Women in Science and in National Academies

The National Academy of Sciences announced the election of 72 new members this month -- of whom 9 are women. Advocates for women in science have long complained about the relatively small number of women elected, while others have said that this reflects the overall pool of scientists, especially at the senior level. The Association for Women in Science has responded with a series of charts showing the percentages of women at senior levels of science and who win election to the National Academies. The figures suggest differing levels of progress in different science subfields, with women in engineering and applied sciences most likely to be recognized.