Female Geoscience Faculty Representation Grew Steadily Between 2006-2016

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Date updated: 2017-08-17
Data Brief 2017-004
Written and compiled by Carolyn E. Wilson for AGI, August 2017

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Between 2006-2016, the percentage of female geoscience faculty increased from 14 percent to 20 percent of the geoscience academic workforce. The largest growth was seen at the Assistant Professor rank with an increase of 11 percentage points. The increase of women in geoscience faculty positions over the past decade may seem small, but considering an academic may remain in the career for 30-40 years, this steady growth shows the inroads women have made into academia. We expect that the increase of women in the Assistant Professor position will lead to future growth in the Associate Professor and Professor positions.

With the removal of Emeritus faculty from the analysis, the percentages of female geoscience faculty increase to 16 percent in 2006 and 23 percent in 2016. While some Emeritus faculty remain active researchers and advisors, there are no good metrics on the level of engagement at this level, thus the higher, emeritus-exclusive participation rate is likely more representative of campus experience.

As a comparison, the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that women made up 27 percent of the geoscience workforce in 2015.

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