Their research eventually drove this institution to its knees, or rather, to its senses. MIT is very data-driven. Now, in a report to the faculty, the administration not only fessed up to unintentional but real gender bias, it published solutions and promises. Since the news broke, since the women's Web page became a meeting ground for women faculty members elsewhere, since the e-mails started flying back and forth, the MIT story has had a ripple effect across campuses. If the MIT women can do it, we can do it.
Denial is amazing.
Generally, these incidents are so humiliating. When you find out that you have been the object of discrimination, you think there must be something wrong with you. But this group of 15 had another motivation. At first glance this seems absurd. But there is something powerful in this nonscientific insight.