Fall 2020 Events
Please see below for our schedule of events this fall. These events include talks organized by SEISMIC and SEISMIC institutions, as well as events SEISMIC is co-sponsoring. For more information, please contact our Speaker Events Bureau at seismic.speakers.bureau@umich.edu
Thurs. 8/27
12 pm EDT
Hosted by the Society for the Advancement in Biology Education Research (SABER) & co-sponsored by Arizona State University’s HHMI Inclusive Excellence Project, SEISMIC, and the University of California Santa Barbara
“Race REALLY matters”
Speaker: David Asai, Howard Hughes Medical Institute
There is a great pandemic raging in our country. The roots of the pandemic have been lurking for a long time, but many of us were not affected by it until a few months ago. The pandemic strikes down innocent persons, often unsuspecting, and its widespread unpredictability makes it unsafe for persons to be in our classrooms, in our laboratories, and on our campuses. For many victims, their last thought is “I can’t breathe.” This is the pandemic of racism. Race is a social construct, defined by the White center to determine who belongs and who does not, who is able to access all of the advantages and who remains an “Other.” Whiteness brings privilege, Othering means exclusion. Science and scientists have played central roles in enabling Othering and racism. Acknowledging the pandemic presents an opportunity for real change in science education. For us to realize that opportunity, it is important that we examine some of the data, critically examine our current approaches to advancing diversity, and find new strategies that will lead to inclusive diversity.
Thurs. 9/10
1 pm EDT
Hosted by the Society for the Advancement in Biology Education Research (SABER) & co-sponsored by Arizona State University’s HHMI Inclusive Excellence Project, SEISMIC, and the University of California Santa Barbara
“Actionable steps toward equity in STEM”
Speakers: Star Sharp, Penn State University (top) & John Matsui, UC Berkeley (bottom)
In this interactive discussion, using a combination of presentations, case studies, and breakouts, you will work with colleagues to develop and refine your command of Conceptual Frameworks and the Challenges and Opportunities relevant to our work to make our disciplines more inclusively excellent. Rather than promising ‘answers’ or a ‘tool box,’ our goal is for you to leave the workshop with concepts and critical questions that will help you see the problem with ‘new eyes,’ hopefully enabling you to more effectively identify and change existing practices, policies, beliefs, and assumptions that maintain inequities in STEM.
Mon. 9/14
12 pm EDT
Hosted by the University of Pittsburgh
“Factors for Student Success: The Potential of Identity, Motivation, and Belonging”
Speaker: Allison Godwin, Purdue University
Identity is an enduring and continuous sense of one’s self and is often thought of as the answer to the questions, “Who am I, Who can I be, and Where do I belong?” Research shows that developing a robust STEM identity is important for academic and personal development, integration into STEM fields, and academic success in STEM programs. In addition to identity, other factors like motivation and belonging have similar influence on student success. However, most institutions of higher education rely on cognitive measures, like grades, as a sole measure of student success, and intervention efforts often focus on academic skills required to perform well on these specific measures. Often, supporting students’ non-cognitive factors goes mostly ignored, although this area has gained interest in recent years. This talk will explore the current research on engineering identity as well as other non-cognitive factors and the emerging links to student success.
Mon. 9/21
12 pm EDT
Hosted by the Society for the Advancement in Biology Education Research (SABER) & co-sponsored by Arizona State University’s HHMI Inclusive Excellence Project, SEISMIC, and the University of California Santa Barbara
“Lessons from a hot spring: Authentic transformation in the higher education classroom”
Speaker: Bryan Dewsbury, University of Rhode Island
Moments of national reckoning are impactful only so much as our willingness to interpret and act on their lessons. In this discussion, we will revisit the moments of spring 2020 through the lens of racial justice and reimagine our responsibilities as educators shaping students for critical consciousness of their current and future world.
Wed. 9/23
12 pm EDT
Hosted by the University of Michigan
“Towards more inclusive active learning classrooms: How groups of students are differentially impacted by active learning”
Speaker: Sara Brownell, Arizona State University
To what extent do students experience college science classrooms differently because of their social identities? How has transitioning traditional lecture courses to active learning spaces impacted students? What can instructors do to create more inclusive college science classrooms? While there are well-established inequities in the representation of certain social identities in college biology courses, relatively little attention has been paid to possible inequities in the experiences of students in college biology courses. This talk will focus on how the increased number of social interactions between students and instructors and among students in active learning classrooms can have both positive and negative impacts on students. I will present work on LGBTQ+ students and students with anxiety, as well as highlight some concrete strategies to promote inclusion.
