+ Women and Other Underrepresented Groups in Physics
I am passionate about reducing the barriers and increasing the participation of women and other under-represented groups in physics. These traditionally under-represented groups face many implicit and explicit obstacles in their advancement. I have been contributing my mite to improve their participation in the following ways:
I am the University of Pittsburgh PI of the SEISMIC Collaboration, which is a collaboration among ten large public universities in the US for equity and inclusion in STEM introductory courses funded by the Sloan Foundation. To find out more, read this. More information about the collaboration can be found here.
I have given several talks and participated in panels related to supporting underrepresented students in physics based upon our research in this area at conferences and at various universities.
I gave a keynote at the Australian Institute of Physics Conference in Perth, Australia on How to strengthen physics by making it inclusive in 2018.
I gave a talk at Princeton University Physics Department on "How to strengthen physics by making it inclusive". This is the recording of my talk from February 19, 2019.
Here is a presentation by a faculty member from the physics department at the Ohio State University in April 2019 about how having a growth mindset changed his teaching.
I gave Brown University physics colloquium focused on "How to enhance physics by making it inclusive", February 10, 2020.
I was one of the two delegation leaders of the US delegation to the 2017 6th International Conference on Women in Physics (ICWIP) in Birmingham, UK, 2017. To find out more, click here. Please see our US country poster here. Please click here to learn about the Gender bias in physics: An International Forum website developed by the US delegation to the sixth ICWIP, 2017. The work related to being a delegation leader of the US team spanned three years (2016-2019).
I was an editor of the American Institute of Physics (AIP) Conference proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Women in Physics in Birmingham, UK (published in 2019).
I interviewed the American Physical Society President, Dr. Laura Greene, in 2017 as part of the Women of Pittsburgh Quantum Institute (PQI) series, which was part of the Pitt Year of Diversity. To see the interview click here
I was a member of the US delegation to the 5th International Conference on Women in Physics in Waterloo, Canada in 2015. To find out more, click here
To read reflections on this 5th International Conference on Women In Physics published in APS Forum on International Physics Spring 2015 New Letter, Editor Ernie Malamud click here or to read APS News Back Page click here
Our US country team presented a country poster at this ICWIP 2014. The associated invited conference proceedings paper can be found here "Women in physics in the United States: Recruitment and retention", Abramzon et. al, Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Women in Physics, Waterloo, CA, AIP Conf. Proc. 1697, 060045 (2015). doi: 10.1063/1.4937692
At the International conference, I also was a workshop leader for a workshop titled “Helping women succeed in physics” (this actual title is different from the title in the conference program)
From 2010-2017, at the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) summer national meetings, I did a half day workshop titled “Strategies to help women succeed in physics related professions” which was an adaptation of a workshop I attended at a American Physical Society (APS) meeting (and also included research findings relevant to these issues).
I wrote an article focusing on diversity in physics for the American Physical Society APS News Back Page in April 2016 and Forum on Education Newsletter, January 2016. The article titled "In the Matter of Minority Physics Students v. Chief Justice Roberts" can be found here and here.
I was a co-organizer of the first conference on graduate education in physics (2008), the chair of the second conference on graduate education in physics (2013) and co-organizer of the joint graduate education and Bridge program conference organized by the APS and AAPT (2017) with support from the National Science Foundation. At these conferences, brainstorming issues related to how to promote and support diversity and inclusion was an important theme. Also, I moderated or led the following sessions:
In the second conference on graduate education in physics, I moderated a session focused on mentoring and monitoring student progress, which has important implications for promoting diversity in graduate physics programs (since women and other underrepresented groups are more likely to be disadvantaged by not having a mentor or if their progress is not monitored at least yearly in a formal manner). More information about the conference can be found here.
In the third joint conference on graduate education and Bridge program in physics, I co-led a workshop titled "New developments in graduate core courses" that focused, among other things, on issues related to promoting diversity in physics graduate programs (certain prevalent approaches in the physics graduate core courses are more likely to negatively impact the retention of the underrepresented groups). More information about the conference can be found here
I have organized sessions at the American Physical Society and the American Association of Physics Teachers National meetings focusing on strategies for improving climate and diversity in the physics departments, promoting diversity in physics education, lessons learned from the International Conference on Women in Physics, Why it is critical to promote and support equity and inclusion in physics etc.
