Page 63 - Summer 2018

Sound Perspectives
Tracianne B. Neilsen
Address:
Brigham Young University N311 ESC Provo, Utah 84097 USA
Email:
tbn@byu.edu
Lauren M. Ronsse
Address:
1110 South 67th Street Omaha, Nebraska 68182-0816 USA
Email:
lronsse@unl.edu
Insights on Navigating the Two-Body Problem
Of all the tricky problems they teach you to solve in college, an exact solution to the “two-body” problem faced by dual-career couples is not one of them. Although the physics version of this problem often has a deterministic solution, the solu- tion sought by life partners where one or both are pursuing an academic or STEM career is inevitably unique, may require flexibility and creativity, and often must be found iteratively. Because the uncertainties faced by student and early-career couples can seem daunting, this installment of the Acoustical Society of America (ASA) Women in Acoustics Committee’s Sound Perspectives column describes how some ASA members have successfully navigated this problem. In addition, this article highlights the professional careers of the 2017 Women in Acoustics Named Luncheon Honorees, Barbara Shinn-Cunningham (Spring 2017) and Juliette Ioup (Fall 2017), and presents their insights on the two-body problem. Additional fa- milial degrees of freedom (e.g., children) will be discussed in a future article.
Honored Women
Spring 2017 Honoree Barbara Shinn-Cunningham
Barbara (Barb) Shinn-Cunningham’s (left) research connects auditory neuroscience with perception and computational modeling. Barb earned a ScB in elec- trical engineering from Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, and a PhD in electrical engineering and computer science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts. She joined the biomedical engineering faculty at Boston University, Massachusetts, in 1997 where she is now a professor.
Throughout her career, Barb has supported the mis- sion of the ASA and has served in a variety of leadership capacities. She is an ASA Fellow, has served on at least 12 different ASA committees, and was vice president
(2014-2015).
Barb is known for her willingness to give to others. Many of her PhD students are now professors or in industry. She is an exceptional mentor and received the ASA Student Council Mentor Award in 2013. She exudes warmth and friendliness and provides advice and support for other women who also want to pursue a career in science without having to sacrifice their personal goals.
Notably, Barb has achieved her prominence in the field while raising two sons, fencing the saber competitively, and playing the English horn and oboe in a local orchestra. According to Barb, these activities would not have been possible with- out the support of her husband, who allowed her to balance both personal and professional endeavors. Barb’s comments on this aspect of her life are as follows:
“My approach to balancing work and personal life has always been about being mindful of my choices. By this, I mean that I thought about what made sense for me and my family jointly rather than putting one aspect of my life first all the
Barb Shinn-Cunningham
©2018 Acoustical Society of America. All rights reserved. volume 14, issue 2 | Summer 2018 | Acoustics Today | 61