You may not recognize the name, but Emily Talbott, Controls Integrator for TAIT, is the unseen rock star in automation technology. She creates the “awe factor” for audiences at Bad Bunny, Billie Eilish, and Phish concerts, as well as Broadway and theater productions and theme park installations. In collaboration with her team, Emily is responsible for crafting a musical experience into an audio and visual multisensory phenomenon. She has been able to amalgamate her education, training, and work experiences into an exciting and formidable career.
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She kindly answered the following questions posed by Scientista.

RK: What kind of education and experiences prepared you for this occupation?

ET: I have a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Colorado School of Mines. I was heavily involved in my school’s technical production team for concerts it hosted twice a year, so I was able to make connections and gain experience in the entertainment industry through that.

RK: What do you find to be the most exciting or interesting part of your job?

ET: Integrators travel on average 120 days a year, so I would say exploring new places and getting to meet so many different people while out on the road. One of my “road hobbies” is finding a new coffee shop to try in every location I visit. For one of my projects, I was able to live abroad in Holland for six weeks, and I loved the experience of getting to be immersed in a different culture while on the job.
 
RK: Do you have a favorite type of production to work on?

ET: My favorite market to work in is concert touring because I love the fast-paced timeline and creativity that goes into programming shows.
 
RK: Can you tell us some other projects and concerts you have worked on?

ET: I’ve worked on projects for Billie Eilish, The Backstreet Boys, Michael Buble, The Lumineers, Bad Bunny, Elton John, James Taylor, Phish, P!NK, Metallica, John Legend, and many more. 
 
RK: What is your role in the interpretation of the artist’s vision and how can you implement this vision using technology?

ET: As the automation expert, I collaborate with the creative team to achieve the artistic vision during the rehearsal periods. For most shows, we will create various looks utilizing the automation, and then have a “show and tell” period where the artist can provide feedback on what we have created. Automation is a really powerful tool with which to implement designs because we can literally move things around to create entirely different scenes.

RK: How closely do you work with the designer?

ET: Often, I work closely with designers to create the looks they are after. As the person who commissions and brings the automation gear to site, I am the expert when it comes to understanding the limitations of the machines. There is a lot of collaboration between the artistic and technical teams to achieve a vision that both looks great and plays safely within the realm of physics. With our TAIT Navigator Automation Platform software, we have endless possibilities around the technologies we can interface with. I can run automation moves from audio commands or tell lights to focus on a certain point even as the position of a machine is changing. This flexibility allows us to go beyond just moving objects and collaborate with other vendors to achieve a singular vision.
 
RK: How do you manage to coordinate all of the factors (sound, lighting, and automation) to align in precision?

ET: A great deal of patience and collaboration. If possible, I try to connect with key stakeholders prior to rehearsals so I can gain understanding about their needs for the project. This can be as simple as exchanging emails with lighting designers, production designers, etc. or can be as formal as having a meeting with all interested parties. It really depends on the scope of what we’re trying to achieve. Typically, before the artist arrives, the entire production will go through technical rehearsals and programming. This provides an opportunity to test and verify all technical elements prior to rehearsing with the band/artist. This period is when we usually test all department collaborations in addition to creating the look and overall flow of the show.
 
RK: Do you physically install the automation machinery or do you program the equipment?

ET: I do both! Our project process typically begins with installing the machinery, inspecting the equipment, running cables, and initial power on testing. After the machinery is verified via the initial mechanical and electrical inspections, I commission the machines to be controlled by our software TAIT Navigator.
 
RK: You mentioned that you provide follow-up support for the project. What does that entail specifically?

ET: After my tours have opened and are out on the road, operators and technicians will call me when something isn’t operating as expected or breaks. I talk them through the issues they’re experiencing, and we work towards a solution together. On most occasions, we’re able to solve the problem; however, sometimes we’re required to swap a piece of gear out for a spare. I will also walk them through the process of swapping to a spare if they do not feel confident doing that by themselves.
 
RK: How important is safety? Do you have a role in designing safety features?
 
ET: Safety is extremely important when working with automation. We are repeatedly around heavy power, large machines, and moving objects. Going into all projects, the team creates an analysis of hazards that could be presented and ways that we will mitigate them. Mitigations could be as simple as blocking off the area while a machine is in motion, or in some cases, we can design a solution to prevent the hazard entirely. While on-site, I also instruct clients on how they can safely interact with automation elements. This can look like coaching a performer on how to ride a lift to stage height or simply making them aware that objects will move above their heads while performing. Providing this training is crucial to the success and overall safety of the production.

RK: Have you found that there are any limitations in your field for women?
 
ET: I would say that the entertainment industry is undergoing a transformation to be largely more accepting of women and minorities. Traditionally this field was dominated by white men, but in recent years, more and more women have come into the industry. I have faced misogyny while out on-site, but the productions I have worked with have a zero-tolerance policy for that. As I’ve worked in this industry, I’ve also amassed an amazing network of women who I can rely on and go to in challenging situations.
 
