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The University of Tennessee Health Science Center

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Sheila Champlin – (901) 448-4957, schampli@uthsc.edu or

Dena Owens – (901) 448-4072, dowens10@uthsc.edu

 

 

Shelley White-Means, PhD, Health Economics Professor at

The University of Tennessee Health Science Center

Receives American Economic Association Appointment

        ___________________________________________________________

     Committee on the Status of Women in the Economics Profession

 

Memphis, Tenn. (February , 2011) – The University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) is pleased to announce that Shelley White-Means, PhD, professor of Health Economics, has been appointed by the president of the American Economic Association to the Committee on the Status of Women in the Economics Profession (CSWEP).  Dr. White-Means will serve a three-year term on the 12-member national committee.  CSWEP is comprised of women economists from across the United States working to address disparities in employment opportunities for female economists.  

“CSWEP’s goal is to close the gaps in jobs held, salaries paid, promotions attained, so that equally qualified men and women have equal opportunities to serve the economics profession under equal payment systems,” said Dr. White-Means.  She added, “Economics is still a profession with only a small percentage of the female faculty members in the high ranks.  Fewer than 10% of these economics instructors are full professors.  Many times, women faculty in economics, as well as other academic units, find themselves unintentionally excluded.  Senior male faculty frequently bond with junior male faculty outside of work, resulting in more informal mentoring.  When this occurs, women faculty may find themselves lacking mentors and answers to crucial questions like:  What do I need to do to attain successful promotion?  How do I increase my publication of research papers?  How do I obtain funding for my research?”

CSWEP offers regional and national mentoring workshops for women economists and publishes a newsletter with answers to many of their questions.  The newsletter includes stories by women economists on how they have succeeded as economists and provides advice on navigating the job market, identifying harassment and discrimination, and knowing when to seek the advice of a lawyer.  The annual meeting of the American Economic Association and its regional meetings include CSWEP workshops that provide networking opportunities and information on academic scholarships for women economists.  CSWEP monitors progress in the promotion and tenure of women economists, and publicizes evidence of discrimination when revealed.  For more details about CSWEP, visit http://www.aeaweb.org/committees/cswep/.

In addition to her role as professor at UTHSC, Dr. White-Means is director for the Consortium for Health Education, Economic Empowerment and Research (CHEER), the Exploratory Center of Excellence in Health Disparities at UTHSC.  The collaborative program examines health disparities and brings local organizations together to build healthier lifestyles for persons of all racial and ethnic backgrounds. 

As the flagship statewide academic health system, the mission of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center is to bring the benefits of the health sciences to the achievement and maintenance of human health, with a focus on the citizens of Tennessee and the region, by pursuing an integrated program of education, research, clinical care, and public service.  In 2011, UT Health Science Center celebrates its centennial: 100 years advancing the future of health care.  Offering a broad range of postgraduate training opportunities, the main UTHSC campus is located in Memphis and includes six colleges: Allied Health Sciences, Dentistry, Graduate Health Sciences, Medicine, Nursing and Pharmacy.  The UTHSC campus in Knoxville includes a College of Medicine, College of Pharmacy, and an Allied Health Sciences unit.  In addition, the UTHSC Chattanooga campus includes a College of Medicine and an Allied Health Sciences unit.  Since its founding in 1911, UTHSC has educated and trained more than 53,000 health care professionals on campuses and in health care facilities across the state.  For more information, visit www.uthsc.edu.

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