Fixing the “Leaky Pipeline” for Women in STEM Fields

A new book, Gender Equity in Science and Engineering: Advancing Change in Higher Education, examines what the authors call the “leaky pipeline” for women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields.

The book is authored by Diana Bilimoria, a professor of organizational behavior at the Weatherhead School Management at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland and Xiangfen Liang, an independent consultant in higher education and former senior research associate at the Weatherhead School.

The authors discuss the reasons why women drop out of STEM fields before they reach leadership positions but they also disclose what leading universities are doing to shore up the leaky pipeline in these fields for women. The authors explore possible strategies for improving retention of women in these fields at the university level, department level, and even steps individual faculty can take to help women in these fields succeed.

“Universities are trying many different things, and this book is a compendium of the innovative practices that universities can undertake to increase inclusion and diversify their work forces,” Professor Bilimoria said.

“This book is a product of a 10-year professional journey,” she continued. “It provides a comprehensive, stand-alone description of successful approaches to increase the recruitment, advancement and retention of women faculty throughout the academic career pipeline.”