Gender Bias in Action!

I think the worst woman who ever existed would have made a man of very passable reputation - they are all better than us and their faults such as they are must originate with ourselves.

- Lord Byron

Yesterday I found out that I am the recipient of the 2013-2014 Dr. Constance Murray Scholarship at NJIT. Dr. Murray was the Dean of Students and an advocate for diversity and gender equity, and it's an honor to be selected for this scholarship that celebrates women in technology! I posted a status update on Facebook about the scholarship and exchanged some comments with my uncle who asked what I was studying. When I told him I was working towards a PhD in Information Systems with a focus on human-computer interaction, I received a stunning reply stating, "I would not have guessed. I bet you get help from your hubby."

It's both sad and disturbing that such attitudes still exit. The implication is that I couldn't possibly be attaining a PhD in a technical field without help from my husband. Don't get me wrong - my husband is my staunch supporter who helps me keep my eye on the prize when things get tough. But Harry is not involved in my studies or my research at all.

I didn't know how to respond to my uncle after that comment. Of course my husband thought it was very funny and commented how behind every great woman there's a great man... But I just don't know how to respond to my uncle, or to the others who think that women can't "do science" or that women with families can't possibly do the work required for a PhD. In fact, in the essay that was part of my application for the scholarship, I mentioned how I actually overheard a professor saying "Women with children can't do this program." And that comment spurred me to maintain a 4.0 GPA throughout my studies just to prove those kinds of people wrong.

So I'll keep working, and if people want to think I'm only succeeding because of my husband or some other man in the background, I can't stop them. But anyone who knows me knows that this work has all been mine, the good and the bad, the highs and the lows, and that I'll keep plugging until I get my PhD and can look that professor in the eye and show him that women, and in particular women with family obligations, can be successful students, professors, scientists, engineers, and whatever else they choose to be.