RK: Why do you think more women haven’t gone into this field? Are there any inaccurate perceptions?
 
ET: This field is extremely challenging and physically demanding. There are a lot of holidays spent away from family, late nights worked, and physical labor involved. It can be a grueling environment somedays and as a petite woman myself it’s sometimes difficult to keep up with the pace of being on-site. But to build off of this idea, I think an inaccurate perception would be that just because you are a woman, you can’t keep up with the guys. It takes all types of people with a wide range of expertise to get a show going, and it wouldn’t be very useful if we only had a team of big dudes who can lift things. I’ve found more success in highlighting my personal strengths than attempting to outweigh others.
 
RK: Has TAIT made any accommodations for female employees, such as flexible schedules and accommodations for employees with families?
 
ET: With the overall transformation of the dynamics in live entertainment, I’ve seen growth within TAIT and the company’s desire to drive inclusivity forward within the industry. There’s been an increase in women and minorities working at TAIT just in the few years I’ve been here. We also have a culture team that is championing DE&I efforts across the company including expanding our parental leave policy for the birth and adoption of a child, hosting focus groups for women, and offering mental health seminars.

RK: Are there recruitment efforts for college graduates?
 
ET: TAIT attends a variety of career fairs and trade shows around the globe to meet with college graduates as it’s important for us to foster the next generation of industry experts. We work closely with Rock Lititz and Production Park during their career exploration days for college students. We also have a summer internship program that provides hands-on training by delving into actual projects we’re working on. I am a graduate of the TAIT intern program in 2017. My experience that summer ultimately inspired me to come back to work full time in integration at TAIT.

Though women were instrumental to the growth and development of STEM fields, data shows that the number of women entering these industries has flattened. If you’re looking to break barriers to realize the career of your dreams, here are some suggestions for how to overcome the challenges that women face in STEM.​

Advance your career with knowledge certification

When your knowledge grows, so can your paycheck. Women who run against a wall in career advancement can boost their potential with a professional development course. Ideally, you want classes that provide you with a certificate after a final assessment. Even after collecting further certifications and degrees, keep your skills sharp by expanding your knowledge and taking quizzes to test your understanding of essential topics.

Build your brand by sharing expertise

Learn how to explain complex topics in clear terms and contribute articles to websites to share your expertise. Subscribe to STEM podcasts and reach out to programs looking for guests to discuss relevant subjects. Search for opportunities to guide others by speaking at local school and community events to explain the value of your work and earning potential. While these activities will boost your resume, they also have the added benefit of positioning you as a role model and as an example of someone who has achieved a STEM career. In turn, this will encourage other women to advance and share their knowledge. 
 
Build your confidence while helping others

Fighting the uphill battle becomes exhausting, and times may come when you don't feel like you're up to the challenge. Join organizations that support women in STEM and build a robust network. Ask for mentors who can boost your confidence with tips and new perspectives. Serving as a mentor yourself can also help you overcome feelings of burnout and establish a sense of community within your field. Help other women join the industry and amplify their voices.

Prioritize self-care and time management

Attention to your physical and emotional self-care can keep you energized and self-assured. Work hard, but plan sufficient rest and at least one day a week to disconnect from your work to focus on family and recharge yourself.

If you get overwhelmed during the workweek, break down large assignments into manageable tasks. Prioritize duties by deadline and difficulty to remove stressful items from your agenda. Time blocking is an effective technique for priming yourself for peak performance.

Start a business

If you struggle to connect with a company that has solid core values and is willing to pay you a fair wage, evaluate starting a business in your field. Starting a company is challenging, but the satisfaction and earning potential are limitless when you run your own firm. Search for stories and advice from other female entrepreneurs who triumphed.

A stable business begins with a carefully crafted business plan. Include these elements in a well-rounded strategy:

• A company description that outlines your legal structure, history, and goals
• The products and services you offer and the problems they solve
• A market analysis that shows the current competitive landscape and the potential demand 
• A sales and marketing strategy to capture an increasing market share
• The company's organizational and management structure
• Required funding and financial projections for at least five years

Carefully consider your business structure as well. Forming an LLC will protect your personal assets and come with other benefits like flexibility, reduced paperwork, and pass-through taxation. You can work with a formation service to handle LLC registration. Before you select a formation company to work with, take a look at the 7 best LLC services available to ensure you’re selecting one that’s trusted and reliable.


Much progress has been made in helping women advance in STEM-related industries, but the battle continues. As women help their fellow females enter STEM fields and boost their own progress through taking professional development courses, finding supportive mentors, and starting a STEM-related business, the sector will further benefit from the experience and talent women bring.​

When you first start out on a career path, you're full of enthusiasm and motivation. But things can change over time, and it's not uncommon to start feeling frustrated or disengaged with your work and your career. If you think you've fallen out of love with your career, take a look at these tips to help you make your next move.

