Provost Angela Olinto Speaks at CUIMC Women in Science Series

Columbia University Provost Angela Olinto spoke to students, staff, and faculty at the CUIMC Women in Science Lecture Series on Sept. 16.

Olinto, also professor of astronomy and of physics, joined Columbia in March 2024 from the University of Chicago, where she served as dean of the Division of the Physical Sciences and previously as chair of the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics.

As a scientist, Olinto is best known for her contributions to the study of the structure of neutron stars, primordial inflationary theory, cosmic magnetic fields, the nature of dark matter, and the origin of the highest energy cosmic rays, gamma rays, and neutrinos.

During her talk, “The Joy of Figuring Things Out,” Olinto told the audience that pursuing her dream of becoming an astrophysicist was challenging at times as a woman in a male-dominated field. During graduate school at MIT in the 1980s, Olinto was one of only two women among more than 60 men studying in the Department of Physics; later, she was the first woman to receive tenure in the astrophysics department at the University of Chicago.

“When you choose to do something difficult, it doesn’t help the learning process when you’re the only woman,” Olinto said. “It definitely felt like I wasn’t invited.”

Olinto learned to persevere with the help of other students from her home country of Brazil. “We studied together. The other identities you bring can help you bond with others,” she said. “Finding support from people who can understand you is really important.”

Keeping an eye on her science and thinking long-term were other lessons she learned. “There's going to be a lot of distractions, and if you get too involved with a distraction, it's hard to move the science forward,” she said.

Once she began making a name for herself in astrophysics, Olinto began helping the next generation. As a faculty member, she opened her door to women graduate students and suggested women colleagues for conference panels.

During a panel discussion led by CUIMC faculty members Magdalena Sobieszczyk and Jacquelyn Y. Taylor, Olinto recalled how she made a list of women scientists—"Angie’s List"—with the names of people she met at meetings. “I would get invitations to be on panels, and I would say, how about you invite this other person? Once you feel a little more comfortable, make sure you spread the effort,” Olinto said, because the more women you see in the field, the easier it is for other women to succeed.

These efforts, combined with those of other colleagues, eventually changed the dynamic for women in astrophysics and physics. By the time she left Chicago, “the physics department had 45% women in the entering PhD class, so that's an amazing feat over my lifetime,” she said.

Now as provost of Columbia University, one of Olinto’s goals is to make women feel like they belong in all fields.

“That doesn't need to be 50:50. As long as you are accepted for what you are, and you don't have to pretend to be somebody else, we've done it right,” Olinto said.