on June 11, 2024

We Need More Women in the Faith and Science Community

Christian women in STEM have increased over the years, but not so much in the faith and science community. Leslie Wickman wants to help change this.

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Science as Christian Calling

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The Glass ceiling has been used as a metaphor to describe the barriers that many women and minorities face as they try to advance in their careers. Women especially in STEM fields know this too well. From being one of a handful of women in a STEM classroom to working in male-dominated fields, we know what it’s like to feel out of place even when we know we are meant to be here.

As if one glass ceiling isn’t enough, it has been said that Christian women in STEM face a “double glass ceiling.” We often experience tension reconciling our beliefs with predominant views. We may even experience misunderstandings of our faith tradition, held by many in the scientific community.

As a Christian woman in STEM, I too have encountered this double-glass ceiling. Over the years, I’ve been blessed to find faith and science communities that have welcomed me, and given me the support and the fellowship I needed. Yet, even in the faith and science communities that I’ve come to regard as home, I’ve noticed that they too are not exempt from disparity. Women are underrepresented here too.

As if one glass ceiling isn’t enough, it has been said that Christian women in STEM face a “double glass ceiling.”

According to the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, 48 percent of Americans employed in science and engineering occupations are female. Further, women make up only 34.5 percent of STEM faculty at academic institutions. While it is encouraging that women are increasing in STEM fields, we do not yet see this increase in representation reflected in the faith and science community. The American Scientific Affiliation (ASA) is the largest membership-based faith and science organization in the US, yet only 14% of its members are women. And both the ASA and the U.K.-based International Society for Science & Religion report that just 16 percent of their Fellows are women.

As someone with a heart for the faith and science community, I have to ask why. I recently received a grant from the Templeton Foundation to investigate this important question. My project is called the WISH Program. Our goal is to foster a supportive community of women at the intersection of faith and science and ultimately achieve a more equitable gender balance within faith and science communities, as well as within faith and science scholarship. I hope the faith and science community can become more equitable, inclusive, and importantly, even more reflective of the beauty and diversity of God’s Kingdom.

My Story as a Christian Woman in STEM

My fascination with science and faith started under the canvas of a night sky. My Dad used his telescope to introduce me to the wonders of the universe. Those starry nights sparked big questions for me about identity and purpose like: Where did this all come from? How long has it been here? Is it just us, or is there anyone else out there? Why am I here? I didn’t know what to do with these questions at the time. It wouldn’t be until later that I felt empowered and equipped to begin to address them.

I was raised in a Christian household where a firm belief that God was the architect of the natural world was cultivated. However, I attended secular schools from grade school through grad school, and some of my science teachers insisted that nature had no connection to God or religion. This left me puzzled about the relationship between science and faith. How could the creator of the universe be contradicted by the study of his own handiwork? This cognitive dissonance set the stage for my lifelong pursuit of reconciling my faith with scientific understanding.

Digital rendering of night sky with the moon at the top, surrounded by stars and clouds lit in various shades of blue and purple by the moon.

Image used under license from Shutterstock.com

My fascination with science and faith started under the canvas of a night sky…Those starry nights sparked big questions for me about identity and purpose like: Where did this all come from? How long has it been here? Is it just us, or is there anyone else out there? Why am I here?

Leslie Wickman

During grad school I started working in the (especially at that time) heavily male-dominated aerospace industry. I contributed to projects such as the Hubble Space Telescope and the International Space Station. After working in research and industry for a number of years, I started teaching at the college level. During that time, I was asked to write an op-ed article for CNN’s Belief Blog. The editor provocatively titled it, “Does Big Bang Breakthrough Offer Proof of God?”

The public response was nothing short of astounding. The article went viral. It had over half a million views in less than a week, seventy-thousand plus shares on Facebook, and it was in the top 5 worldwide most-shared news stories across various social media platforms. The overwhelming response to this article highlighted the cultural polarization between science and religion. It also underscored the urgency of fostering a more constructive dialogue between science and faith. It was then that I suddenly found myself squarely in the middle of the public conversation about faith and science.