Establish what’s making you unhappy

There’s often an underlying reason why you’ve fallen out of love with your career, whether it’s a change in your business or to your role, someone in your team, or something that's happening in your personal life that's started to impact your job. It might not be one single thing, but the culmination of several little things that you’ve found frustrating or unsettling over a few months.

Try to think about the last time that you felt completely happy and confident in your career, and then identify when you started to feel less happy. It’s important to understand why you’re feeling this way before making any drastic changes or decisions.

You might find that you’re just a bit bored in your current role, or you don’t feel like you have the opportunity to grow and progress, which is making you lose interest. Or you could find that your interests have changed and there’s something new that you want to pursue.

Work out what you can change

Once you’ve figured out what has caused you to fall out of love with your career, you can take steps to change it. This doesn’t necessarily mean switching careers or finding a new job.

If the problem is related to certain aspects of your current role, the business or sector you’re working in, or the people around you, then you should assess what you can do to change those issues. Talk to someone at your work about changing your responsibilities or moving away from the tasks that you don’t enjoy. Alternatively, you might want to negotiate a promotion or pay rise. It can also help to identify and discuss your long-term career development plans. Setting these goals can motivate you to start pushing yourself and feel more engaged with your job.

If you’re feeling stressed or experiencing burnout, then consider if it’s possible to take some time off or look for a new role. But make sure that you’ve thought about whether finding a new role is going to renew your sense of enthusiasm, or whether you’re going to find yourself in the same situation again.

Focus on your non-work life

Your career doesn’t always have to be the sole place where you find fulfillment or validation. If you’ve found that you’re feeling less enthusiastic about work and your job, then try focusing on other things such as hobbies and interests that you enjoy.

Set yourself a new project, like taking a cooking course, or sign up for a sports group that gives you some time to focus on non-work-related things. Sometimes a creative outlet outside of your career can inspires you in ways that affect all areas of your life.

You could also take a course that's going to help you develop your career or move into a new area in your line of work. A good platform for taking online courses is LinkedIn Learning, which offers a wide range of topics and areas to study — you can take a look at PC Mag's review of the resource to see why it's one of the best options for online learning.

Consider setting up a side-hustle

Setting up a side hustle can be a great project to take your mind off your career problems, and it could also give you the opportunity to explore other paths. Think about ways you can turn your skills or your interests into a business.

One side hustle that could really help you rediscover your love for your career is teaching . If you know a particular industry or area inside out, then you can share your knowledge and expertise with others. You could either offer classes and tutor people or set up an online course.

There are plenty of online course platforms that make the whole process really simple, such as Kajabi. Take a look at Learning Revolution’s review of the platform and you’ll see that it takes almost no time to get your course up and running. And as you can see in the Kajabi review, it’s a platform that’s built to sell, so you’ll be able to earn some extra income from your course. 

Know when it’s time to move on

Switching jobs in the same career isn’t necessarily going to make you fall in love with it again. If you’ve identified the root of the problems with your career, and it’s not something that you can fix or you don’t think your feelings will change, then it might be time to move on.

At the end of your self-evaluation, you may realize that you don’t see a future in your career. Perhaps you feel that you’ve reached your limit or you don’t find your work engaging enough to pursue more opportunities in the same field. Allow yourself some time to reflect on why you loved your career in the first place and how that’s changed. But if you’re sure, then don’t be afraid to take a leap and switch career paths. You can always test the waters by taking some courses or talking to people in other careers that you think might interest you.

Your feelings about your career are likely to change over time. Sometimes you’ll feel more excited and motivated, and other times you might feel like you’ve lost interest. While it’s always good to love what you do for work, it’s okay if you change your mind or find new interests. ​

The glass ceiling is well-known for preventing women and minorities from reaching the highest levels of the business world. Women in science face a similar problem: the leaky pipeline. This metaphor is used to describe how women drop out of the sciences at many points along their career path, leading to few women attaining top professional roles. ​
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Fixing the pipeline is a more complex problem than it seems at first glance. The “leaks” are distributed at different stages of a woman’s career and across different disciplines. Nearly half of all biologists today are women, but chemistry (32%) and physics (18%) continue to lag far behind.
 
How does biology excel where other disciplines fail? Can we use that information to help women pursue their professional goals? Here, we review ongoing challenges, recommendations and our predictions for the state of women in science.

Education

To address the problem of gender inequality in science, we first need to answer, “At what point are women falling behind?”
 
In 2015, the National Assessment of Educational Progress report found that male students begin to outperform female students in general by 4th grade. This margin continues to widen throughout high school. However, females had higher science GPAs and took more advanced coursework than males. And their involvement in science continues throughout secondary education. In recent years, females have earned more bachelor's, master’s and doctorate degrees in science than males.
 
