Female professors at The Ohio State University earn 11% less than male professors, according to a new study. Based on the mean salary in 2016, this gap translates into an annual loss of just under $18,000 for female faculty, relative to their male peers. 2014 research on gender pay inequity across U.S. academic institutions revealed a 15% gap (Hatch 2017).

For Ohio State professor Joyce Chen, the study lead, the understanding of and process for dealing with pay gaps are both a personal and professional issue.

In 2018, Chen, who is part of the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES), herself navigated a pay equity appeal through her college’s grievance committee. Chen says it was a difficult process to go through because no clear-cut path existed to show her the way forward, and the process had the potential to create animosity among fellow faculty in her department. Yet, she persevered and the college ruled in her favor, increasing her salary by 20%.

Although Chen’s case was not based specifically on gender considerations, her experience led her to wonder how widespread pay disparities still were at the University. She decided to dig deeper into the issue and set out to identify how factors like gender, race, years of experience, clinical appointments and salaries across disciplines affect the pay gap.