Encouraging Women to Pursue Physics

The field of physics suffers from a lack of diversity, prompting several studies to be conducted that investigate the reason for the low number of women in the field. Instead of focusing on why there is a lack of women in physics, this research project looks to find what has contributed to the success of the women that are currently in the field of physics with the goal of finding better ways to encourage young women to study physics. This was accomplished by interviewing 51 women that fit the study’s pre-determined criteria. Every woman was asked questions regarding why they like physics and chose the field, as well as how they believe women should be encouraged to pursue physics. Several common themes were identified in the women’s answers that may be applied to STEM initiatives or may be useful to physics educators.