Dual Career Couples in the Academic Sciences Dr. Elizabeth G. Creamer, Professor Virginia Tech...

Dual Career Couples in the Academic Sciences

Dr. Elizabeth G. Creamer, Professor

Virginia Tech

[email protected]

Town Meeting

Thursday, March 6, 2008

American Geophysical Union Ocean Sciences Meeting

Orlando, Florida

E.. G. Creamer, Virginia Tech

A Little About My Background

Director of Research an Assessment for AdvanceVT.

Faculty work-lives is one of my research areas.

My interest in women in SET has grown over the courses of three NSF-funded projects.

2001 book about collaboration among academic couples.


There have been many well-known couples in the arts and in the sciences.

Pycior, H. M., Slack, N. G., & Abir-Am, P. (1996). Creative Couples in the Sciences. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press.

Margaret Mead &

Greg Bateson

Alfred Steiglitz &

Georgia O’Keefe

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressorare needed to see this picture.

Marie and Pierre Curie


The “Two-Body Problem”

Some view spouses as an opportunity; some people view them as a problem. The way it’s phrased here is it’s a two- body problem. That is the jargon phrase for this situation. I wish they would view it more as a two-body opportunity. (Noah, First Hire, VT Dual Hire Study)

Adaptation of a painting, American Gothic.


Overview of the Presentation

1. How many dual career couples are there?2. What do we know about the link between

an academic partner and productivity?3. What do we know about the impact of

babies on academic careers?4. What are “family-friendly” policies?


How Many Dual Career Couples are there in the Academy?


Percent of PHDs in STEM with a Spouse in STEM.


A Multi-Institution Study of Dual Hires

Virginia Tech, New Mexico State, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Utah State

Conducted in 200654 interviews

Creamer, E. G., & Glass, V. Q. (2006). ADVANCE Dual-Career

Hiring Study. Poster presented at the ADVANCE PI Meeting.May 18-19,

2006. Washington, DC.


Multi-Institution Dual Hire Study

FIRST HIRES (n=21) In science or

engineering52% womenHired in a tenure-

track position (87%)

SECOND HIRE In science or

engineering60% menHired as an assistant

professor (47%) or

in a non-tenure track position (53%)


What is known about the link between an academic partner and research productivity?


Marriage, Children, and Productivity

Gender differences in publishing productivity have narrowed considerably in recent years.

Married women with children (up to 3) are NOT significantly less productive than married men with children.

Faculty with an academic partner are not significantly more productive than other faculty members (Bellas in Ferber & Loeb, 1997).

Creamer. E. G. (1998). Assessing Faculty Publication Productivity: Issues of Equity. ASHE/ERIC

Higher Education Report Vol. 26, No. 2. George Washington University.


*Amelink, C. T., & Creamer, E. G. (in press). Work-life Spillover and Job Satisfaction of Married/Partnered Faculty Members. Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering.

Job Satisfaction

Dept. Climate

Family Characteristics

POSITIVE WORK-LIFE

TENSIONS

Positive views about work-life integration increases

overall job satisfaction for both male and female faculty.


Work-life Balance Often Has a Positive

Impact on Satisfaction and Productivity.

“Since my wife and I had a baby, I’ve changed the way I use my time. I have to be more careful about my time. It’s helped me to be more focused. I don’t waste as much time as I used to. It limits how much time I am willing to devote to work.”(Male, EE, Pre-tenure, January 2008, VT Study)


What is the impact of babies on productivity and satisfaction?


Mason, M. A., & Goulden, M. (2004). Marriage and Baby Blues: Redefining Gender Equity in the Academy.

ANNALS, AAPSS, 596.


What are “Family Friendly” Policies?

Dual-Career Hiring

Stop-the-Clock

Modified Duties

Subsidized Child-care

Part-time Tenure

Dual Career Couples in the Academic Sciences Dr. Elizabeth G. Creamer, Professor Virginia Tech...

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