Women Academics Progressing But Not in All Areas, Says Study

The gender gap is closing for women science and engineering academics in hiring and tenure at U.S. research universities, but they are still underrepresented in applicant pools and earn less as full professors, says a National Research Council report released on June 2. The study is based on trends at 500 university departments, including civil and electrical en-gineering, and responses from 1,800 academics. The study says women are interviewed and hired at equal or higher rates than men, but fewer apply for tenure-track positions.