Shikha Safaya, Scheller College of Business, Georgia Tech
“When women support each other, incredible things happen.” – Unknown.
Need for the Program
Gender bias exists in all spheres of the society, and academia is not impervious to this issue. Women still make up less than half of the research community across various disciplines (Figure 1 shows a similar disparity in women corresponding authors particularly in STEM fields), are likely to earn less than their male colleagues, and face more hurdles for advancement in their workplace [1]. The Covid-19 pandemic has also exacerbated this gap for women academics in certain disciplines as they picked up a disproportionate amount of chores at home ranging from child to elderly care, and thus reported a loss in productivity [2]. To become a successful academic, individuals not only need to conduct impactful research, but also communicate it effectively, and develop a network comprising of collaborators and peers for feedback, all while being cognizant of their well-being and work-life balance. For women academicians, the costs of these efforts are amplified due to external and internal reasons. Not only are women subject to more criticism and judgement, but we also tend to be highly self-critical and underconfident, doubting our abilities often [3, 4]. This leads us to tradeoff the pressures of judgement for perfectionism and we pile up additional mental and emotional labor. Empowering young women doctoral students with the confidence, tools, and network to succeed as they transition into their careers can thus be extremely valuable for the entire community to prosper.
Figure 1. Source: https://www.oecd.org/gender/data/it-is-time-to-close-the-gender-gap-in-research.htm
To My Younger Self (TMYS) is an INFORMS DEI Ambassadors and Women in ORMS initiative to provide professional development to women doctoral students through a tiered set of activities that allows them to interact with more experienced women in the field. The first cohort of 2022 consists of ten students, each paired with a professionally established mentor. The objectives of the year-long program are that participants will 1) form a community of peer women across institutions; 2) have a network of connections with senior women across institutions that they will recognize as mentors and advocates; 3) be equipped with professional and self-care skills; 4) feel confident in their abilities to succeed in their profession.
My Personal Experience
As a first-time applicant who got selected into the program, I was very excited to apply when I first learnt about this opportunity. Being an international student, I felt that I would benefit tremendously from a woman mentor’s perspective as I work on my professional and personal development. It also gave me a chance to build my own network of like-minded women doctoral students and professors from the field. Organizing alternate forms of networking besides conferences is helpful for young doctoral students, whose professional or social circle is often limited to their institutes. I had many questions on my mind that I did not have clear answers too – such as preparing for the job market, being an effective teacher, building a network of collaborators, etc. – that I hoped to clarify through this mentorship program so I can navigate my career with lesser ambiguity. Fortunately, the TMYS program has been structured to address all the questions doctoral students face.
The first session of the TMYS program involved introductions and setting up cohort-mentor pairs for individualized coaching. The discussion revolved around the importance of networking. For academic careers, networking is an essential step towards producing research because it often leads to collaborations and exchange of ideas. Additionally, it can develop friendships, provide job or research opportunities, and form mutually beneficial long-term relationships. The mentors shared useful tips for networking and encouraged the cohort to seek out some form of network building (Figure 2). My experience was a very positive one, as I met new people and understood the importance of networking from a much broader and holistic perspective.
Figure 2. Source: Inaugural TMYS Workshop Session Held on March 28, 2022.
In the future, TMYS plans to conduct four short virtual workshops throughout the year covering topics such as mental health and wellness, developing your professional network, applying for jobs, family life, grant proposal writing and editorial work, and overcoming the imposter syndrome. Participants, mentors, and panelists participating in the 2022 INFORMS Annual Meeting will be invited to a celebratory dinner to conclude the program. This will give participants the chance to meet face-to-face, solidify their professional relationships and build community.
This program is one of the several initiatives taken by WORMS and INFORMS DEI to expand awareness and outreach for the community [5]. The TMYS program is an annual project, so interested mentees and mentors can look out for the announcements on INFORMS forums.
A special thanks to Drs. Banafsheh Behzad and Susan Martonosi for this initiative, and to all the 2022 mentors for volunteering their invaluable time to form this powerful community.
References:
[1] https://www.oecd.org/gender/data/it-is-time-to-close-the-gender-gap-in-research.htm
[2] Ruomeng Cui, Hao Ding, Feng Zhu. 2021. Gender Inequality in Research Productivity During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Manufacturing & Service Operations Management 24(2):707-726. Available at https://pubsonline.informs.org/doi/abs/10.1287/msom.2021.0991.
[3] https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/23/business/economy/economics-women-gender-bias.html
[4] https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2014/05/the-confidence-gap/359815/
[5] https://pubsonline.informs.org/do/10.1287/orms.2022.01.13/full/