September 20, 2000


To:  Women Faculty in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Departments
Miami University


Dear Colleagues,
        Welcome to a new year at Miami University!  As faculty advisor to the Women in Mathematics, Science, and Engineering (known as WIMSE) Program here at Miami, I am excited to report that the program is growing both in numbers and in strength. Faculty awareness of WIMSE is somewhat sketchy, so we want to introduce ourselves and invite you to join us for a free lunch on Monday, October 2 at 12:30 PM in Hamilton Hall Dining Room.  We would also like to invite you to join us at various scheduled events this year as you have the time.  Women undergraduates can choose to live in the WIMSE theme learning/living community which is housed in Wells Hall.  Both first year students and upper level students are living together in this hall -- an unusual situation at Miami where first year students are generally housed in halls separately from upper level students.  The past 3 years, the number of students entering the program has increased to record heights.  We now have about 50 first year students and 20 upper level students involved in WIMSE.  This year we have women with majors in mathematics/statistics, chemistry, botany, zoology, paper science, manufacturing engineering, microbiology, physics, and other areas of MSE.  The programs that are held for WIMSE are open to all undergraduate, graduate and faculty/staff women (and men) who are interested in the specific topics.  Last year, programming ranged from weekly lunches to a Carpe Diem dinner program with Dr. Anne Morris Hooke to undergraduates assisting with Brownie Day on campus.  Students are interested in expanding the program to include more activities in both academic and leadership/service arenas.

        I am writing to you to ask for a little bit of your time and knowledge for the programming needs of this group.  If you are interested in learning more about the WIMSE program and its members, we reiterate the invitation to the "Welcome to WIMSE"  luncheon on Monday, October 2 at 12: 30 PM in Hamilton Hall Dining Room (you enter by the dumpsters off of Oak Street).  We would really like to get to know various individual faculty members and have set up a new programming theme for the year which we would love to have you participate in (yes, the dangling participle or something!) -- "2000 - The Year of WIMSE Mentoring". This year, we are planning on 5 particular programs for which we seek faculty and grad student involvement.  

	

        (1)  The WIMSE Lunch Bunch:  There is a weekly lunch group where faculty, graduate and undergraduate students are invited to join WIMSE members every Tuesday & Wednesday between noon and 1 PM for lunch at Hamilton Hall (on Oak Street).  A special table tent will identify the group.  Faculty can receive free lunches through Residence Life if they register to attend on specific days.  Graduate student will find the prices quite reasonable for "all the food you can eat" and good conversation. 
	
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        (2)   Faculty Research/Interest Dinner and Discussion:  Here, faculty meet for dinner (free at Hamilton Dining Hall)  and then she discusses her research area or other items of interest (e.g. recent developments in your area -- science-in- the-news ideas).  The discussion will be held in the lounge of Wells Hall following dinner.  Bring a graduate student who is working with you to join in the fun.
        (3)   Spring Seminar: based on book " Environment 00-01" edited by John Allen:  Faculty with interest in various parts of the text are invited to provide introductions to the topic closest to your area of expertise, to assist in development of a few discussion topics for students to read about and research, and then to lead full group discussions centered on the discussion topics.  This commitment would entail 2 different meetings with students.  A copy of the textbook Table of Contents is included for your perusal.
        (4) Spring Short Course:  "Women in Science and Technology" (offered through Women's Studies):  Faculty with interest in the MSE fields have the opportunity to assist in the 1 credit hour sprint course as co-teachers.  Here the goals of the course are to teach students early in their careers how the use of technology can assist them.  Using the basic outline of how a scientific experiment is researched, designed, conducted, analyzed, and presented, the course seeks to teach students the technologies of web-based literature searches, spread-sheet use, and power point presentations while framing it in the overarching schema of scientific experimentation. This program would require a 1-3 week commitment of your time depending on which topics catch your interest.   There is also the opportunity of sharing interesting data from your field with no other teaching commitment; this would be done by compiling data from a particular set of experiments for the students to analyze.  The time slot would probably be a 6-9 PM evening slot.
        (5) Field Trip Time!:  Any faculty member interested in sharing their ideas and knowledge with regards to a field trip is happily invited to contact us via the enclosed survey form.  Field trips can range from a trip to Hueston Woods for  hike to going to a nearby research lab with which you have contact to checking out your own lab at Miami or whatever else you can imagine.  