These results make it apparent that efforts to retain girls’ interest in science is fairly successful when their interest is encouraged at an early age. What then causes postgraduate women to turn away from science? 

Workforce and the Pay Gap

There are several interconnected factors at play at this point in the pipeline: salary, promotion and discrimination.
 
First, male scientists earn an average salary of $76,279 compared to females’ average salary of $59,242. Second, women are promoted less frequently than men. While women and men hold an equal number of entry-level academic positions, there are twice as many male senior professors. This lack of promotion helps to explain the huge pay gap. Men are not necessarily making more money doing the same job (although that does happen), but they have a higher median salary because they are promoted to higher paying jobs.

​Another reason to explain why women are leaving is a poor work environment and harassment. Half of women working in STEM fields say they have experienced some form of discrimination and leave because they feel isolated and lack “belongingness.” Harassment may also explain the low levels of promotion. If women leave these jobs due to the workplace atmosphere, they never have the opportunity to be promoted in the first place.  
 
Fixing the problem of underrepresentation of women in science is not only the responsibility of the people at the top of the career ladder. These structural faults in the pipeline are due to underlying stereotypes and historical bias against women that are culturally widespread.

Cultural Stereotypes

Biased beliefs about women’s innate ability to succeed in science remain pervasive - even among scientists themselves. Researchers interviewed over 2500 scientists and found that male scientists cited brain differences, natural ability, historical discrimination and gender segregation in early education as the main factors leading to more women pursuing biology over physics.
 
Women scientists were less likely to believe that there were any innate differences in female scientists’ ability to succeed. They suggested instead that women pursue biology due to ongoing discrimination in other STEM fields. They also expressed that women may have a stronger drive to conduct work that directly benefits society, and biology and medical research are perceived as having broader applications for the public. In comparison, physics and math are perceived as having a greater focus on advancing theory.
 
This association overlaps with the idea that women, more than men, should take on a caregiving role and conduct work that helps others. The caregiver stereotype also forces women to choose more often than men between time-intensive careers and having a family. The responsibilities of child and elder care have historically been ascribed to women. The outcome of this role is that women are discouraged from entering science at several points in the early stages of their career, which frequently coincides with decisions related to building and maintaining a family. As a result of the wage gap, if the choice is between a man and a woman giving up a job to become a caregiver, women are more likely than men to stay at home with the children since it results in less loss of income. These disparities have been greatly exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in academia.
 
Divorce settlements will also often result in the mother having primary custody of the children - a factor that can lead to her choosing a job in a more family-friendly field with consistent hours and less travel. Women in science who do have families reported feelings of isolation because they cannot take part in informal events outside of regular work hours. This can have real consequences for their career productivity since it prevents opportunities for networking and collaboration.
 
The effects of these lingering stereotypes contrast with progressive views supposedly held today. How then do we retrain our brains to normalize gender equality across all scientific disciplines?    

Recommendations
 
One of the most promising solutions has been the rise of media attention given to female scientists in popular movies like Hidden Figures and TV shows like Bones.
 
Successful women in science, both real and fictional, can function as role models to encourage incoming women scientists to feel more confident in pursuing their career. A lack of role models in early and undergraduate physics and chemistry education was identified as a main issue contributing to women pursuing biology instead, where women are typically more visible and accepted.
 
Opportunities to find and connect with role models have also been increasing as a result of a growing number of networking opportunities and organizations directed towards women. More women are able to forge connections and a sense of belongingness by joining pre-professional college campus groups, online mentoring sites and engaging in volunteer opportunities that bring together older students and researchers to teach hands-on science in local classrooms.
 
However, significant care and awareness will be required to end the self-fulfilling phenomena in which a lack of role models results in low recruitment of young women who would then serve as role models themselves.  

​While the current numbers of women in some scientific fields remain low, increasing their visibility, amplifying their voices and giving them credit for their ideas will help attract more women to the workforce. Within graduate school, which relies heavily on a mentorship system, third party moderators in the department can review whether advisers give preference to male students, especially if there is greater standardization of expectations regarding how often mentors meet with their mentees. At the professional level, scientists can support women through attendance at conferences that host diverse panels and speakers, thereby helping to rid academia of the scourge of “manels.”
 
This growing awareness of the gender bias in science is only the start. More work is needed to determine whether submitting job applications anonymously will erase the subtle gender bias implicit within a female name. Ongoing research continues to promote the universal benefits of more generous parental leave for both spouses, but many of these ideas are still confined to paper. As more policies aimed at improving diversity and inclusiveness allow for greater achievements to be made by women in the sciences, the work involved in restructuring this system should be viewed as clearly worth the effort. 