Wed. 9/30
1 pm EDT
Hosted by SEISMIC
“Fundamentals of Data Storytelling”
Speaker: Jennifer Nulty, Pivot Data Design
Today, data is everywhere. Clients often have access to massive amounts of data about participants, service administration, and program effectiveness. Extracting useful takeaway messages and next steps can be challenging. Traditionally, data is communicated using dry reports, stuck in boring tables and charts. We have the power and opportunity to transform data reporting into deliverables that engage our clients, funders, and community partners. Harnessing the power of our data by using effective storytelling and visualization techniques gives staff the potential to better communicate program outcomes. Together, we will review three fundamentals of data storytelling that will help members create effective visuals. Grounded in visual processing theory, the principles discussed in this keynote will enhance attendees’ ability to communicate more effectively with colleagues and university stakeholders through a focus on the proper use of color, arrangement, graphics, and text.
Mon. 10/5
12 pm EDT
Hosted by the University of Pittsburgh
“Gendered performance differences, institutional change, and variations in disciplinary culture”
Speaker: Becky Matz, University of Michigan
Improving large, gateway STEM courses so that they best support student learning and persistence remains an active area of concern for a variety of reasons. In this talk, I will describe a range of studies that each, ultimately, is about improving the student experience in these foundational courses. I will share work focused on patterns of gendered performance differences across five large universities, using scientific practices and core ideas as the basis for institutional change in introductory science courses, and variations in the disciplinary cultures of science and math that have implications for change.
Thurs. 10/8
2:30 pm EDT
Hosted by the Society for the Advancement in Biology Education Research (SABER) & co-sponsored by Arizona State University’s HHMI Inclusive Excellence Project, SEISMIC, and the University of California Santa Barbara
“Language matters: Considering racial microaggressions in science”
Speakers: Colin Harrison, Georgia Tech (top) & Kimberly Tanner, San Francisco State University (bottom)
Join us for an interactive session where we will explore ways in which racial microaggressions manifest themselves in science. We will discuss what microaggressions are and how they effect underrepresented individuals in an academic setting. We will present several examples of microaggressions and discuss general strategies for confronting them. Participants will brainstorm ideas for ways in which they would approach different microaggression scenarios followed by group discussion.
Wed. 10/14
12 pm EDT
Hosted by the University of Michigan
“Using Religious Cultural Competence in Evolution Education (ReCCEE) to Create a More Inclusive and Effective Scientific Community”
Speaker: Elizabeth Barnes, Middle Tennessee State University
While the majority of people in the world are religious, the majority of scientists are not, and this difference can cause culturally based barriers to effective science education. For instance, despite decades of evolution education research in the United States, almost one-third of introductory college biology students still do not think life shares a common ancestor and this is often due to a perceived conflict with their religious beliefs. In my studies, I find that college science instructors report not knowing how to address religious beliefs when teaching evolution and religious students report that science instructors have negative attitudes towards religion which is a barrier for their learning of evolution. I will describe how we as science educators can use Religious Cultural Competence in Evolution Education (ReCCEE) to reduce students’ perceived conflict between religion and evolution and create more inclusive evolution education for religious students. Further, I will discuss how such efforts may disproportionately benefit students of color and women, who affiliate with religion at higher rates than white men.
Wed. 10/21
12 pm EDT
Hosted by the Society for the Advancement in Biology Education Research (SABER) & co-sponsored by Arizona State University’s HHMI Inclusive Excellence Project, SEISMIC, and the University of California Santa Barbara
“But is it really ‘just’ science? Engaging critical race theory to unpack racial oppression with implications for Black student science engagement”
Speaker: Terrell Morton, University of Missouri
Disseminated through the culture of science (i.e., norms, values, beliefs, and practices), is the underlying message that there is but one “universal truth” regarding what is or what counts as scientific knowledge, research, and general practice. This culture and subsequent message have implications for who is recognized as being a scientist, or a validated member of the scientific community, and the process by which one gains such recognition. In noting the distinct, racialized experiences of Black students in science, this seminar introduces Critical Race Theory as a framework for attending to the prevalence, permeance, and impact of structural racism embedded within and manifesting through the culture of science, while also detailing the implications of structural racism in and through science on Black student science engagement.
Tue. 10/27
12 pm EDT
Hosted by Indiana University
“Pathways for Student Success: Transforming the Undergraduate Experience in STEM”
Speaker: Dorian Canelas, Duke University
In this webinar Dr. Dorian Canelas presents a model that improves persistence and retention in STEM by developing curricular pathways for all students to succeed. Ten year longitudinal outcomes for all students will be discussed with an emphasis on improved outcomes for students belonging to historically underrepresented groups in science. Canelas will also present comparison survey data from learners in two different types classes: active learning versus lecture-based classes.
