Women in Science - Online Interviews

Kim Dow

1. Give a brief description of your job telling what you do, (a day in your life) but also what you do specifically in your position.

I work at a place called the Harvard -Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics which is located in Cambridge, MA (near Boston). It is a very big place. Almost 700 people work here. While many of them are astronomers and physicists, computer programmers, science educators, graduate and undergraduate students, public affairs folks and administrative staff work here too. My day starts very early these days (around 5am)! My husband and I have a young daughter and we start by getting her ready in the morning. Often I have to take my husband to the airport because he commutes to his job in New York City. When I get to the office I usually spend the first part of the morning answering mail, returning phone calls, going to meetings, and going through my mail. Every day is different. I might spend my time working on a research project. (I am interested in studying galaxies and clusters of galaxies in the X-ray part of the electromagnetic spectrum.) These days, however, I spend a lot of my time working on education and outreach programs for K-12 and college students. Typically, these programs are funded by the NSF and NASA- so I spend a lot of time writing proposals! It is really exciting when one of your scientific or education proposals gets funded because you have a chance to try to work out a problem or work on an idea that you came up with on your own or with other colleagues. One of the other things that is neat about being an astronomer and an educator is that you get to collaborate with folks at institutions all over the country and some times in other countries. In the evening I spend time with my daughter and my husband. Since I am also working on my doctorate in education(in my spare time...) I usually have homework to do in the evenings as well. If I am lucky, I get to bed around midnight.

2. How did you decide upon your career? When did you know you wanted to do it and how did you prepare for it?

Even though I took a lot of science and math courses in high school, I don't think I really knew I wanted to work at an Observatory until I started college. I really liked the physics courses I was taking as a college freshmen because they were the most challenging classes I was taking. While I was in college, I used the Observatory at my school, worked part time at a planetarium, and spent two summers doing internships. One of the internships was at an observatory in Hawaii and the other was for one of the NASA centers. More than anything else, I think the internships gave me a taste of what doing research was really like.

3. What is the best thing about your job?

One of the best things about my job is an internship program that I run for college students . Every summer about a dozen students come to the Observatory from around the country and work on research projects with a scientist here at the Observatory. I think it really helps these students decide if they want to pursue careers in the sciences.It is really satisfying that about three-quarters of the students who have participated in the program are now in Physics, Astronomy, or Engineering Master's or PhD programs.

4. What do you like the least?

The hardest part about my job is that sometimes I have to travel a lot and that takes me away from my family. On the other hand, there are lots of times when they are able to go with me so it's not too bad! I also don't have as much time as I would like to spend on my hobbies which are flying, skiing, and decorative painting.

5. As a kid, what kinds of things did you do to prepare for this job? What books did you read or what things did you do that let you know you would like this field?

I first got interested in science in high school. When I was growing up we had a telescope on our back porch that I used quite a bit. It wasn't very big and since we lived in the city it was hard to see anything more than the Moon, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. I also read a lot of books about famous scientists. My favorite one was a book about a guy named Tycho Brahe. Tycho was a bit of an eccentric. He lost the end of his nose in a sword fight and wore a piece of metal on the end where it had been clipped off. I found it interesting that many of these scientists had built their own telescopes so during my first year of college I decided to build one too. I bought all the equipment to grind an eight inch mirror, enlisted the help of a few folks from a local amateur astronomical society, and set to work. It took about four months to grind the mirror and make the tube, but I still have the telescope today (and even use it once in a while).

6. Was there any person (parent, teacher, mentor, professor) you felt influenced you to pursue this field?

Yes and No. Although, I had a very good advisor in college who was both a Physicist and an Astronomer, the people I most admire are those I work with today at my job. Interestingly, I feel like a lot of good things have happened to me because of serendipity and persistence. I have met a lot of people who have been encouraging and others (quite frankly) who have been less than encouraging. Just remember that you shouldn't let the people who are discouraging to distract you from your goals. If you don't like the the advice you are getting, don't always think the problem is with you. Sometimes all you need is a change of environment or a different mentor.

7. What is your favorite quote?

When I was in graduate school for astronomy, I received a fortune cookie after a meal that said:
"One great pleasure in life is doing what others say you can't."
It seems like an odd fortune cookie, but it has always stuck in my mind!

8. What advice do you have for young women who might be interested in the field of science?

If you want to be an astronomer, try to take Calculus and Introductory Physics in high school. When you get to college be sure to start taking Calculus-based Physics and Math courses your first year. Try to pick a college that has a good physics program. This doesn't have to mean a big state University. A lot of smaller liberal arts colleges have excellent Physics programs too. When you get in their research programs find a way to get involved. This will give you a real taste of research. Summer internships can be very helpful in this regard as well.There are a lot of wonderful things about being a scientist or a science educator. Along the way you might get discouraged about the prospects of finding a good job or about discouraging comments that some people might make. But if this is really what you are passionate about, don't ever quit. Talk to lots of other scientists (not just other women scientists but undergraduate and graduate students who are just a littler further along from you). Some people find their nitch right away and follow very traditional career paths. Hopefully this will happen to you but don't be discouraged if it doesn't. Non traditional paths have a way of leading in interesting directions! It might seem like a lot of hard work along the way to your goal but you will get there eventually.