I am a member of the American Association of Physics Teachers Women in Physics (AAPT WIP) Executive committee from 2016-2019. I was the vice-chair of the AAPT WIP committee in 2017-2018 year.
I participated in a video project by Pittsburgh CAPA High School students which aims to address the gender disparities particularly in the STEM workforce.
I gave a talk for the Allderdice High School STEMinism Club. To see a picture of some of the STEMinism Club members with me, click here and then scroll down
Here is a great interview of Claude Steele by David Creswell at a conference I attended. It was nice to have the opportunity to chat with him and ask a related question during his interview- time stamp 54:40.
With several of my collaborators, we have published research articles that investigate issues focusing on underrepresented students in physics (e.g.,women and racial and ethnic minorities). All articles can be found by clicking on PER publications on the left tab on this website if they are not listed below on this page.
Article on how the evidence-based active engagement courses can increase the gender performance gap if learning environment is not equitable and inclusive in European Journal of Physics 2018. In other words, this research article in the European Journal of Physics discusses our finding that in calculus-based introductory physics courses in which women are underrepresented, evidence-based courses increased the gender gap instead of decreasing it (in particular, both male and female students benefited from evidence-based courses but male students benefited more than female students so that the gender gap increased).
Here is our article focusing on introductory physics courses pertaining to female students' motivational characteristics in PERC proceedings 2017.
Our article on stereotype threat in PERC proceedings 2017 and whether agreeing with gender stereotype is correlated with performance of female students in introductory physics courses in Physical Review Phys. Educ. Res. 2018.
Our article on racial and ethnic minority students in introductory physics courses in PERC proceedings 2017.
Our article focused on self-efficacy of female students in Phys. Rev. Phys. Educ. Res. This research article shows that women with "A" have lower self-efficacy than men with "C" in introductory physics courses.
Our article in the PERC Proceedings 2018 with Yasemin and Tim as lead co-authors on gender inequities in introductory physics.
My collaborators E. Marshman, Y. Kalender, T. Nokes, and C. Schunn and I wrote an article which has a blogpost based upon the journal editor's encouragement. To read the blogpost click here. To read the article which was in the theme issue honoring the first tenured female physicist in Canada, Professor Ursula Franklin, click here.
The concluding words of Jocelyn Bell Burnell, who received the IOP President’s Medal in Birmingham during the ICWIP 2017 in which I co-led the US delegation, are worth thinking about: “Well-behaved women rarely make history".
I participated in a two day University of Pittsburgh Diversity Research Retreat with 20 other Pitt faculty to brainstorm ideas for inter-disciplinary research on diversity at Oglebay, WV, May, 2017.
With E. Marshman, Y. Kalender, T. Nokes, C. Schunn and K. Binning, we have been conducting workshop on reducing inequity and increasing inclusivity in physics courses, e.g., we conducted a half-day workshop at the National AAPT meeting in Washington DC titled "Using social psychological interventions to improve learning of all students in physics courses", 2018.
I conducted a workshop at the National Society of Black Physicists Conference in Columbus Ohio on "How to enhance physics by making it inclusive", 2018.
I conducted a workshop at Flinders University, Australia on "Using social psychological interventions to improve learning of all students in physics courses", 2018.
See our article on "New Development in graduate core courses: Supporting the transition to the graduate school through core courses", A. Maries, C. Porter and C. Singh, in 2017 Graduate Education Conference Report, pp. 8-9 (2018).
I wrote an article for the American Physical Society newsletter APS News Back Page focusing on equity and inclusion in physics, 2019. To read the article, please click here.
I gave an invited talk at the AAPT winter meeting in Houston on "How to enhance physics by making it inclusive", 2019.
I gave a colloquium at University of Michigan Ann Arbor in which one of the themes presented was "How to enhance physics by making it inclusive", 2019.
