmu.edu/~gendergap/">"Unlocking the Clubhouse, Women in Computing"</a> by Jane Margolis and Allan Fisher, which documents Carnegie Mellon's increase in women's enrollment. CMU went from 8% women in 1995 to 42% women in 2000. Brilliant!</p>