Diversity & Inclusion
Our department is committed to promoting inclusivity and diversity in the physics community by bringing attention to underrepresented groups through our activities and courses, and developing action plans to increase our diversity.
Women in Physics
Women in Physics at Boston College (WiP@BC) is a community of undergraduate and graduate students, post-docs, and faculty who are dedicated to the inclusion, participation, and success of women and gender minorities in the field of physics.
Women make up only about 20% of all bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees earned in physics. The proportion of women earning degrees in physics has increased over the past two decades, but it is still the lowest of all the physical sciences. The Department of Physics strongly encourages and supports research, curriculum, and activities to foster a more equitable and welcoming environment.
WiP@BC Monthly Social Events
Female physicists, postdocs, faculty members, and students who are interested in pursuing physics, gather together for food and fun the first Monday of each month. During these events, students connect with their peers, gain advice from their seniors, form study groups, and learn about research groups they are potentially interested in joining. A guest faculty speaker is invited to the last event of the semester to give a presentation on research, academics, and career opportunities. For more information, please email Prof. Qiong Ma (qiong.ma@xyschool.net) and/or Prof. Benedetta Flebus (benedetta.flebus@xyschool.net).
Women in Science and Technology BC Program
This year Prof. Flebus is recruiting undergraduate physics students to participate in the Women in Science and Technology Program, set up several years ago at Boston College by Prof. O’Connell (Chemistry Department) and Prof. Meyer (Biology Department). This initiative targets female students from Boston-area high schools, with the goal of sparking their interest in science at an early age and introducing them to potential female role models in science. It entails a month-long weekend schedule of research activities, lectures, and field trips. If you are interested, please email Prof. Benedetta Flebus (benedetta.flebus@xyschool.net).
Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics (CUWiP)
The Physics Departments at Boston College and Wellesley College are proud to host the 2024 Northeast site of the Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics (CUWiP). The conference will take place on the main campus of Boston College (BC) at Chestnut Hill, MA. Chestnut Hill, a Boston suburb, is a twenty-minute drive from the Boston Logan Airport, and it is easily accessible via public transportation from downtown Boston.
Additional Useful Resources
Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering
(National Science Foundation, 2019).
Provides statistical information about these groups in science and engineering education and employment.
Diversity Initiatives
(American Institute of Physics)
Activities and resources promoting increased diversity, equity, and inclusion in the physical sciences.
From Passion to Action: Levers & Tools for Making Physics Inclusive and Equitable
(American Physical Society, 2020)
Webinar on issues and actions regarding inclusivity in the physics community.
Black History Month Physics Profiles
(National Society of Black Physicists)
A site profiling Black Physicists in order to inform the world about the present day Black scientists that are at the forefront of scientific endeavor, and inspire future generations of Black scientists and engineers.
Black In Physics
Strengthening intergenerational connections between physicists in the #Black and STEM community, we encourage long-lasting collaborations and push the development of supportive environments where current and future Black physicists thrive.
Minorities in Physics
(American Physical Society)
Resource page dedicated to providing tools to improve inclusion of underrepresented minorities in physics.
Diversity and Inclusion in STEMM Collection
(National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine)
Collection of documents intended to provide a roadmap for increasing involvement of absent and underrepresented minorities in science and engineering.