Story by Emma Dannenfelser
Ever since it was founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas has been a supporter of women’s rights to not only participate but also lead in higher education.
One of the founding faculty members during the university’s debut year was a woman-Mary Gorton-who was a mathematics and literature professor, according to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Not only did the University of Arkansas have Gorton on faculty, but Anna Putman was also enrolled as a student during the university’s first year.
University of Arkansas’ co-ed history contrasts other universities– one example being Texas A&M University, which was also initially founded as a land-grant university. Texas A&M University was founded in 1871 yet did not allow female students to enroll until the 1960s, according to the university’s history page.
Now, nearly 150 years later, 56.8% of University of Arkansas students are female, according to the 2021 enrollment report, and there are numerous female leaders on faculty.
One standout woman faculty member is Keisha Bishop Walters, the department head of chemical engineering. After pursuing her undergraduate degree, Walters said she would question why there were so few women in her classes and if she would be able to succeed in this male-dominated field.
“What you will begin to see is that your peer group and mentors are very different from you,” Walters said after being asked what it is like being a woman in STEM
Walters described how as she started taking more higher-level science courses, the number of women alongside her began to whittle down each semester.
“The history of women in leadership at the U of A is not without flaw,” said Dr. Shannon Servoss, associate professor of chemical engineering. Servoss said that being a woman on faculty has revealed many challenges in the classroom.
“There is an expectation, especially when you’re young, that you should be maternal to your students because you are a woman,” Servoss said in a phone interview. “It is very subtle, which I think is the main difficulty”.
Walters said the university needs to reevaluate from the inside out, specifically when offers are made for admission, scholarships, jobs, or raise pools.
According to the 2021 census records, men account for 72% of STEM workers. The census also shows that women in engineering only rose from 3% to 15% between 1970 and 2019.
“We need to have some metrics in place that are quantitative, and we need to evaluate candidates based on these quantitative metrics,” Walters said, “we also need to make sure that we are giving equitable offers and acceptance rates”. I hope with every decade that passes those challenges regarding equity and access have diminished. For me it is now about being able to serve as a mentor, showing students that there are faculty members that look like them and that they can be successful here,” said Walters.