Online Program

Women in Stem: Challenges with the “leaky pipeline” mid-career and opportunities to plug those holes (310033)

Women going into STEM educational programs (including statistics and data science) have overall experienced an increase in numbers. However, despite this increase we still face the loss of talented women in these STEM fields in completing degrees, starting a STEM professions and even further attrition by mid-career. Reasons for departure mid-career can include the feeling that women need to continually “reprove” their ability, feeling of isolation, “time out” for child rearing, and the balance of being assertive but likeable as a female. This panel discussion will discuss the data to illustrate areas of loss but also where opportunities may lie to keep women in STEM professions such as finding relatable mentors and sponsors, getting recognition, equal benefits for domestic partners in the workplace and home, and the need for opportunity and challenges in professional growth. The panelists will include both statisticians and data scientists from different organization types and at different periods of time in their own career.