Bibliograph

The exceptions, Nancy Hopkins, MIT, and the fight for women in science, Kate Zernike

Type

Label

The exceptions, Nancy Hopkins, MIT, and the fight for women in science, Kate Zernike

Language

eng

Bibliography note

Includes bibliographical references and index

resource.biographical

collective biography

Illustrations

illustrationsplates

Index

index present

Literary Form

non fiction

Main title

The exceptions

Nature of contents

bibliography

Oclc number

1330895170

Responsibility statement

Kate Zernike

Sub title

Nancy Hopkins, MIT, and the fight for women in science

Summary

"In 1999, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology admitted to discriminating against its most senior female scientists. It was a seismic cultural event {u2013} one that forced institutions across the nation to reckon with the bias faced by girls and women in STEM. The Exceptions is the story of the women on MIT{u2019}s faculty who started it all, centered on the life and career of their unlikely leader: Nancy Hopkins, a noted molecular geneticist and cancer researcher and protégée of James Watson, the discoverer of the structure of DNA. Dr. Hopkins entered her field at a time of extraordinary promise: the genetic code was on the verge of being cracked, and the recent discovery of retroviruses had sparked new hope of understanding the causes of cancer. As her career progressed, Dr. Hopkins explained away any discrimination she experienced as the exception, not the rule. Only in a moment of crisis, when she worked up the courage to consult other tenured women scientists, did the patter become undeniable: women struggled to secure resources, promotions, and fair pay, while men of similar or lesser qualifications had their career paths paved and widened. The revelation was disturbing; it was also galvanizing. What followed was an epic effort in organizing that continues to shape the world of science to this day. From the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who broke the story, The Exceptions chronicles groundbreaking science and a history-making fight for equal opportunity. It offers a thrilling and intimate look at the passion that drives discovery and a rare glimpse into the competitive, hierarchical world of elite science {u2013} and the women who dared to challenge it." --, Inside front jacket flap

Classification