Woman in Optics

Women science leaders and luminaries are rare – why has this situation occurred and what are the options to make positive change? When the general public is asked to name their favorite woman scientist, the list is quite short after Marie Curie, a pioneer in radioactivity from the 19th century. Why is the rate of women receiving prizes and other honors so low? Why are there so few female chairs of departments or high level University management positions? I’ll explore these issues by covering the facts on the status of women scientists and review some of the reasons for the gender imbalance, plus comment on why it’s important to address this imbalance. Optics and photonics is an exciting and challenging field for women scientists and engineers. I’ll review the history and opportunities that are offered by working in the field, plus the challenges that optics can help solve in the near future. I’ll explore a number of examples of success by women in optics and the varied approaches that can be initiated to have a rewarding career in this field.