Pier Oddone, the current director of Fermilab, recently commented on the APS diversity site review of Fermilab that occured last May. See his comments here, in the right hand column.
Some highlights of the APS report:
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Fermilab shows little progress in recent years in the percentages of women and members of minorities in some key areas of laboratory staff.
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While many parts of the laboratory have created welcoming and supportive environments for all, others are perceived as unwelcoming and unsupportive of women and members of minorities.
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Fermilab users are often not aware of lab policies on diversity and workplace discrimination and don’t know if the policies apply to them. When they do run into problems or have questions about discriminatory treatment at work, many are not sure where to turn.
After the negative aftermath of the Nature article, I don't do statistical studies of gender equity issues in the sciences anymore (way too much of a downer in so many ways). However, I was very pleasantly surprised to see the new procedures Fermilab says it is now implementing to combat gender inequities at the lab (see Oddone's article for details)...I had no idea that my studies would eventually have a positive impact like that.
I guess my legacy in particle physics is not my physics research (despite the fact I was a good physicist, with an excellent research record), but instead something that will touch the working lives of many physicists for years to come.
It is very heartening.