Embracing Non-linear Careers
 
Rather than continuing to invest in patching leaks in the pipeline, a more diverse STEM community would gain from placing that investment in overhauling its underlying structure. Careers in the sciences are incredibly susceptible to change and there is no denying that today’s job opportunities have become much more interdisciplinary. Science degrees are being recruited by banks, tech companies, healthcare, communication and nearly every type of business, with value being placed in employees’ analytical skill sets.
 
The end of the pipeline, a job in academia or scientific industry, is also very specialized and not for everyone. Denoting it as the only possible finish line falsely punishes an infinite number of rewarding opportunities made possible by melding science, creativity, and innovation.
 
As long as the opportunity to stay or leave is not influenced by gender biases, those who “leak” from the pipeline will greatly benefit from transferable skills. In academia and high school levels, it is very possible to emphasize tools in statistics, data management or public policy through coursework or seminars, and traditional programs would boost their PR by normalizing non-traditional routes that combine STEM pathways with more creative fields. Embracing all of the vocations that branch out from science and its broader network of people can only improve the application and atmosphere of STEM fields as a whole.  

​Non-cheerful, non-white female comedians and comedy shows exist, but they largely fly under the radar of the mainstream pop culture; when they are heard, they often build off tired stereotypes. There’s a scene in Fresh off the Boat where Jessica, a Chinese mom, goes to a grocery store with her son. An employee offers her a free sample from a party platter of chips. “This is free?” she asks and takes the whole tray into her basket. ​

It’s funny in the moment, but it plays off the stereotype that Chinese people are cheap and that immigrants don’t understand how America works. For me, a Chinese American, the joke is satirical and relatable, but how might a white person view it? It’s possible that it could reinforce the stereotypes that Chinese people are cheap and obsessed with money, especially when there’s no other mainstream media countering these arguments.

Minorities are similarly underrepresented in research on the appreciation of humor, which mostly makes comparisons between straight white women and straight white men. Studies on these topics conclude that men use humor as a form of sexual selection, are more predisposed to generating humor, and are more interested in dating a woman who laughs at their jokes than dating a woman who is funny herself (Gueguen, 2010; Hay, 2000; Medlin et al., 2018; Bressler et al., 2006; Wilbur and Campbell, 2011; Chang et al., 2018; Crawford, 2003; Greengross and Miller, 2011). Likewise, studies find that women are interested in funny men and would rather advertise themselves as a good partner by appearing caring and positive – traditional feminine values. If we looked at other races and couples who aren’t straight would we find the same results? How about other cultures? Maybe we would – or maybe not.

To the best of my knowledge, no study has been done on how LGBT+ groups use humor in their relationships. As a straight woman, I don’t feel comfortable speaking for this community, but I would question whether or not the differences in the expected dynamics between a straight and a gay couple would change their use of humor as it would change their expectations of who does which household chore. Similarly, if traditional values make you more likely to laugh at traditional (and sexist) jokes as traditional values fade, perhaps new humor and different dynamics will emerge. 

Professional women are all bitches

But back to the idea of humor and professional women; to be funny we have to be unexpected and silly. What is the stereotype of a professional woman? In most minds, probably the opposite. To succeed in a male-dominated field, women have had to be better than men at regular business acumen while maintaining a feminine touch (Martin, 2004). If a woman is seen as too professional, they are labelled cold and unapproachable while fielding questions on who is taking care of the kids. Women who attempt to balance family and work are labelled as lacking ambition or accused of being dedicated to neither their family nor professional lives. Regardless of where you fall on the professional to stay-at-home mother spectrum, you’re still swinging wildly between bitch and mother.

Women have a hard time being funny because they aren’t allowed to be anything other than a woman, and women have a difficult time being anything but a stereotype. If a woman plays the dumb trope, she perpetuates the belief that women are less intelligent than men. If she plays the smart trope, she’s falling into the mother or bitch category. If she loves her family she’s meant to be a stay-at-home mother or risk stretching herself too thin to focus on both the home and work. If she doesn’t aspire to have a clean home or want kids, she’s sloppy, irresponsible, or cold. There is a stereotype applied to practically every version of a women – so how can you expect to be unexpected?

You’re funny – other people may just not see that yet

The pieces of media that represent women and other minority groups as multifaceted are worthy of our recognition. Shows like Fresh off the Boat and Blackish are a step in the right direction, even with their imperfections. When we show support for diverse media and narratives that  break the mold of what women can be, we build a new culture of humor that doesn’t need to rely on stale stereotypes and that allows anyone to be funny.  

Women will be funny when they’re allowed to be something beyond the label of woman; when they’re seen as human, with flaws, desires, and ideas. There are many pieces that give you pointers on how to be funny in the professional world, but I find them largely unhelpful. Most of that advice is simply to relax and just be yourself. While I think that could be good advice, you can’t force others to see you as a human being unless they already do. Until mainstream culture changes, I suspect that women – especially professional women – will face multiple challenges to be seen as funny.  


