COLUMN: What would Marie Curie do?

Last year I read 65 books and one of my top five books was “The Love Hypothesis” by Ali Hazelwood. It was her debut novel, and it blew me away.

The book follows Olive, a third-year PhD student as she accidentally falls in love. Hazelwood herself is an Italian neuroscientist, so her books feature headstrong STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) female leads.

When I found out Hazelwood was writing a second book, “Love on the Brain,” I penciled it on my calendar and waited eagerly for its release date. That day came two weeks ago, and I made a trip to Barnes and Noble to get my copy.

While I didn’t like the book as much as her first, (it was a bit too predictable) it was an even deeper dive into the world of STEM and the inequalities that exist.

Dr. Bee Königswasser is a top neuroscientist (just like the author!) that works for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The novel follows her partnering up with her grad school nemesis, Levi Ward, as NASA and the NIH partner to create a new helmet prototype for astronauts.

Not only does the book not shy away from the science of the project, it also shows first-hand what it’s like to be a woman at the top of her field.

I recently did an interview with Kim Fourez, the Creston Middle School STEM teacher for a story on grants she had received for the school. I asked her if her classes were diverse, and she said they were in both grade and gender.

It gives me hope that it’s a sign for our future. We have been moving in the right direction. However, the gender gap still stands strong at the top of most fields.

I was a manager for U.S. Cellular for several years before my time at the paper. My first year of being a store manager, every other store manager in my area was a man. I was the only woman. There was also only one female sales manager in our area. Out of nearly 20 leaders, only two were women.

When this topic gets brought up, a lot of people think feminists want women to be picked over more qualified men simply because she is a woman. That’s not the case. Women are less likely to get high-level jobs for a variety of reasons.

For starters, while men do suffer from their fair share of self-doubt, women are much more susceptible. A study conducted by Harvard on the gender gap in its computer science program reported women with eight years of programming experience are as confident in their skills as their male counterparts with less than one year of programming experience.

Similarly, women are likely to not apply for a position unless they meet all the requirements, while men are likely to apply if they meet more than half.

So why are women this way? Hazelwood demonstrates some of the situations that lead a woman to feel this way.

Women often go unheard in the workplace. Ideas are looked over when proposed by a woman. When a woman is passionate about an issue, it’s seen as aggressive or defensive. Women are interrupted when speaking. If you’re a woman in a male-dominated field, you know what I’m talking about.

Columbia Business School did a famous study, Heidi vs. Howard, in which students were given a case study by either Heidi or Howard. They were identical except the name. While the students rated both as equally competent, both male and female students liked Howard better.

This sparked a look into success and likeability. For women, these characteristics are negatively correlated. This means the more successful a woman, the less she is liked - by both men and women.

Why would a woman who doesn’t feel liked, respected or competent apply for a higher position? The simple answer is, they don’t. There are actions we can all take to help women get on the same footing as men.

Men, if a woman has a good idea that isn’t heard, repeat it and give credit. Hazelwood talks about this male referencing and demonstrates ways Levi successfully does this for Bee.

Women, take a chance. Apply for a job you don’t meet all the requirements for. Negotiate your salary, no matter how uncomfortable the situation. The pay gap starts with us. A company isn’t going to pay you more unless you ask, and women are less likely to do so.

If you’re in a leadership position and you have a female working for you who you think is ready for the next step, tell her. When I was first approached to become a manager, I was shocked. I had no clue I was ready.

If you’re really not sure, ask yourself what Bee asks herself: What would Marie Curie do?