“Equity in Science” Book Talk with Author & Prof. Julie Posselt
2021-02-17 11:30 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | Zoom
The Graduate School Offices of Inclusion & Student Engagement and Future Faculty and Academic Careers invite you to join us on Wednesday, February 17 for a discussion with Julie R. Posselt, Associate Professor of Higher Education at the University of Southern California, on her recent book, Equity in Science: Representation, Culture and the Dynamics of Change in Graduate Education.
About “Equity in Science: Representation, Culture, and the Dynamics of Change in Graduate Education”
“STEM disciplines are believed to be founded on the idea of meritocracy; recognition earned by the value of the data, which is objective. Such disciplinary cultures resist concerns about implicit or structural biases, and yet, year after year, scientists observe persistent gender and racial inequalities in their labs, departments, and programs. In Equity in Science, Julie Posselt makes the case that understanding how field-specific cultures develop is a crucial step for bringing about real change. She does this by examining existing equity, diversity, and inclusion efforts across astronomy, physics, chemistry, geology, and psychology. These ethnographic case studies reveal the subtle ways that exclusion and power operate in scientific organizations and, sometimes, within change efforts themselves. Posselt argues that accelerating the movement for inclusion in science requires more effective collaboration across boundaries that typically separate people and scholars—across the social and natural sciences, across the faculty-student-administrator roles, and across race, gender, and other social identities. Ultimately this book is a call for academia to place equal value on expertise, and on those who do the work of cultural translation. Posselt closes with targeted recommendations for individuals, departments, and disciplinary societies for creating systemic, sustainable change.”
Unlimited copies of the e-book of “Equity in Science” is now available through the Cornell Library system at http://proxy.library.cornell.edu/login?url=http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/cornell/detail.action?docID=6221309. A special thank you goes out to Graduate Field Assistant and CALS Diversity & Inclusion Committee member, Casey Moore who took the initiative to explore opportunities to make this e-book accessible for free for our broader community!
About the Author
Julie Posselt is an associate professor of higher education in the University of Southern California Rossier School of Education and author of Equity in Science: Representation, Culture and the Dynamics of Change in Graduate Education and Inside Graduate Admissions: Merit, Diversity, and Faculty Gatekeeping. Rooted in sociological and organizational theory, Posselt’s research program examines institutionalized inequalities in higher education and organizational efforts aimed at reducing inequities and encouraging diversity. She focuses on selective sectors of higher education— graduate education, STEM fields, and elite undergraduate institutions—where longstanding practices and cultural norms are being negotiated to better identify talent and educate students in a changing society. Posselt’s current scholarship, funded by five grants from the National Science Foundation and one from the Mellon Foundation, examines movements for equity and inclusion in graduate education and the humanistic and physical science disciplines. Explore the resources available from Posselt’s projects on the Equity in Graduate Education website: bit.ly/GradEdEquity.
Sponsorship
This event is supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No.1647094 (AGEP CIRTL). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

Safer Science: Strategies to Protect At-Risk Researchers When Conducting Fieldwork
2021-02-17 13:30 - 15:00
Join the conversation: #SaferScience
As a result of identity prejudice, certain individuals are more vulnerable to conflict and violence when they are performing scientific work in the field. To help create change and best practices, everyone within the scientific community will benefit from learning more about the risks some colleagues face performing fieldwork. Join this live webinar to learn more.
At this event, Amelia-Juliette Demery and Monique Pipkin will present their Nature Ecology and Evolution paper titled, “Safe fieldwork strategies for at-risk individuals, their supervisors and their institutions” (link to summary story). The paper presentation will be followed by a moderated discussion with inter-disciplinary experts in fieldwork and diversity and inclusion. Participants are encouraged to submit questions upon registration.
Panelists

Dr. Meredith Hastings, Associate Professor of Environment & Society, Brown University. Women’s Network President, PI for AdvanceGeo. Earth Science Women’s Network and AdvanceGeo.
Dr. Christopher J Schell, Assistant Professor of Urban Ecology, University of Washington Tacoma. Author of Recreating Wakanda by promoting Black excellence in ecology and evolution.
Dr. Hendratta Ali, Associate Professor of Geosciences, Fort Hays State University. Author of Ten Steps to protect BIPOC scholars in the field.
Sara Souza, Field Safety Specialist, University of California. Field Research Safety Center of Excellence.

Moderators
Amelia-Juliette Demery: PhD Candidate in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Cornell University. Amelia-Juliette is a 3rd year PhD candidate and Sloan Foundation Scholar. She is interested in the genomic mechanisms underlying avian phenotypes and their evolutionary patterns across space and time.
Monique Pipkin: PhD Student in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Cornell University. Monique is a 2nd year PhD student and Sloan Foundation Fellow. Her research focuses on the ultimate and proximate mechanism behind social behavior and social signaling, and the use of art in science education and outreach.
Event Sponsors
This event is co-sponsored by Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Office of Diversity and Inclusion and the Graduate School Office of Inclusion & Student Engagement. This event is supported through funds from the National Science Foundation under Grant No.1647094 (AGEP CIRTL). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors/organizers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
Cornell University is committed to providing universal access to all of our events. Please contact Hillary Creedon, hwc37@cornell.edu to request disability accommodations. Advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility needs.