Sources
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Bressler, E. R., R. A. Martin, and S. Balshine. 2006. Production and appreciation of humor as sexually selected traits. Evolution and Human Behavior 27:121-130.
Chang, Y. T., L. C. Ku, and H. C. Chen. 2018. Sex differences in humor processing: An event-related potential study. Brain Cogn 120:34-42.
Evans, J. B., J. E. Slaughter, A. P. J. Ellis, and J. M. Rivin. 2019. Gender and the evaluation of humor at work. J Appl Psychol 104:1077-1087.
Gamage, N. J. W., D. J. T. Hill, C. A. Lukey, and P. J. Pomery. 2003. Factors affecting the photolysis of polyester–melamine surface coatings. Polymer Degradation and Stability 81:309-326.
Greengross, G., and G. Miller. 2011. Humor ability reveals intelligence, predicts mating success, and is higher in males. Intelligence 39:188-192.
Gueguen, N. 2010. Men's sense of humor and women's responses to courtship solicitations: an experimental field study. Psychol Rep 107:145-156.
Hay, J. 2000. Functions of humor in the conversations of men and women. Journal of Pragmatics 32:709-742.
Martin, D. M. 2007. Humor in middle management: women negotiating the paradoxes of organizational life. Journal of Applied Communication Research 32:147-170.
Medlin, M. M., M. Brown, and D. F. Sacco. 2018. That's what she said! Perceived mate value of clean and dirty humor displays. Personality and Individual Differences 135:192-200.
Moore, T., K. Griffiths, and B. Payne. 1987. Gender, Attitudes Toward Women, and the Appreciation of Sexist Humor. Sex Roles 16:521-531.
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Nimrod, G., and L. Berdychevsky. 2018. Laughing off the Stereotypes: Age and Aging in Seniors' Online Sex-Related Humor. Gerontologist 58:960-969.
Wilbur, C. J., and L. Campbell. 2011. Humor in romantic contexts: do men participate and women evaluate? Pers Soc Psychol Bull 37:918-929.

​It’s 2019 and women have been handed another hurdle to jump over when it comes to their healthcare. Lawmakers continue to work to abolish access to federal and state-funded reproductive health services all while inhibiting safe abortion care. But this is just one of the many barriers to quality healthcare that women continue to face.
 
Unconscious gender bias, which refers to a subconscious assessment based on gender that influences one's actions and feelings, remains a major obstacle to women’s healthcare, but only until recently have certain health inequalities, like The Gender Pain Gap, become a part of the conversation. Too often, women experience patient dismissal and misdiagnoses due to gender disparities in pain treatment.
 
This piece serves as an overview of what precisely the Gender Pain Gap is, the negative impact it has on women obtaining the best possible health outcomes, and how to overcome this phenomenon.

The Gender Pain Gap Defined
 
The Gender Pain Gap refers to the bias against women as it pertains to the treatment of pain, which stems from a landmark study performed at Maryland University called “The Girl Who Cried Pain.” Researchers found that women often experience dismissal of their medical concerns, leading to misdiagnosis, incorrect medicine dosages, delayed treatment, and general feelings of neglect. The exact reason for how the Gender Pain Gap came to be is challenging to pin down, but various studies allude to sexism, a lack of medical research on women, and gender-related differences in the experiences of pain.
 
Causes Of The Gender Pain Gap
 
Sexism significantly affects women’s ability to receive appropriate care for pain in many facets. Not only do healthcare providers take longer to address women’s pain, but they are also more likely to misdiagnose women’s pain as psychogenic or emotional. Consequently, women are more likely to be given sedatives instead of pain-relieving drugs which can lead to a delay in accurate diagnosis and proper treatment.
 
Furthering the gender divide in healthcare is the lack of knowledge surrounding women and the pain they experience, which could possibly stem from the exclusion of women in medical research. Approximately 70% of those who suffer from chronic pain are women and yet 80% of pain studies are conducted using male mice or human men.
 
In fact, a Caucasian male weighing 154 pounds standing at 5 feet and 6 inches tall has long been the standard body type for studying human anatomy and drawing medical test conclusions. However, hormones, as well as brain function, play a significant role in how women’s experiences with pain differ from men’s, thus indicating that the standard male body is no longer a suitable universal standard for research and more women and female animal models need to be included in these types of studies.
 
Impacts And Significance Of The Gender Pain Gap
 
The result of gender biases in our medical system can have severe and sometimes fatal repercussions. For instance, women are 50% more likely to receive the wrong diagnosis after a heart attack compared to men, leading to an increased risk of death. The very thought seems inconceivable considering heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the U.S.
 