Thurs. 11/5
12 pm EST
Hosted by the University of Michigan
“Supporting Student Equity by Supporting Faculty and the Instructional System”
Speaker: Marco Molinaro, University of California Davis
At UC Davis we are focused on supporting systemic change to improve undergraduate student outcomes. We are using a locally generated Cycle of Progress for sustainable change that consists of 4 cyclical phases – Awareness, Understanding, Action, Reflection, and repeat. Realizing there have many efforts focused on students but far fewer focused on helping faculty and departmental faculty leaders, we saw a need to help faculty better understand who their students are. In our efforts, we developed an approach to communicating student outcomes that looked at the intersectionality of first-generation, low income and race/ethnicity variables on student short term and long term outcomes globally at our university and at partner institutions. We are now extending the approach to course sequences in departments and individual faculty in their classrooms as part of our Know Your Students core data plus survey and discussion tools, as well as through our Pathways Course Innovation (PCI) initiative. These approaches are guiding us in working collaboratively with faculty while enhancing the use of existing resources to improve equitable learning outcomes for students who have had limited opportunities prior to coming to our institution.
Tue. 11/10
12 pm EST
Hosted by the University of Pittsburgh
“Envisioning more equitable Higher Education”
Speaker: Sehoya Cotner, University of Minnesota
In higher education—and especially the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) disciplines–women, first-generation college students, and students belonging to certain racial or ethnic groups enter exhibit greater attrition than do their male peers, a gap that continues throughout the professions. Some explanations for this phenomenon relate to student preparation or academic abilities, which is collectively known as the student deficit model. My colleagues and I have proposed the course deficit model, whereby instructional decisions exacerbate or minimize gaps in performance, participation, and retention. I will offer evidence–from my own work and that of others–in support of the course deficit model, in my discussion. Key to this discussion are the take-home messages that emerge for instructors; critically, many of them are easy to implement! Further, in this interactive discussion, we will identify and use several in-class assessment techniques.
Wed. 11/11
4:30 pm EST
Hosted by the University of Minnesota
“Insights from Testing an Ecological-Belonging Intervention in College STEM Courses
Speaker: Kevin Binning, University of Pittsburgh
When intellectual stereotypes are “in the air,” they can interfere with students’ learning and performance. In this talk, I will report the results of a series of experiments designed to establish social norms that make stereotypes irrelevant in college STEM classrooms. At the beginning of the term, classrooms that were randomly assigned to an ecological-belonging intervention engaged in discussion with peers around the message that social and academic adversity is normative and that students generally overcome such adversity. The intervention aimed to change the way students interpret social and academic difficulties, making them see both their own and their peers’ adversity as normal and surmountable. In this talk, I will review a series of experiments involving ~3000 students at two universities that have tested the intervention’s effect on student outcomes, including grades, attendance, and retention. Results generally support the intervention’s effectiveness, but with some important caveats. Together, the studies highlight barriers and possible solutions to fostering equity in college STEM classrooms.
Tue. 11/17
12 – 1:30 pm EST
Hosted by Indiana University
“Mind the gap: Active learning improves equity in STEM classrooms”
Speaker: Dr. Elli Theobald, University of Washington
Despite widespread efforts to increase access to and inclusion in STEM, minoritized students remain excluded from both STEM majors and STEM professions. Our institutions need to change, but instructors can play an active role in disrupting these inequities. For example, active learning techniques have been shown to improve student performance on average, but can active learning also be a partial solution to achieving equitable student outcomes? In this talk, I will share recent work demonstrating that opportunity gaps—differential performance between PEERs (Persons Excluded due to Ethnicity or Race) and over-represented students—were reduced by 75% in college STEM courses when instructors incorporated active learning strategies, but only when active learning was implemented in a majority of class time. I find these data hopeful, albeit demonstrating only a partial solution to inequity in higher education.
Thurs. 11/19
3 pm EST
Hosted by the Society for the Advancement in Biology Education Research (SABER) & co-sponsored by Arizona State University’s HHMI Inclusive Excellence Project, SEISMIC, and the University of California Santa Barbara
“Black women and belongingness: An interrogation of STEM education as a white, patriarchal space”
Speakers: Luis Leyva (top) & Nicole Joseph (bottom), Vanderbilt University
This interactive research presentation engages audience members with empirical data to deconstruct ideas of Black women’s belongingness in STEM education as a white, patriarchal space. Statistics from recent National Science Foundation reports of advanced degrees in mathematical sciences are used along with Black women’s narratives of experience in STEM majors as well as perceptions of instruction in introductory courses. Please come prepared for an engaging discourse and critical reflection to inform more equitable, socially conscious practices in STEM education.
Tue. 12/1
3 pm EST
Hosted by the Society for the Advancement in Biology Education Research (SABER) & co-sponsored by Arizona State University’s HHMI Inclusive Excellence Project, SEISMIC, and the University of California Santa Barbara
“An exploratory investigation of the experiences of Black immigrant women in undergraduate STEM”
Speakers: Meseret Hailu (top) & Brooke Coley (bottom), Arizona State University
The research presented in this seminar investigates the politicized, racialized, and gendered dimensions of the presumably “objective” disciplines of STEM. This work uses critical discourse analysis and case studies to better understand how Black immigrant women use their cultural epistemologies to attain undergraduate degrees in engineering. The research presented will use a qualitative approach, involving 40 interviews with undergraduate engineering students of a large public university in the southwestern United States.