Speaker: Tati Russo-Tait, Assistant Professor at the University of Georgia
Talk Title: “You have the power to change the system for better or for worse“: Learning from equity-minded and critically conscious STEM faculty
Talk Abstract: This talk will explore how critically conscious STEM faculty use their agency and power to affect change in their spheres of influence. They humanize the classroom, use evidence-based practices, and draw on their political clarity to engage in justice-centered teaching. As mentors, they take responsibility for removing barriers for marginalized students and try to design equitable research environments. As leaders in their departments and disciplinary organizations, they work with others to collectively change (or at least disrupt) norms, policies, and practices.