On September 23 and 25, 2025, for the first time in the history of the Department of Physics, both the master’s and bachelor’s degree committees were composed entirely of women professors and researchers.
The composition of graduation committees is meant to reflect a balance across career levels, research areas, and gender representation. In practice, due to the low number of women in our Department, committees have almost always been overwhelmingly male, with the presence of only one female professor or researcher. The exception of these two graduation sessions, promoted by the professors, researchers, PhD candidates, and students of the sherockscience coordination group, carries symbolic and political significance.
With this choice, the aim was to highlight the gender gap that still characterizes our Department: only 21% of faculty and researchers are women, a percentage that drops to 14% among full professors. At the same time, the initiative aims to send a positive and encouraging message to female students, PhD candidates, and young researchers studying and working in our Department.
The presence of women in our Department — and more generally in STEM disciplines — while slowly increasing, is becoming ever more significant, contributing with competence, dedication, and creativity to teaching and research across many fields of study. The event of these graduation days therefore marks an important step, and we hope it will serve as further encouragement toward a fairer and more inclusive future.
All-female graduation committees: this is the first time since the foundation of the Department of Physics
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