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1.	Give a brief description of your job telling what you do, (a day in your life) but also what you do specifically in your position.
	I work at a place called the Harvard -Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics which is located in Cambridge, MA (near Boston). It is a very big place. Almost 700 people work here. While many of them are astronomers and physicists, computer programmers, science educators, graduate and undergraduate students, public affairs folks and administrative staff work here too. My day starts very early these days (around 5am)! My husband and I have a young daughter and we start by getting her ready in the morning. Often I have to take my husband to the airport because he commutes to his job in New York City. When I get to the office I usually spend the first part of the morning answering mail, returning phone calls, going to meetings, and going through my mail. Every day is different. I might spend my time working on a research project. (I am interested in studying galaxies and clusters of galaxies in the X-ray part of the electromagnetic spectrum.) These days, however, I spend a lot of my time working on education and outreach programs for K-12 and college students. Typically, these programs are funded by the NSF and NASA- so I spend a lot of time writing proposals! It is really exciting when one of your scientific or education proposals gets funded because you have a chance to try to work out a problem or work on an idea that you came up with on your own or with other colleagues. One of the other things that is neat about being an astronomer and an educator is that you get to collaborate with folks at institutions all over the country and some times in other countries. In the evening I spend time with my daughter and my husband. Since I am also working on my doctorate in education(in my spare time...) I usually have homework to do in the evenings as well. If I am lucky, I get to bed around midnight.
2.	How did you decide upon your career? When did you know you wanted to do it and how did you prepare for it?
	Even though I took a lot of science and math courses in high school, I don't think I really knew I wanted to work at an Observatory until I started college. I really liked the physics courses I was taking as a college freshmen because they were the most challenging classes I was taking. While I was in college, I used the Observatory at my school, worked part time at a planetarium, and spent two summers doing internships. One of the internships was at an observatory in Hawaii and the other was for one of the NASA centers. More than anything else, I think the internships gave me a taste of what doing research was really like.
3.	What is the best thing about your job?
	One of the best things about my job is an internship program that I run for college students . Every summer about a dozen students come to the Observatory from around the country and work on research projects with a scientist here at the Observatory. I think it really helps these students decide if they want to pursue careers in the sciences.It is really satisfying that about three-quarters of the students who have participated in the program are now in Physics, Astronomy, or Engineering Master's or PhD programs.
4.	What do you like the least?
	The hardest part about my job is that sometimes I have to travel a lot and that takes me away from my family. On the other hand, there are lots of times when they are able to go with me so it's not too bad! I also don't have as much time as I would like to spend on my hobbies which are flying, skiing, and decorative painting.
5.	As a kid, what kinds of things did you do to prepare for this job? What books did you read or what things did you do that let you know you would like this field?
	I first got interested in science in high school. When I was growing up we had a telescope on our back porch that I used quite a bit. It wasn't very big and since we lived in the city it was hard to see anything more than the Moon, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. I also read a lot of books about famous scientists. My favorite one was a book about a guy named Tycho Brahe. Tycho was a bit of an eccentric. He lost the end of his nose in a sword fight and wore a piece of metal on the end where it had been clipped off. I found it interesting that many of these scientists had built their own telescopes so during my first year of college I decided to build one too. I bought all the equipment to grind an eight inch mirror, enlisted the help of a few folks from a local amateur astronomical society, and set to work. It took about four months to grind the mirror and make the tube, but I still have the telescope today (and even use it once in a while).
6.	Was there any person (parent, teacher, mentor, professor) you felt influenced you to pursue this field?
	Yes and No. Although, I had a very good advisor in college who was both a Physicist and an Astronomer, the people I most admire are those I work with today at my job. Interestingly, I feel like a lot of good things have happened to me because of serendipity and persistence. I have met a lot of people who have been encouraging and others (quite frankly) who have been less than encouraging. Just remember that you shouldn't let the people who are discouraging to distract you from your goals. If you don't like the the advice you are getting, don't always think the problem is with you. Sometimes all you need is a change of environment or a different mentor.
7.	What is your favorite quote?
	When I was in graduate school for astronomy, I received a fortune cookie after a meal that said: "One great pleasure in life is doing what others say you can't." It seems like an odd fortune cookie, but it has always stuck in my mind!
8.	What advice do you have for young women who might be interested in the field of science?
	If you want to be an astronomer, try to take Calculus and Introductory Physics in high school. When you get to college be sure to start taking Calculus-based Physics and Math courses your first year. Try to pick a college that has a good physics program. This doesn't have to mean a big state University. A lot of smaller liberal arts colleges have excellent Physics programs too. When you get in their research programs find a way to get involved. This will give you a real taste of research. Summer internships can be very helpful in this regard as well.There are a lot of wonderful things about being a scientist or a science educator. Along the way you might get discouraged about the prospects of finding a good job or about discouraging comments that some people might make. But if this is really what you are passionate about, don't ever quit. Talk to lots of other scientists (not just other women scientists but undergraduate and graduate students who are just a littler further along from you). Some people find their nitch right away and follow very traditional career paths. Hopefully this will happen to you but don't be discouraged if it doesn't. Non traditional paths have a way of leading in interesting directions! It might seem like a lot of hard work along the way to your goal but you will get there eventually.