The internationally recognized astronomer who helped discover a mysterious dark energy that is pushing the universe apart is looking for ways to encourage more young women to go into male-dominated fields of math and science.
Adam Riess discussed the issue with Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith Thursday after a ceremony honoring the Baltimore resident for his work in astronomy.
“At the [Space Science Telescope] Institute, we have maybe 10 percent of us who are women,” Riess said.
Education is like a “leaky pipeline” when it comes to encouraging women to go into math and science related fields, Smith agreed. There is no one step along the way where women drop out, but many promising female students abandon the field along the way.
He said he is considering bringing female engineers into the school system to provide positive role models for young Baltimore County women in the sciences.
Riess won the Shaw Prize in Astronomy last year with his Australian partner, sharing part of the $1million prize for their discovery of dark energy. The Shaw Prize, conferred by Hong Kong movie mogul Run Run Shaw, is a compliment to the Nobel Prizes awarded in physics, chemistry and medicine. The Shaw Prizes ? $1 million total ? are divided among pioneers in math, astronomy and life sciences.
“You?re education credentials are incredible,” Smith told Riess before presenting him a plaque with the county?s recognition. “You?ve used that education not only to be smart, but to find the deepest mystery in physics.”
The worldneeds more motivated scientists of both sexes, Riess said. “The are so many science issues that normal people have to confront today ? from stem cell issues to global warming. It?s really important to promote science education.”
