BIOPHYSICAL SOCIETY NEWSLETTER
5
JULY
2014
In the aftermath of the Second World War, rapid
technological advances initiated a vast diversifica-
tion in biomedical research. Physiologists devoted
to biophysical approaches recognized the need
for a professional society that would cater to their
specific interests and would labor to “
encourage
the development and dissemination of knowledge in
biophysics.”
The first meeting of what today is the
Biophysical Society was held in 1957, with about
500 scientists in attendance. In keeping with
social and political mores, only a small fraction of
attendees were women, and of these, none were in
leadership positions.
It wasn’t until 15 years later
that the Society elected its first
woman officer in
Margaret Oak-
ley Dayhoff
, a pioneer in the field
of bioinformatics. She served as
Secretary from 1971 to 1979. It
is unlikely a mere coincidence
that also in 1972, the Council
chartered a new committee
dedicated to “
increasing
recogni-
tion and opportunities for women biophysicists,
” the
Committee for Professional Opportunities for
Women (CPOW). In 1973,
Rita Guttman
, who
five years earlier had been the first woman elected
to Council, served as chair of the newly formed
CPOW. The Society elected
Jane K. Setlow
to
serve as its first female President four years later.
Over the past 40 years, the number and percent-
age of women working and leading in the field
of biophysics has risen dramatically. Today, the
Biophysical Society recognizes with pride the
contributions of women in advancing knowledge
and education in biophysics. Women are playing
a leadership role in the Society as officers, coun-
cil members, committee chairs, symposia and
workshop chairs, and speakers. Although difficult
to measure, CPOW’s timely founding and its
continued service have had an important role in
the marked increase in women biophysicists and
their advancement to leadership positions within
the Society and at research institutions across the
country. Despite these strides however, women
continue to face gender-specific barriers in profes-
sional and leadership spheres.
The Biophysical Society recognizes the sustained
need to encourage science education for girls and
women, to promote the retention and advance-
ment of women in science, to recognize contribu-
tions by women biophysicists, to ensure fair and
equitable treatment for all, and to improve the
climate for women in biophysics at all stages of
their careers. To address these goals, the CPOW
sponsors travel awards
for junior biophysicists
and organizes educa-
tional, networking, and
career development
activities at the An-
nual Meeting. These
activities are open to
all attendees, and have
addressed such top-
ics as: transition from
postdoctoral fellow to
faculty, how to expand
your influence beyond
the bench, getting a
grant renewed, net-
working, advocating
for a promotion, work-
ing in a start-up com-
pany, and opportuni-
ties for non-academic
research careers.
The Committee’s ini-
tiatives now, while still
focused on helping women advance their careers
in science, serve Society members of both genders
seeking career guidance.
—
Gabriela Popescu
and
Ryan Hoffman
, CPOW
Committee Members
CPOW: Addressing the Needs of Women
Biophysicists for More than 40 Years
Margaret
Oakley Dayhoff
The Biophysical Society
recognizes the sustained need
to encourage science educa-
tion for girls and women, to
promote the retention and
advancement of women in
science, to recognize
contributions by women
biophysicists, to ensure fair
and equitable treatment for
all, and to improve the climate
for women in biophysics at all
stages of their careers.
"
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