Best Practices for Recruiting and Retaining Women in Physics

“The mark of a successful departmental climate for women is one in which the enthusiasm and ambition of the women undergraduates is transformed smoothly into successful and ambitious women graduate students, with dynamic, forging-ahead female postdocs, energetic junior women faculty, and productive, happy, senior women faculty who all serve as positive role models.”

This is a quote from a successful female physics faculty member who has served on several American Physical Society Site Visits to Improve the Climate for Women in Physics. So how can a physics department make this vision a reality? We list below a set of suggested “Best Practices” that are intended as an aid to departments in working towards this goal. From many years of experience with the Site Visits, implementing such best practices will improve the climate for both men and women in physics, and is therefore well worth the effort!