Alumni Digest / U of T / Ideas /
Kate Zernike returns to an unfinished story
The journalist revisited MIT's admission of discrimination to examine how subtle barriers persist for women in science and professional life.
Kate Zernike with The Exceptions in February 2023.Photo: U of T Alumni News
The context
Where the work begins
In 1999, Kate Zernike reported MIT's admission that it had discriminated against women on its science faculty. Nancy Hopkins and 15 colleagues had documented their treatment; the institution's acknowledgement became front-page news in The Boston Globe. Almost two decades later, Hopkins wanted Zernike to turn that history into a book.
The takeaway
What follows
The Exceptions, published in 2023, grew from that invitation. By then, Zernike had encountered assumptions about motherhood and work in her own journalism career, giving the earlier story a different personal meaning. The Trinity graduate spent three years writing the book, tracing how discrimination can operate subtly enough that those experiencing it take years to recognize the pattern.
Source reporting
Kate Zernike returns to an unfinished story
Original summary by Alumni Digest, based on public source reporting. This independent publication is not affiliated with or endorsed by the University of Toronto. Source image retained for editorial review; rights clearance is still required before any broader reuse.
