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Contact: Susie Fagan, University Relations, (785) 864-8860.

KU chemistry department No.2 in nation in female faculty survey

LAWRENCE Ü The University of Kansas Department of Chemistry ranks No. 2 in the nation for its female faculty ratio in a survey published in the Sept. 25 issue of Chemical and Engineering News.

In an article titled "Women Chemists Still Rare In Academia," KU was cited as one of only two surveyed U.S. universities where women account for more than 20 percent of the faculty. The survey comprised the 50 top chemistry departments at research universities as identified by the National Science Foundation.

KU has six tenure-track female faculty members, accounting for 25 percent of the faculty. Rutgers University, with 10 tenure-track members and 26 percent, was the only other school to rate higher in the survey.

The chemistry rating comes on the heels of another similar KU accomplishment. In June, a study published by the America Institute of Physics noted that KU is one of only 17 universities nationwide with at least four female physics faculty members. The mean number of women faculty in Ph.D. physics departments across the nation is 1.7.

Kristin Bowman-James, professor and chair of chemistry, was pleased by KU's performance in the Chemical and Engineering News survey.

"It's really exciting and I'm getting a lot of feedback from my colleagues at other schools who are envious," she said. "That gives a clear message that KU really supports women in its faculty."

The university is always interested in recruiting underrepresented groups, Bowman-James said, and the rating is a byproduct. Faculty members at other schools said they receive few applications from women, Bowman-James said. But KU has not experienced that problem.

"Perhaps because we already have women, it encourages those applicants," she said.

Bowman-James, who has been a faculty member at KU for 26 years, is also encouraged by the number of female students who are studying chemistry at KU.

"Last year I taught the introductory inorganic class. Out of 15 students in my class, 13 were women," she said.

The magazine also includes an article, "Women Scientists In Academia: The Time To Act Is Now," by Daryle Busch, KU professor of chemistry and president of the American Chemical Society.