Article to go along with Tanya's conference post

Ana

I was going to post this in your conference post Tanya, but I didn't want to distract from figuring out outfits for you. I think this article is SO relevant, though. It's written by Lisa Randall, who is a brilliant theoretical physicist, professor and author (and also beautiful and super stylish). The first part of the article is about her being a woman in physics and physical appearance to a certain extent:

http://discovermagazine.com/20.....-in-venice

This is a link to a small blurb in Vogue that I cut out last year and tacked up on my bulletin board, which made me think to look her up and post about her:

http://www.style.com/vogue/fea.....show3.html

17 years ago

General

8 replies

Latest reply was from Tanya

Tanya

Veteran

Ana, thanks for the article! It was great, I really enjoyed reading it and knew exactly what she meant. I guess it never goes away, not even at her level.

I particularly liked this sentence from the small blurb:'"You want to just blend in. On the other hand, you're never going to blend in."

17 years ago

Ana

(website)

Veteran

I'm glad you liked the article, Tanya. I'm not sure if it helped solve your problem, but I thought maybe it would help to know that even "elite" female scientists go through the same thing. It's too bad that your female colleagues don't want to band together instead of picking each other apart with catty comments. Does MIT have any kind of Women's organization? I know UT has several--Women in Science, Women in Computer Science, Women in Chemistry and Women in Medicine. Still no Women in Mathematics, though (I might see what I can do to change that).

Also, have you thought about networking with that professor that always looks fantastic? I mean, maybe she won't care at all, but on the other hand maybe she can sympathize with you. She might not be in your field, but it's always good to "know people."

I also like that line about blending in but still standing out--so accurate.

17 years ago

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

This is fab. Good one, Ana.

Stereotyping is part of life. And along with it comes inaccurate judgment. You’ve got to try and make it work for you. I have no doubt Tanya will make it work.

Tanya, you mentioned specs. When do you wear specs?

17 years ago

Tanya

Veteran

Angie, about the specs: I have only discovered fairly recently that I need them for long distances. I get around perfectly well in every day life without them, but I need them for going to talks, classes and such- can't see what's written on the blackboard for example. Since I'm not used to them, I just carry them around in my bag and put them on when I need them, but then take them immediately off afterwards. So at the conference I will need them indeed for attending all those talks.

17 years ago

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Thank you Tanya. And are they FAB specs?

17 years ago

Tanya

Veteran

In all the honesty Angie, I have no clue. My spec knowledge is basically non-existent. I shall await for your input on this.

The are by brand called Les Copains I am not familiar with. The frame is metallic with a hint of pink and the part that goes behind the ears is burgundy. Here are the photos :

Front:
http://s300.photobucket.com/al.....CN3067.jpg

Back:
http://s300.photobucket.com/al.....CN3068.jpg

17 years ago

laural

Member

Tanya, I am a lurker who feels compelled to register for this forum after reading your posts. I see a reference above that says you attend MIT. As an MIT alum (although not in a science field), I find your description of the environment in your lab very disturbing. It sounds like people there (I'm not sure whether they are colleagues or your advisor) make you feel very uncomfortable because you are interested in expressing yourself through fashion. This is unacceptable, and I think people at MIT would agree with me. There is absolutely no place in any work environment, be it academic or corporate, for the phrase "Your clothes always scream look at my body". The ONLY time the words "your body" should be used in a professional/academic environment is when someone says "I really admire your body of work"!!! MIT has a very broad definition of harassment, and I believe the behavior of the people in your lab falls under it. I urge you to talk to someone at Student Support about this situation. Here is a link to MIT's policy on harassment for your info: http://web.mit.edu/communications/hg/. There are ways you can get help with this situation without confronting people directly. You should always feel that you can be yourself in any situation at MIT. Good luck with your conference and the rest of your PHD program!

17 years ago

Tanya

Veteran

Thanks for the concern Laural, but it's not that bad that it requires that type of action. I am aware of all the policies /organizations here and in general I have had no need to use them. That particular comment came a while ago from a female coworker and I think it has more do to with her own issues than anything else.

It's not that I hear this every day and all the time, the couple of comments were over long periods of couple of years and generally now everybody is used to me and says nothing. I just mentioned them to try to portray the general situation.

Thanks once again for your concern!

17 years ago

Category