Picture a Scientist

Picture a Scientist is a 2020 documentary highlighting gender inequality in science. The movie tells the stories of several prominent female researchers, and brings to light the barriers they encountered, including cases of discrimination and harassment.[1][2] The movie features MIT's professor of biology Nancy Hopkins, the chemist Raychelle Burks and the geoscientist Jane Willenbring, among other scientists.[2][3]

Picture a Scientist
Directed bySharon Shattuck, Ian Cheney
Produced bySharon Shattuck, Ian Cheney, Manette Pottle
StarringNancy Hopkins, Raychelle Burks, Jane Willenbring, Mahzarin Banaji
CinematographyNaiti Gámez, Emily Topper, Duy Linh Tu
Edited byNatasha Bedu
Release date
  • June 2020 (June 2020)
Running time
1h. 43min.
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

The film took part in the Tribeca Film Festival in April 2020.[4] It was also nominated for a 2022 News & Documentary Emmy Award in the category of Outstanding Science and Technology Documentary.[5]

A number of research institutions have held screenings of the movie as parts of efforts to increase awareness of gender issues within STEM.[6][7][8][9]

Overview

The documentary follows Hopkins, Burks and Willenbring through discussions of their respective careers and the barriers they faced as women in STEM. Among notable aspects of the documentary, Hopkins describes sexual harassment during her career and the fact that she was refused the same sized laboratory space in comparison to her male counterparts.[10] Burks discusses similar issues of discrimination, including being confused with the janitor at her place of work solely based on her appearance, as well as her added experiences of racism as a black woman in science.[10] Willenbring describes the harassment she faced as a young scientist on a trip to Antarctica with an all male cohort, including being called sexist names, having her abilities diminished due to being a woman, and being physically harassed as a woman, most prominently by the trip leader, David Marchant.[11] Willenbring did not bring these allegations to light for fear of further harassment, not being believed, and the potential detrimental effects on her career.[10] After achieving tenure 16 years later, Willenbring formally complained against Marchant's treatment of her and following an investigation, what was previously named Marchant Glacier in Antarctica became renamed Matataua Glacier instead[11] to acknowledge Marchant's abhorrent behaviour. Marchant was fired by Boston University in 2019, where he was a faculty member in the Department of Earth & Environment in the College of Arts & Sciences.[12][13] While a five-member BU faculty panel recommended that Marchant be suspended for three years without pay, the university president, Robert A. Brown made the determination to fire Marchant.[13][14]

References
  1. "Picture a Scientist - Researchers expose longstanding discrimination against women in science. (with transcript)". 2021-04-14. Archived from the original on 2021-04-16.
  2. Riley, Donna (2020-06-12). "Urging action, a new film paints a harrowing portrait of female scientists' experiences in academia". Books, Et Al. Retrieved 2021-03-16.
  3. Witze, Alexandra (2020-06-24). "Three extraordinary women run the gauntlet of science — a documentary". Nature. 583 (7814): 25–26. Bibcode:2020Natur.583...25W. doi:10.1038/d41586-020-01912-6. S2CID 220050232.
  4. "Picture a Scientist | 2020 Tribeca Film Festival". Tribeca. Retrieved 2021-03-16.
  5. "2022 News & Documentary Emmy Nominations Revealed". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
  6. "Debate around the film "Picture a Scientist" – Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology – BIST". Retrieved 2021-03-16.
  7. "Picture a Scientist". biology.usu.edu. Retrieved 2021-03-16.
  8. "UOW Universe | New gender equality in STEM film: 'Picture a Scientist'". universe.uow.edu.au. Retrieved 2021-03-16.
  9. "Picture A Scientist - Virtual Film Screening with Discussion – EPFL". Retrieved 2021-03-16.
  10. Trahan, Erin (10 June 2020). "Documentary 'Picture A Scientist' Spells Out Collective Cost Of Sexism Within Science". wbur. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
  11. McGuirk, Rod (24 September 2018). "Sexual Harassment Allegations Wipe a Name Off the Map". New York Times. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
  12. "Boston University fires geologist found to have harassed women in Antarctica". Science | AAAS. 2019-04-12. Retrieved 2021-03-28.
  13. "BU professor fired amid sexual harassment probe – Boston News, Weather, Sports". WHDH 7News. Retrieved 2021-03-28.
  14. "Letter to Faculty from President Brown". Homepage | Boston University. 2019-04-12. Retrieved 2021-03-28.


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