Carla Fehr (Waterloo) is giving a talk for us this Friday, March 16th @ 3pm in BUCH A102. 

“ALONE IN A CROWDED ROOM: IGNORANCE, OBJECTIVITY, AND WOMEN IN SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING”

Abstract: Improving gender diversity in science and engineering has more than ethical and economic benefits.  It helps communities produce excellent research.  I argue that for communities to accrue these research benefits they need a positive climate for women researchers.  I use social science data to demonstrate how climate trouble can block communities from reaping the benefits of diversity.  I further point out a tendency to hold functional and yet false beliefs about the quality of departmental climates.  As a result researchers can think that there is a good climate when there isn’t and think that they can accrue research benefits from diversity when they can’t.

This talk is free and all are welcome to attend. For list of other departmental talks and events please visit: www.philosophy.ubc.ca