Dr. Robin Costello
Assistant Professor, University of Buffalo, Department of Biological Sciences
PI: Prof. Christoph Richter
12 to 1 PM
IB 140 & Zoom
Title
Humanizing biology to promote equity in STEM higher education
Abstract
What can be done to disrupt inequities in STEM higher education? In her seminar, Dr. Robin Costello will discuss two different approaches to address this question. The first approach pairs institutional data with structural equation modeling to locate the underlying factors responsible for equity gaps in STEM graduation rates. Identifying these explanatory mechanisms is vital for understanding the interventions most likely to narrow current equity gaps. The second approach evaluates one classroom intervention that aims to promote equitable student outcomes, namely curricular materials that highlight counter-stereotypical scientist role models. This seminar will present the results of a multi-institutional experiment that evaluated the efficacy of these course materials in undergraduate biology courses and parsed the effects of including visual depictions and humanizing information about counter-stereotypical scientists. This seminar will end with a call for instructors to make small curricular modifications in their undergraduate STEM courses to support students along their STEM pathways.