An Appology to the Ladies of System Dynamics

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Jay Forrest - SDSG
Junior Member
Posts: 9
Joined: Fri Mar 29, 2002 3:39 am

An Appology to the Ladies of System Dynamics

Post by Jay Forrest - SDSG »

Ladies!

I appologize if you felt excluded from my Gentlemanly greeting. As the
spouse of the first female chemical engineer to not be a librarian in
DuPonts corporate engineering department among other firsts, I am quite
familiar with the role of the female in a male dominated professional world.

I will second Andrews suggestion that more female participation in the
field is desirable! Since my wifes graduation in the 1960s, women have
made major inrouds in chemical engineering. It is my impression that
participation by women in system dynamics has lagged. I, for one, feel a
serious discussion of this issue is pertinent and appropriate for the
System Dynamics Society.

I do feel I should address Andrews comments

>... A List of women in SD... would appreciate Jays alternative
perspective too!

My perspective is ultimately that diversity and discourse are more likely
to lead to progress than isolation and exclusion of new ideas. I consider
not having many women in the field a likely limitation (same with ethnic,
racial, and economic backgrounds).

>Sure would like to find a way to break the positive loop (few female
>students, few female grads, few female teachers, few female mentors and role
>models, therefore few female students) that I bet is hampering the growth in
>the female fraction of system dynamicists.

There were essentially NO female chemical engineering teachers, mentors,
role models in the mid 60s, only two female students out of 500 at my
wifes university. My daughter is graduates in chemical engineering in
December in a class that is close to 40 percent female. I have no clue as
to how this occurred. I would not suggest that a lack of females can hamper
growth, but it need not be necessary either based on chemical engineering
as a comparison. I wonder if there are any useful insights there?

Keep up the great work, and recruit, recruit, recruit!
Jay Forrest





11606 Highgrove Drive
Houston, Texas 77077
Tel: 713-503-4726
Fax: 281-558-3228
E-mail:
jayf@sdsg.com
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