Heart attacks are just one example of diagnostic errors in women. On average, it takes approximately nine years and four doctors for women to receive a correct endometriosis diagnosis – a notably painful condition where tissue that typically lines the inside of the uterus grows outside of the uterus. Endometriosis symptoms are not visible, so women who are suffering, once again, have their pain dismissed and are not appropriately treated. In cases where women are given a correct endometriosis diagnosis, they often postpone seeking help because “they themselves viewed their agonizing period pain as normal,” according to a discussion with Vice and Abby Norman, author of Ask Me About My Uterus. Like any other condition, an incorrect diagnosis can lead to delayed treatment and a negative impact on a woman’s quality of life.
 
Overturning The Gender Pain Gap
 
In 2015, the National Institutes of Health made a step toward healthcare equality by introducing a policy that requires medical investigators to account for sex as a biological variable during research. Even with this small step, there is still a real need for increased education and awareness surrounding biological differences in pain, as well as a need for more guidance for women whose pain isn’t being taken seriously.
 
Women who continue to endure medical dismissal and misdiagnoses may learn to take on an active role in their own disease management. By learning how to advocate for themselves,  empowered patients trust their body and use their instincts to make informed decisions about their healthcare. This could look like coming to appointments with a list of questions, asking for clarification when needed or opting to find a second opinion.
 
It can also mean becoming a smart healthcare consumer by utilizing new and upcoming technological services in the healthcare space such as telemedicine. Telemedicine can offer clinical services without an in-person visit and has many benefits such as reducing administrative mistakes and allowing patients access to care on their own terms. Companies like hers, a telemedicine company focusing on women's health needs, was created due to the fact that women don't receive the same attention in the healthcare system as men. By providing women with direct, immediate access to trusted physicians and prescription solutions for sexual wellness, skin care, and hair loss, hers is “putting the power back in the hands of women” in a broken healthcare system, as told by co-founder and brand team lead, Hilary Coles. To learn more about their mission to create a more inclusive healthcare space for women, check out hers’ Twitter account as they use their platforms to increase awareness around women’s healthcare issues and provide valuable information and resources.

​Juliet Chin Hart was a panelist for the Alternate Careers workshop at the 2019 Scientista Symposium. She was a researcher in biopsychology and then transitioned to working for assorted biotech and big pharma organizations.
Applying her knowledge of science-based industries, as well as strategic business management, Hart founded Hart & Chin Associates, LLC, a niche consulting firm, that also offers workshops and coaching for organizations involved in various scientific disciplines. The mission is to cultivate scientists’ leadership skills, interpersonal skills, and communication. Hart fills in the gaps not covered in graduate school programs that enable scientists to become effective leaders at their institutions and in their scientific specialization.
 
In the following question and answer interchange, Juliet Chin Hart explains her rationale for developing methods to improve management styles and science personnel satisfaction.
 
Q: What motivated you to start the company and what were the challenges?
 
A: After working in academia, biotech, and pharma with other scientists, I realized there was a need for more professional development resources that resonated with the scientist and is relevant in their work environments. So, I decided to start a company focused specifically on scientists and their organizations.  It is a specialized area of work, so getting awareness about what I do is the hardest part.
 
Q: What niche do you think it will fill?
 
A: My intention is to help scientists at all stages of their careers. Right now, training for scientists typically is focused on developing the technical knowledge and skills specifically needed for their field.  Adding essential basics, such as interpersonal and communication skills training with examples from the scientists’ worlds, will make it easier for them to adapt and transition in their careers.
 
Q: Are there any soft skills that you address that are unique to the scientific community?
 
A: Everyone needs soft skills, but leadership and management training are important for scientists to be successful in any aspect of their career growth to increase their influence in whatever role they are in or striving to attain. On top of that, cultural adaptability training is very important. We tend to ignore the fact that scientists work in very culturally diverse environments and it can be difficult, but at the same time very rewarding.  The training allows us to understand ourselves and others better so that we can maximize our potential.
 
Q: What are the most popular workshops? How did you decide what components to include in your curriculum?
 
Right now, I have an emotional intelligence workshop that is geared towards working with your PI/manager and a cultural adaptability workshop that deeply resonates with people. Currently, I am rolling out a comprehensive leadership program that includes coaching.
 
Like any experiment, I test to see if my hypothesis is correct and retest to see if the training produces the expected results.
 
Q: What methods do you use to train scientists to become better leaders? Do you use a customized approach depending on the client's needs or scientific field?
 
A: I am developing methods and approaches that are more intuitive for the way scientists think. For example, when you ask a scientist what values are important to them it feels very arbitrary. Through my training, I ask them to collect their own data to help remove some of that arbitrary feeling to have them understand what is important to them and why.  This has been very enlightening for participants.
 
Every customer at this point is looking for something different. The idea of a leadership consultant that focuses on scientists and their organizations is a resource that they usually haven't considered as available - so it takes some time to figure out what problem should be addressed.
 
Q: What suggestions do you have for scientists who would like to transition into consulting or for students who have completed academic studies and would like to pursue this occupation?
 
