In this month’s issue of The Scientist, the authors present 2013’s Salary Survey of the life-sciences, revealing differences in geographic location, career position, speciality, and, most importantly to us, gender. Despite the introduction of the Equal Pay Act, differences presented in salary are still present in the career of the life-sciences Scientista, even for equivalent occupations and productivity.

So the question to be asked is, why? One explanation given, is that less women reach higher-level positions than men, but the data proves otherwise, leading to more questions. The article writes that it’s actually quite the opposite, showing that the gender gap is even more prevalent at higher-level positions. 

“While female and male life-science graduate students surveyed by The Scientist made about the same amount of money, female associate professors earn around $24,000 less per year than male associate professors, and female full professors make an average of $26,000 less than males.” 

Can you imagine making 24k less than a completely “equal” counterpart? It’s been nearly a decade since the introduction of the Equal Pay Act, and it’s undoubtably difficult to prove if we’ve made any progress in this matter. Gender differences prove to be a constant nuisance to the Scientista. 

More information can be found here.  

Hello Scientistas, I am excited to announce our new Twitter page for the Drexel Scientista chapter! With this account, I hope to form connections with other chapters, and gain more Scientistas to our chapter. I am hoping that through social media the news of our organization will spread and more people learn what the Scientista Foundation is and what we want to offer to women in STEM. Please feel free to browse our feed. The feed will contain a variety of posts that I hope readers will enjoy. 

Hello, my name is Brenda, and to start, I'd like to say that as the first campus ambassador for Drexel U., I would like to welcome and thank you for visiting this blog and taking interest in the Scientista Foundation! I am not only ecstatic to bring the Scientista Foundation to Drexel, but also optimistic for what the Foundation will bring to the women in STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine). You will soon see how the Scientista Foundation supports, encourages, and guides individuals throughout their stay at Drexel.

I would also like to invite you to read the below (brief) biography about myself to better familiarize yourself with who I am.  Additionally, I've also included a slideshow composed of a variety of my own personal photos. 

"Brenda is an undergraduate student at Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and a proud resident of South Philadelphia, originally from the Pine Barrens of New Jersey. As a Biology major, Brenda developed a true appreciation for all aspects of the sciences and her later goal is to continue her education in medical school, to pursue a career in medicine. Her ultimate goal and dream is becoming a Pulmonary and Critical Care (ICU) specialist. Brenda believes that medicine, her favorite field of study, encompasses all of the sciences. She hopes to be not only a successful scientist, but a successful physician as well. In her spare time, Brenda enjoys spending time at home with her two cats and significant other. As a hobby, she also enjoys photography, during which she likes to unwind and relax, and appreciate the life she has. With the Scientista Foundation, Brenda wishes to encourage women to follow their dreams, be proud of who they are, what they accomplish, and to remain resilient, even in times of despair."