To the Editor:
Last week’s issue of The Bucknellian had an article about women in the sciences that might lead readers to believe that math at Bucknell appeals more to males than to females, and that our mathematics classes are predominantly taught by males. While these old stereotypes may be true of other universities, they are emphatically not true at Bucknell. The gender balance among mathematics majors has varied from year to year, but on average we see equal numbers of male and female students. Over the last 14 years, more than 50 percent of the mathematics degrees awarded by Bucknell went to women. This year, 46 percent of the mathematics classes at Bucknell are being taught by women. The Bucknellian article refers to a study of six major research institutions, and quotes Professor of History Martha Verbrugge about how elementary and preschool teachers treat girls, but neither of those contexts reflect the reality of education at Bucknell. Bucknell is different from other universities, and that is something we can all be proud of.
Thomas Cassidy
Professor of Mathematics and Department Chair