Nasa’s head of science, Dr. Nicola Fox, recently returned to her hometown of Hitchin to highlight the growing representation of women in STEM. While noting a positive shift in university graduation rates for physics and engineering, she emphasized that parity remains a long-term goal for the workforce.
Educational Gains and Personal Perspective
Dr. Nicola Fox, a Hitchin native who is the head of science at Nasa, recently shared her observations on the changing landscape of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). During a visit to deliver a Q&A session, she noted a marked increase in the number of women pursuing technical degrees, particularly after visiting the University of Surrey.
Her own educational path serves as a point of contrast. When she earned her masters in telematics and satellite engineering in 1991, she was one of only four women in a cohort of more than 200 students. I was at the physics graduation and the engineering graduation… It was amazing to see the number of girls that were graduating,
she said.
Breaking Through Gender Stereotypes
Reflecting on her childhood, Dr. Fox credited her early education at St Francis College in Letchworth for shielding her from the gender stereotypes that often discourage young women from entering scientific fields. Because the all-girls school taught a full range of subjects without regard to gender, she remained largely unaware that a passion for physics might be considered unusual.
“I never experienced the ‘girls don’t do this’ or ‘boys do this’ because we were just girls and they taught all of the subjects.”
Dr. Nicola Fox, Nasa head of science
It was not until she transitioned to college that she encountered the perception that her career choice was unconventional. It wasn’t really until I got to college that I sort of hit into the ‘isn’t that unusual that you’re doing physics’,
she noted. Despite this, she maintains that such societal labels are inaccurate, telling young women to follow their curiosity
and ignore claims that science is not for them.
Family Influence and Determination
Dr. Fox has frequently attributed her career path to the support she received from her parents. While her father sparked her interest in space by showing her the moon landing on television when she was just eight months old, she emphasized that her mother was instrumental in building her character.
“Even though she may not want to walk on the moon, she was going to make sure I had every opportunity if I wanted to.”
Dr. Nicola Fox
She said that her mother deserved all the credit for the determination
she developed. Her mother’s approach was to encourage persistence, urging her to keep trying even when faced with failure, rather than giving up immediately.
The Gap in Workforce Participation
Despite the celebratory tone regarding increased student enrollment and graduation rates, Dr. Fox acknowledged that the professional landscape is changing more slowly. Data from Stem Women indicates that while academic participation is rising, the actual number of women working in STEM fields has increased only gradually.
The current outlook suggests that reaching parity with the number of men in these sectors remains a long-term challenge. According to reporting on the Stem Women findings, despite gains in workforce participation, achieving gender balance is still expected to be decades away. For now, Dr. Fox continues to advocate for resilience in the face of doubt, reinforcing the message that if somebody says girls don’t do that, then that’s just not true.
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