        Fall Trips at Present Include:  Rockhound Trip to Pfeffer Park  Either 10/7 or 10/28.  More details to come.

        (6)  WIMSE Meetings:   Every other Tuesday, (9/26, 10/10, 10/24) from 7-8 PM in Basement Lounge of Wells.  A person will be available to open the front door from 6:45 PM to 7:05 PM.

        Just think!  Students are excited about meeting  you and learning what it is about SME that caught your attention initially and what keeps bringing you back.  If you can share just an evening or lunch with these women, you can give back to the community a great service.  Students want to know more about SME fields and more about the women who have succeeded in these areas.



        Please take a minute to fill out the enclosed survey on programs to which you would be willing to commit some time. Sharing your time and talent with a young prospective mathematician, scientist, or engineer can make the difference between a woman who drifts into a different field and one who pulls through and goes on to being a professional in  SME areas. Just once or twice a semester can make a big difference (do I sound like the "support the child" advertisement yet?).  
        If you designate a program which includes lunch or dinner, please add your social security number so that Residence Life can work their magic and make your faculty ID worth a free meal!


        For you information, there is some financial assistance for programming from Residence Life and we are starting a fund drive among the Chairs of related disciplines for additional funding.  We are asking for $250 for the year from each department to be set into an account for WIMSE academic programming. If you have influence with your Chair person, you might add a positive word about WIMSE or be prepared to say something positive if she/he asks you about WIMSE.   These funds can be used for travel, bringing in guest speakers, and costs for videos, booklets or other needs for programs you would be leading.  Don't be shy.  Ask if you need some resources, and we will work on providing them for you.

        I would be glad to answer any specific questions you have about our WIMSE program or the expected time required for specific plans.  You can contact me most easily via phone (9-1862) or email ([log in to unmask]).  WIMSE also runs a listserv where ideas are shared, programs are announced and news about MSE topics are posted.  You can sign up via an email message to [log in to unmask] where you ask to be added to the WIMSE listserv.  Posting to the listserv is accomplished by sending the email message to [log in to unmask]  The WIMSE website is at www.miavx1.muohio.edu/~wimse/.

        Thank you in advance for your consideration and generosity with your time towards our WIMSE program.  Please set time aside for the WIMSE faculty luncheon on Oct. 2.  Please RSVP to me if you know you can attend by Thursday, Sept. 28 so we can get a count for the meal.

                Sincerely, 




                Jan M. Yarrison-Rice
                Faculty Advisor of WIMSE
                Associate Professor of Physics






 The WIMSE Faculty Participation Survey

My Name:  ________________        My Department: ______________

I can be contacted most easily by: _________________________
                                                            (phone or email or pigeon?)

(1) The WIMSE Lunch Bunch:  

I can meet with WIMSE women on the following dates this semester/year.


____________            ______________                ________________  

Please use my social security card number to provide me with a free meal for these dates.

SS# ________________________  This information will be kept confidential by residence life.	
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(2) Faculty Research/Interest Dinner and Discussion:  

I am interested in discussing a topic near and dear to my heart with WIMSE women on this date at this time:

Date: ______________       Time: ______________________

General Topic:  _____________________________________________

Please use my social security card number to provide me with a free meal for this date.

SS# ________________________  This information will be kept confidential by residence life.	



        (3) Spring Seminar: based on book " Environment 00-01" edited by John Allen: 

I found one section in the above book to be really interesting.  I would be willing to do the following to help WIMSE study this part of the text:





        (4)Spring Short Course:  "Women in Science and Technology" (offered through Women's Studies):  

I am willing to provide data sets for an experiment in my field along with an article (or brief description) that would describe the data acquisition methods for taking the data.
For example:


I am interested in leading 1 or more sessions of the course.  Please contact me to give me more information.



        (5) Field Trip Time!:  

I have a great field trip in mind*..             

Contact me to make more detailed arrangments.


        (6)  WIMSE Meetings:   Just come any time you have the opportunity.  We would love to meet you and interact with you.



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Dr. Jan M. Yarrison-Rice
Associate Professor of Physics
Physics Department
Miami University
Oxford, OH  45056


513-529-1862 or  513-529-5625
   FAX   513-529-5629
www.cas.muohio.edu/~yarrisjm
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