women in
astronomy
COURTESY
In the 1960s, astronomer Vera Rubin
secured her well-deserved spot in the
annals of astronomy when she and
her collaborator Kent Ford began an
in-depth study of how stars orbit their
galactic centers. Through this research,
they stunned the astronomy community
by discovering observable evidence for
the potential existence of dark matter —
a controversial concept first proposed in
the 1930s.
Rubin began forging her career
path when she graduated as the lone
astronomy major in Vassar College’s
class of 1948. When Princeton rebuffed
her interest in their astrophysics
graduate program because the program
did not admit women, she headed
to Cornell University for her master’s
and then on to Georgetown University
where she earned her Ph.D. in 1954.
It was not only her inspiring science
that made Rubin an icon in astronomy.
She also was a fierce advocate for
women in science.
In 1965, Rubin, who had just begun her
decades-long career with the Carnegie
Institute, applied for telescope time
at Palomar Observatory and faced
opposition. When she was given the
excuse that there were no facilities for
women on the mountain, she cut a
triangle shape out of a piece of paper,
taped it onto the male figure on the
bathroom door and proceeded to
become the first woman allowed to
observe at the legendary observatory.
Rubin had earned a host of accolades,
including the 1993 National Medal of
Science — the nation’s highest scientific
honor. However, one achievement that
she was most proud of was that all four
of her children went on to earn their
own doctorate degrees.
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have their own reporting mechanisms.
These early initiatives are not perfect,
but they are a start. The community has
begun to implement changes addressing
all four of these recommendations,
which will hopeful impact real change,
but to me, the most critical is that
leadership needs to realize their role in
providing real and lasting change.
What advice do you have for young
women entering a STEM field today?
Are there particular organizations/
support networks you would
recommend that they participate in?
Know that you have allies, advocates,
and mentors and you’re not alone as
you go through your career. And know
that you’re a total badass who has
earned the ‘privilege’ to be a part of this
amazing community that is working
to understand how all this works and
came about (this being the whole
Universe, or just one planet, or just one
species, or whatever thing in STEM
motivates you). That privilege should
have nothing to do with your race,
gender, ability status, partners, whether
you do or don’t want children… the
only thing that should matter is your
science. Know that there are people
like me trying to use our privilege and
power in this community to make that
so for you.
My grandfather said it best: “It’s going
to be fun watching you prove them
wrong.”
Within my fields, I highly recommend
the Women in Astronomy blog, the
Astronomy in Color blog, the Access:
Astronomy blog, and the Women in
Planetary Science blog. I also love the
Vanguard Women in STEM series and
all the amazing STEM folks on social
media.
How did you become interested in
astronomy? Who are some of your
female role models (contemporary
or historic) in the field?
I am a proud Appalachian from
a small town where folks don’t
necessarily wake up saying
‘today I’m going to become an
astrophysicist.’ And I wasn’t the
‘smart one’ in my family: that
designation was given to my older
sist