With Mother’s Day on May 8, the country finds itself with a diverse workforce of both men and women working full time while raising families. New statistics released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show nearly 70 percent of all mothers with children under 18 were in the workforce last year. Yet challenges remain for many trying to climb the career ladder, especially in academic fields. Professor Nick Wolfinger has studied how children impact the careers of women in academia. Wolfinger is co-author of “Do Babies Matter?,” a book that examines the relationship between family formation and the academic careers of men and women. The authors explore the family sacrifices women often make to get ahead in academia, and consider how gender and family interact to affect promotion to full professor, salaries and retirement. While it focuses on academia, many aspects of motherhood and careers also are applicable to other industries. Those aspects include strategies for transforming workplaces into more family friendly environments. Nick Wolfinger, 801-581-7491, nick.wolfinger@fcs.utah.edu