I conducted a workshop with K. Binning at the Transforming Institutions Conference titled "Using social psychological intervention to improve learning of all students", 2019.
I conducted a workshop with K. Binning and Y. Kalender on "Inclusive Mentoring" at the Pitt "Diversity and excellence in mentoring and advising" conference, 2019.
I was a Thought Mapping Session Leader at a conference focused on diversity, equity and inclusion in discipline-based education research, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 2019.
Tim Nokes-Malach, Yasemin Kalendar and I conducted a workshop at the 2019 Physics Education Research Conference, Provo, UT on "Using social psychological interventions to improve learning of all students in physics courses", 2019.
Here is our paper on gendered patterns in the construction of physics identity in Phys. Rev. PER: "Gendered patterns in the construction of physics identity from motivational factors", Z. Y. Kalender, E. Marshman, C. Schunn, T. Nokes Malach and C. Singh, Phys. Rev. PER. 15, 020119 (2019).
I conducted a workshop on "How to enhance physics by making it inclusive" at the Frontiers and Foundations of Physics Education Research conference, Bar Harbor, ME, 2019.
I conducted a workshop at the National Society of Black Physicists Conference in Providence, RI on "Inclusive Mentoring", 2019.
I did a presentation on "Inclusive Mentoring" at the Discipline-based Science Education Research Center (dBSERC, Pitt), 2019.
I conducted a workshop at the Rutgers' University on "How to enhance STEM by making it inclusive", 2019.
I conducted a workshop at the Penn State University on "How to enhance STEM by making it inclusive", 2019.
I conducted a workshop at the University of California Santa Barbara on "How to enhance STEM by making it inclusive", 2019.
I conducted a workshop at Brown University on "How to enhance STEM by making it inclusive", 2019.
"Why female science, technology, engineering, and mathematics majors do not identify with physics: They do not think others see them that way", Z. Y. Kalender, E. Marshman, C. Schunn, T. Nokes-Malach, and C. Singh, Phys. Rev. PER 15, 020148 (2019).
Please see our US Country paper in the 6th ICWIP Proceedings here.
Please see "Workshop report: Intersecting identities-gender and intersectionality in physics", in Proc. of 6th International Conference on Women in Physics, E. Hennessey, J. Cole, P. Shastri, J. Esquivel, C. Singh, R. Johnson and S. Ghose, AIP Conf. Proc. 2109, 040001 (2019).
I have participated as a workshop presenter or a panelist at several Conferences on Undergraduate Women in Phyiscs (CUWIP). I was a co-organizer of a CUWIP in Pittsburgh in 2020 in partnership with CMU (lead).
"Impact of traditional or evidence-based active-engagement instruction on introductory female and male students' attitudes and approaches to physics problem solving", M. Good, A. Maries, and C. Singh, Phys. Rev. PER 15, 020129 (2019).
Jessica Esquivel and I wrote a summary of the ICWIP Intersectionality workshop for American Physical Society COM Gazette.
I was interviewed and featured in a video of women in physics at the Midwest Conference on Undergraduate Women in Physics (CUWiP) cohosted by Carleton College, the University of Minnesota campuses Macalester, Minneapolis, 2020. To see the video, please click here.
I organized a session at the APS April meeting in Washington, DC titled "Why it is critical to promote and support equity and inclusion in physics", 2020.
I organized a session at the AAPT Winter meeting in Orlando, FL on Enhancing equity and inclusion in Physics, 2020.
I organized a session at the AAPT Summer meeting on Enhancing equity and inclusion in Physics, 2020.
I organized a panel session at the AAPT Summer meeting on Voices of Women in Physics, 2020.
