The Exceptions: Nancy Hopkins, MIT, and the Fight for Women in Science

New York Times reporter and Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Zernike (Boiling Mad) details the life of MIT molecular biologist Nancy Hopkins, who spoke out against the discrimination she and other women at the institution experienced. Hopkins began a life in science in 1963, spurred on by James Watson’s fascinating presentation of his discovery of the double helix. Though women were a minority in the sciences in 1973, Hopkins joined the biology faculty at MIT, where she was paid less, given less space, and offered fewer opportunities than her colleagues who were men. Evidence of discrimination mounted, and when she consulted with other women at MIT, she found that her situation was not unique. She and 15 other women scientists at MIT petitioned the university president to conduct an investigation; in 1999, the institution admitted guilt and became a leader in rectifying the situation for women scientists. Sadly, as the author points out in her epilogue, the fight for equality is not over. Narrator Kathe Mazur presents the story in a calm, straightforward manner that lends credibility to the story.