At the end of 2015, I was hired as the Executive Director of the ASA. I became the first female Executive Director of that organization just as it was about to celebrate its 75th anniversary. Once again I found myself in a heavily male-dominated environment, both in terms of the ASA membership, its governing board, and its culture. I would like to think that the historic significance of breaking the gender barrier in this role with the ASA has helped to change its culture by enabling others to envision opportunities for more diverse and inclusive participation at all levels of this organization. While I no longer serve in a leadership role at the ASA, I still remain a very active member of the broader science & faith community.

My story as a woman in faith and science may have been one of landing in this space somewhat unexpectedly, but I hope others’ stories will be different. I hope they will intentionally seek it out. I hope they will know it is a place they are welcome and meant to be because women before them have paved the way.

A Vision for the Future

I have high hopes for the future of women in faith and science discourse. The WISH grant, and other initiatives like it can help address the low representation of women within faith and science work and communities, especially those in leadership roles.

The work of the WISH grant will be divided into two phases. The first phase involves collecting data. I want to better understand how women interested in the connections between faith and science would like to be supported. So far, we have collected data through over 50 personal interviews, as well as numerous focus groups, and surveys. Please consider adding your own voice to the survey here.

The second phase will focus on developing programs to support women interested in issues involving faith and science. Our vision for these programs is that they will provide opportunities for participants to explore questions about God, humanity, nature, and technology in cross-disciplinary ways. We also hope that this leads to personal growth, learning, genuine relationships, and a supportive community. We want to empower women with confidence and equip them with the tools and resources they need. We want to help them realize their God-given potential. God wants us to excel as the impactful leaders we already are, within our own spheres of influence.

The types of questions and topics we explore, and the overall culture of the faith and science community is heavily influenced by its most active and vocal participants, as well as by those in leadership positions. It will require intentionality to diversify our community. This will in turn, diversify our questions and culture. If we want more women represented here, we need to make room for them. We need to make our community more welcoming and supportive. I am hopeful about the future of Christian women in STEM, that our voices will be amplified and our value to faith and science discourse will be affirmed.

I am hopeful about the future of Christian women in STEM, that our voices will be amplified and our value to faith and science discourse will be affirmed.

About the author

Leslie Wickman

Leslie Wickman, Ph.D., is an internationally respected research scientist, engineering consultant, author and inspirational speaker. For more than a decade Wickman was an engineer for Lockheed Martin Missiles & Space, where she worked on NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and International Space Station Programs, receiving commendations from NASA for her contributions and being designated as Lockheed's Corporate Astronaut (hence the nickname "Rocket Girl"). Wickman recently resigned from four years as Executive Director of the non-profit American Scientific Affiliation, and now divides most of her time between launching Biola University's new Corporate Affiliates Program, and running her new non-profit, Starry Nights, Inc. She occasionally takes on projects involving technical and policy aspects of national aerospace and defense issues. Some of her recent projects include climate change impacts on national security, assessment of future human spaceflight missions and technologies, human factors problems for extreme environments, sustainable agriculture and water reclamation. Dr. Wickman has lectured around the world on satellite servicing, spaceflight physiology, astronaut training and operations, as well as various topics in astronomy, environmental stewardship, and the interface between science and theology. Wickman is also a dedicated athlete, playing competitive beach doubles volleyball with CBVA & FIVB, as well as both indoor and beach volleyball for Athletes in Action in Bolivia, Brazil, and South Africa. She is now retired from women's professional tackle football, but not before earning All-Conference recognition and helping her team, the California Quake, win the Women's World Bowl. Another noteworthy achievement is her role with WET Design in R&D and programming for the Bellagio Fountains in Las Vegas. Wickman holds a master's degree in aeronautical and astronautical engineering and a doctoral degree in human factors and biomechanics, both from Stanford University. She graduated magna cum laude from Willamette University with a bachelor's degree in political science.