A: There are different routes that you can take.  You can apply to consulting firms and if you fit the profile that they are looking for, then you are brought in for a training period to see if you will fit in the culture of the company.  Another route to consulting is to gain enough experience in a certain area of work to be considered an expert and then provide advice to organizations.
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In a world that’s increasingly reliant on technology, professionals who can protect networks and critical data from attacks are in high demand. Cyber security as we know it didn’t exist until the 70s, around four decades after the first programmable computer was made. But with the growing number of network breaches, it became a necessity to safeguard information and prevent systems from crumbling down. 

You might think that a field that is progressive by its very nature would have more diversity in terms of gender, but in reality, women are still a minority in this cyber security. In the U.S., women make up only 14% of the U.S. cyber security sector and female representation in this industry as a whole stands at a mere 11%. Cybersecurity Ventures states that the global cyber security workforce will be composed of 20% female experts by the end of 2019. Although that is a 9% increase since the initial data was released in 2013, the gender gap is still huge and we need more women to enter the workforce.
 
There are small but significant achievements that can be held up as leading exemplars for ways to improve gender diversity in the industry. In Israel, for instance, where the industry continues to mature, women were behind 15% of newly founded cyber security teams. One quarter of the Australian cyber security workforce is female. Enabling women to advance into leadership positions is one way we can improve these numbers. As Sara Laschever discussed at last year’s Scientista Symposium, there are several obstacles women will need to overcome when aiming for higher positions, many of which can be combatted by implementing strong negotiation skills and strategies. As the number of female cyber security experts continues to rise, we can also look to several key players in the industry as role models.

There’s a common misconception that tech professionals are shut-ins who work tirelessly day and night. However, this stereotype is certainly bucked by Katie Missouris, a seasoned cyber security entrepreneur who sports hot pink hair. Moussouris is the mind behind Microsoft’s bug bounty program and has earned the nickname ‘Bug Bounty Queen’ because of her expertise. She designed what is essentially a virtual bounty hunting program that identifies glitches in computer code. Individuals are rewarded for catching errors before someone else takes advantage. Years of experience have led Moussouris to understand the inherent flaws within code that allow outside hackers to get into a system. Subsequently, she founded Luta Security. The company specializes in vulnerability disclosure and improving security programs (including bug bounty), and has done work for the US Department of Defense and the UK National Cyber Security Centre, among other clients. 

Moussouris is not alone in heading a cyber security company in a male-dominated landscape. The leaders behind one of the UK’s top cyber defense companies, Darktrace, are two powerful women, one of whom is 35-year-old Poppy Gustafsson. She was instrumental in escalating the 5-year-old company’s valuation to $1.25 billion. In an article with the Evening Standard, she discusses how Darktrace utilizes artificial intelligence to identify and slow down threats before the damage becomes irreversible. It’s similar to the approach used by Dr. Bhavani Thuraisingham, Executive Director of the Cyber Security Research and Education Institute at the University of Texas at Dallas. Dr. Thuraisingham has been specializing in data analytics for cyber security for the past thirty years and she has had roles in both the federal and commercial sectors.

When talking about cybersecurity at a global scale, it would be remiss not to mention Ruth Shoham, one of Israel’s leading experts in the field. Shoham currently serves as the Executive Director of Israel’s National Cyber Directorate and supports a local initiative called CyberGirlz. The program aims to introduce high school-aged girls to the wonders of technology. Students can participate in hackathons, gain training in coding, and develop connections with female mentors who also work in tech. CyberGirlz directly addresses one of the reasons why women don’t seek out employment opportunities in cyber security, or technology in general: a lack of exposure to role models in the field. Many young girls don’t even realize that working in tech or cybersecurity is a viable career option. However, a degree in cyber security opens up many employment opportunities. Maryville University highlights several lucrative career options, such as working as an Information Security Analyst, Information Assurance Engineer, and Network Architect. The median salaries for these different positions range from $60,000 to over $100,000, which is well over the average salary of many professions in the US.

Natalia Oropeza, Chief Cyber Security Officer at Siemens AG, offered another explanation as to why women don’t enter the cyber security workforce. In an interview with Bloomberg, she mentioned that women, in general, want to feel that they are making a direct impact to society, but they feel that a job in tech is disconnected from working with other people. It’s hard to argue with Oropeza’s theory, considering that careers in tech have been marketed that way. However, this perspective is based on massive misconceptions. Data breaches can threaten banks, healthcare institutions, government agencies, and corporations big and small. In the end, citizens will be the ones suffering the repercussions of these breaches. If that isn’t life-changing, then it’s hard to say what is.
 
Hopefully, changing perspectives will help attract women to a sector in dire need of talent. Any woman who has the qualifications can certainly excel in the field. The ladies featured above are just a few of the names among thousands of women who are closing the gender gap. If you are intellectually curious and want to be part of that change, cyber security is a field that needs you.
 
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