Advancing Faculty Diversity Symposium

As we work to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion on our campus and among our faculty, we can learn from research results from faculty across the UC system and across the country. Please join us on Thursday, October 22, 2020 at this virtual half-day symposium where we learn from the results of faculty work from other UC campuses and beyond. Presenters will also give some practical tips for improving equity and inclusion on our campus. Time is included for discussion.

For copies of the presentation slides, click here (you must be logged into your UCSC email account to access).

Abstracts:

Susan Carlson
UC Office of the President
Vice Provost for Academic and Personnel Programs

Title: “’Superior intellectual attainment’ and ‘due recognition’:  Research and the policy and practice of faculty recruitment at UC”

Author: Susan Carlson

Abstract: With the support of the State of California and the UC Regents, UC has committed systemwide funding to Advancing Faculty Diversity (AFD) , a program supporting campus units that are willing to redesign faculty recruitment practices to ensure 1) that there is equal opportunity for all applicants, and 2) that the University’s missions of being a leader in research and of serving a diverse student body are prioritized.  The AFD program, which has brought new energy to the use of contributions to diversity, equity, and inclusion statements, is rooted in research about building an inclusive academy.

Mary Blair-Loy
UC San Diego
Professor, Department of Sociology
Director, Center for Research on Gender in STEMM

Title: Gender and the reception of scientific excellence: Job talks in academic engineering

Authors: Mary Blair-Loy, Jordan Packer, Olga Mayorova, and Pamela Cosman (University of
California, San Diego)

Abstract: Women remain starkly under-represented in many science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. An important and understudied point of attrition for women minorities in STEM is the transition from doctoral programs to tenure-track faculty positions. Our study examines the job talk, a key facet of the evaluation of finalist candidates for professor positions in a set of highly-ranked engineering departments in a research-intensive university. We analyze the job talk and its reception by faculty evaluators as a performance of the cultural schema of scientific excellence. Drawing on a sample of 217 video-recorded job talks, we explore (1) gender differences in how presenters are introduced before the talk, (2) gender differences in how faculty members in the audience interact with presenters during the talk, and (3) the effect of training of the search committee members and other faculty on the way audience interacts with presenters during job talks.

Rebecca Heald
UC Berkeley
Professor, Department of Molecular & Cell Biology

Title: "Advancing Faculty Diversity at UC Berkeley: The Life Sciences Initiative"

Authors: Rebecca Heald, Hanna Knight, and Mary Wildermuth (University of California, Berkeley)

Abstract: In 2018-2019, UC Berkeley obtained funding from UCOP to support a “cluster hire” to enhance diversity, equity and inclusion in the life sciences. Six departments across three colleges participated and together we implemented a new set of procedures to carry out a broad search for five new junior faculty members. The goals, achievements and challenges of the search will be summarized, as well as our ongoing efforts to support our new hires and make lasting changes.

UCSC Panel Members:

Doug Kellogg - Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology Department
Matt Sparke - Politics Department 
Beth Stephens - Art Department
Noah Wardrip-Fruin - Computational Media Department