Since this cannot be achieved directly by the presence of female faculty members, other solutions are necessary to consider. One of the ways the department hopes to achieve equity is through the creation of the Women in Geophysics Mentoring Program. Bringing in women of the geophysics community to serve as mentors and role models for the students was a natural solution. Mentors help the next generation of women in science to reach their highest potential. The Importance of Mentoring There have been many studies showing the effectiveness of mentoring in an individual's career development.
Mentors are especially important to women in science.
By the time a young woman reaches the college level, they have survived significant discouragement and inequitable classroom treatment. Therefore, once in college they need significant, focused attention to enable them to build positively on their strengths and overcome barriers to success. For an undergraduate a mentor builds confidence and helps a student evaluate herself and the direction she chooses to take. Graduate students often need advice and guidance about their schoolwork, research and career options, as well as balancing the responsibilities of family and work. Mentoring unifies women, validates their experience, provides inside information about the systems' workings, trains a group of individuals to challenge the system, and provides the basis for generations of outsiders to enter the system and demand the need for changes.