Controversy Makes the Case for Mentoring Women in Engineering and Science
Now that the dust is settling, it's gratifying to see that the tempest over Harvard President Lawrence H. Summers' comments about women and science has
led to positive results—including much thoughtful public discussion. For me, the storm makes an excellent case for why we need mentoring for women in engineering and science.
Regardless of how one dissects Summers' comments, or how he may have changed his thinking and approach since making them, the fact remains that the president of one of the most
prestigious institutions of higher education in the world stated publicly his belief that women are less likely than men to have the ability and interest to be successful academic scientists.
And the thousands of responses—from blogs and online forums to letters to the editor and news interviews—show Summers is far from alone in his views. Many believe that women don't
advance in science and engineering because women are inherently different from men; they are ignorant of the research data (and logic) that overwhelmingly show innate sex differences aren’t an
important factor in explaining the underrepresentation of women.
Mentoring Counters Low Expectations
If people believe there are intrinsic gender differences, even subconsciously, they will expect less of women and question their abilities and achievements. This situation does not create an
environment in which women can easily be self-confident and flourish—and we know that mentoring can help foster the self-confidence it takes to succeed.
Of course, men as well as women benefit from mentoring, and it's a crucial experience for developing scientists. As W. Michael Cox and Richard Alm wrote in a recent opinion piece in the New York Times,
"scientists are made, not born." Scientific knowledge requires years of education-not all of it in the classroom. In particular, as one's work progresses, mentoring by more experienced colleagues provides
developing scientists and engineers with guidance about both minor and major professional challenges. Often scientists and engineers seek out their own mentors as they progress in school, higher education, or in the workforce.
So why is a program such as MentorNet important?
MentorNet Relationships Provide Choice and Perspective
MentorNet focuses on mentoring for women and others underrepresented in these fields through one-on-one relationships between people at
different organizations. Our mentors—men as well as women—are committed to workforce diversity and helping protégés succeed. Their encouragement,
guidance, and feedback help protégés see their performance, strengths, and weaknesses in perspective. Constructive criticism and support from
someone who doesn’t judge them are key. When the mentor isn’t part of the protégé’s world, it creates a safe environment in which protégés can admit
doubts and fears and dissect setbacks and failures. These external relationships complement mentoring by academic advisors or senior colleagues in the workplace or academic settings.
MentorNet also gives mentors better choices. When left to their own devices, most people will choose a mentor or protégé most like themselves. Since most
scientists and engineers in upper ranks are white men, it's more likely they would choose white men as protégés. That leaves many women out in the cold. This is unfortunate,
because shared values and interests-much more so than surface characteristics such as gender or ethnicity—ultimately determine the success of a mentoring relationship.
And successful mentoring helps alleviate the conflicts, pressures, and mixed signals that affect women pursuing science and engineering careers. The result: women build self-confidence
and learn what it takes to succeed in their work, whether it's in the lab, the field, the classroom, or the office.
- Carol B. Muller, Ph. D., Founder and CEO