Description: Women working in physics navigate unique challenges that your male colleagues rarely have to consider. This practical, research-based guide will help you tackle the various issues you are likely to encounter during your education and career in academia or industry. With each chapter focusing on a specific problem, the guidance is presented in a question-and-answer format that allows you to navigate directly to the advice you need. Chapters address a broad range of challenges, from thriving as a student and interviewing for jobs to improving self-confidence and timing maternity leave. Focus is placed on immediate and practical advice with the intention of constructing a positive framework that helps you improve your circumstances in an imperfect environment. Enriched with advice and stories from a group of women physicists with diverse experiences, the book provides you with the necessary tools and support for continuing your journey with confidence.
Brief description: Professor Tracey Berry holds MPhys and DPhil degrees from the University of Oxford. She has been a leader in gender equality since 2007 and was a national assessor for UK university equality awards. Her particle physics research is based at CERN. She is a Fellow of the Institute of Physics and a long-distance runner.
Review Quotes: 'This handbook fills a real need. Research in physics education consistently shows that women often step away from the field not for any lack of ability, but because the culture leads them to doubt that they belong: capable women routinely report lower self-efficacy than male peers who are performing less well. Berry, McCullough, and Porter turn that evidence into clear, actionable guidance women can use right now, paired with candid stories from physicists who have navigated these challenges themselves. The question-and-answer format lets readers find help exactly when they need it. I recommend it warmly to students, researchers, and everyone who mentors women in physics.' Chandralekha Singh, Distinguished Professor, University of Pittsburgh