Mary Anne Holmes said she wants to see more women find academic homes in the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's departments of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
A $3.8 million National Science Foundation (NSF) grant might help her, and UNL, reach that goal.
Holmes, a geosciences associate professor of practice, was part of the team of writers who composed a proposal to the foundation.
She and the other grant writers received notification of the award last week.
"I was very surprised and very happy and elated because we want the best and brightest brought to Nebraska," Holmes said. "With this program, that's what we'll be able to do, make (UNL) a great place to work."
The grant money will go toward bringing more faculty members and recruiting more women applicants.
Another important component is the professional development program, Holmes added, which will include a mentoring program and technical paper writing workshops.
"The demands on faculty have changed and increased over the years," she said. "We want to provide them with the mentorship that they need."
If a science department only has one woman, Holmes said, female students tend to find a mentor in her. The grant might introduce new role models to women in those departments.
The sociological aspect of new funding is what Julia McQuillan, an associate professor of sociology, said is unique.
The money might help UNL become a more welcoming environment for dual career couples or spouses who are hired together.
NSF's ADVANCE program, which works to increase diversity in science, engineering and technology, plans to work with the departments involved in making a dual hire, she said.
In order to hire and retain new faculty members, the grant will support an evaluation of each departments' environment.
"(We are) testing a sociological theory," McQuillan said, "that when there are more connections among faculty, like talking about work and sharing information, faculty will be more satisfied and more productive."
The assessment will summarize the number and kinds of connections faculty members make within departments, she said.
McQuillan said the assessment will help determine whether faculty members' satisfaction and productivity in departments influences hiring and retention.
If all ends well, UNL will become a place of destination for female scientists, where their academic and family lives can successfully co-exist - often a challenge for many women.
"When young women don't have good role models and drop out of science, it's a brain drain," Holmes said. "America loses by not having our best and brightest young women make it all the way in."
jamieklein@dailynebraskan.com
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