Our article relevant for promoting equity and inclusion in physics labs: "Hermione and the Secretary: How gendered task division in introductory physics labs can disrupt equitable learning", D. Doucette, R. Clark and C. Singh, Eur. J. Phys. 41, 035702 (2020)
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1361-6404/ab7831/meta
Our article on "Damage caused by women's lower self-efficacy on physics learning", Z. Y. Kalender, E. Marshman, C. Schunn, T. Nokes-Malach, and C. Singh, Phys. Rev. PER 16, 010118 (2020)
https://journals.aps.org/prper/accepted/35079La3O9511e0110cf46b34e4d8178bdcad657e
Our article on "Why are there so few women in physics? Reflections on the experiences of two women", D. Doucette and C. Singh, The Phys. Teach. 58, 297-300 (2020).
I gave a talk at the Harvard University Applied Physics Department "Social and Virtual Conversation" (which is their regular colloquium when it is in-person) on how to enhance physics by making it inclusive (2020).
Active learning in an inequitable learning environment can increase the gender performance gap: The negative impact of stereotype threat", A. Maries, N. Karim and C. Singh, The Phys. Teach. (2020).
How perception of being recognized or not recognized by instructors as a "physics person" impacts male and female students' self-efficacy and performance, Y. Li, K. Whitcomb and C. Singh, The Phys. Teach. (2020).
Kevin Binning, Omid Fotuhi and Chandralekha Singh conducted a workshop titled "Using Social Psychological Insights to Foster Equity in College Classrooms" at University of Pittsburgh Diversity Forum 2020.
I gave a seminar at Harvard University Applied Physics Learning Incubator, titled How to enhance STEM by making it inclusive, 2020.
I gave a Colloquium at Cardiff University (jointing organized with University College London) in which portion of my talk focused on how to enhance physics by making it inclusive, 2020.
I gave a Physics Colloquium at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in which portion of my talk focused on how to enhance physics by making it inclusive, 2020.
I gave an invited talk at Mid Atlantic APS meeting in which portion of my talk focused on how to enhance physics by making it inclusive, 2020.
I gave a Physics Colloquium at Western Kentucky University on How to enhance Physics by making it inclusive, 2020.
I did a workshop on inclusive mentoring at the National Society of Black Physicists conference (NSBP), 2020, virtual conference.
I gave Inaugural lecture for Kalpvriksha Botanical Society on How to enhance STEM by making it inclusive, Delhi University, New Delhi, India 2020.
My interview with Pitt Honors College Dean Audrey Murrell on my research on diversity, equity and inclusion in physics, (2020).
Read an article on our successful belonging and mindset intervention in introductory physics and biology courses in Snapshot Newsletter June 2020, Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pittsburgh.
Our article in Pittwire Student Belonging Exercise Erases Achievement Gaps in Biology, Physics Courses, 2021.
Inclusion and the 'Leaky Pipeline': Sarah Hainer, Alison Slinsky Legg, Alaine Allen and I are featured in a PittWire article about bias in STEM. The article discusses intersectionality, inclusive practices, and the importance of recognition for students from underrepresented groups, 2020.
Prof. Angela Duckworth, pioneer of grit research, was inspired to write a piece on research we published in Physical Review PER on gender differences in physics self-efficacy controlling for performance for 20K+ subscribers of Character Lab Newsletters, a Lab that Prof. Duckworth directs, 2020. To read our full article, please click on the link that provides our survey items in her piece.
I did a presentation at the NSF Convergence Accelerator panel on diversity, equity and inclusion in quantum research, education and workforce development (2021).
I did a presentation for the NSF Program Directors' meeting on diversity, equity and inclusion in quantum research, education and workforce development (2021).
I did a presentation at the IEEE Quantum Education Workshop on how to enhance quantum by making it inclusive, 2021.
"The Quantum Computer Revolution Must Include Women", C. Singh, Scientific American, January 13, 2021.
"Article for the American Physical Society (APS) newsletter APS News Back Page focusing on Inclusive Mentoring: The mindset of an effective mentor", 2021. To read the article, please click here.
Women and the Quantum Revolution: Two of my Ph.D. students and I were featured on NSF Mathematical and Physical Sciences Website for Women's History Month (2021).
Psychology Today featured findings of one of our papers in March 2024 https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/beauty-sick/202403/gender-diversity-in-physics-classes-benefits-men-and-women