Diversity in STEM

and Mitigating Implicit Bias

Faculty of Science and Technology

Prepared by the FST IDEA Committee

​

Diversity values inclusivity.

• Recognizing, valuing & respecting multiple perspectives
• Race, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, culture, religion, socioeconomic status, ability status, skill set, etc.

​

Image lifted from: https://cen.acs.org/acs-news/foster-diverse-workplace/96/i27

Diversity in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

Diversity is complex when intersectionality is recognized.

​

Diversity in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

Without an intersectional lens, efforts to tackle inequalities and injustice are likely to just end up perpetuating systems of inequalities.²

¹ Swartz, T.H., et al. (2019). J Infect Dis 220: S33–S41.; ² Taylor, B. (2019). “Intersectionality 101: What is it and why is it important?” https://www.womankind.org.uk/

​

Intersectionality is the interconnected nature of social categories as they apply to an individual or group, regarded as creating overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination or disadvantage.¹

​

Individuals with different lived experiences enhance excellence and innovation in the classroom and research, outperforming homogeneous groups at complex tasks.

​

Diverse groups lead to:

• Diverse research questions
• Greater range of perspectives and skill sets
• Greater range of methodical and analytical approaches to problem solving
• Increased creativity and innovation

​

​

Diversity Benefits Science and Research

• Analyzed 2.5 million research papers for homophily in scientific collaborations

​

• Diverse groups published more papers and received more citations per paper.

Freeman, R.B. & Huang, W. (2015). “Collaborating with people like me: Ethnic coauthorship within the United States.”

Examples of Benefits of Diversity in STEM

• Investigated relationship between research impact (citations) & 5 classes of diversity: ethnicity, discipline, gender, affiliation, & academic age (experience and actual age).
• Papers written by ethnically diverse groups were cited more. 
• Discipline and affiliation diversity had the lowest correlation with research impact.

• Analyzed over 9 million papers and 6 million scientists

​

• Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST, Japan) mandates that 50% of all researchers must be recruited from outside Japan.
• Researchers from large world-class universities tend to have a more global perspective.
• Those from countries with less developed infrastructure tend to be more detail oriented.
• Working together, individuals with both perspectives can complement each other.

– Mukhles Sowwan (2018), Scientist at OIST

​

• Varied backgrounds of lab members strengthen the group’s output.

​

Challenges for Underrepresented Groups in STEM

• The Educational Pipeline
• Inability to seek appropriate role models
• Insufficient exposure and support to underrepresented groups in STEM
• Lack of access or support to career resources
• Limited exposure and preparation to standardized tests, which may not be a reliable indicator of academic potential

​

• Imposter Syndrome
• Doubting one's abilities and feeling like a fraud
• Feelings of inadequacy and isolation

​

​

Swartz, T.H., et al. (2019). J Infect Dis 220: S33–S41.

Challenges for Underrepresented Groups in STEM

​

• Stereotype Threat
• Pressure to conform to preconceived notions of one’s identity
• Narrows the perception of available opportunities

​

• “Cultural Taxation” or “Minority Tax”
• Frequently asked to serve on committees to fill the need for representation
• Career burden owing to the shortage of representation on committees
• Type of service that is often not recognized through compensation or traditional promotion metrics

​

• Implicit (Unconscious) Bias

Swartz, T.H., et al. (2019). J Infect Dis 220: S33–S41.

Implicit Bias

We all have biases.

It is important that we learn them

and recognize them in our daily decision-making.

​

Swartz, T.H., et al. (2019). J Infect Dis 220: S33–S41.

​

​

Personal attitudes, associations and beliefs that affect and impact our actions, decisions, and our view of the world without our awareness.

​

• Implicit bias has a powerful influence over individuals outside our awareness.
• Bias can lead to trainees, faculty, and staff feeling marginalized and not able to reach their full potential.

​

Biases affect our judgment and daily decision-making, and including the hiring, promotion, and retention of underrepresented groups in STEM.

Implicit (Unconscious) Bias

Swartz, T.H., et al. (2019). J Infect Dis 220: S33–S41.

• Science faculty participants asked to rate an application for a Laboratory Manager position
• Provided with identical applications; randomly assigned a female or male name

Examples of Evidence of Implicit Bias in STEM

• Female and male participants equally exhibited bias against the female applicant.
• Female applicant was more likeable, yet less competent and less hirable.
• Male applicant was offered a higher annual salary and more career mentoring.

• Majority of NIH grant applicants were from white, male scientists.
• 5.1% NIH grant applicants were from women of colour.
• Scientists of colour were less likely to receive NIH funding than white scientists.

• Examined NIH grants management database between years 2000–2006

• Examined recommendation letters for successful applicants for faculty positions at a large American medical school
• 71% of the letters were for men, 29% for women

• Male applicants had longer reference letters with more references to the male applicant’s CV, publications, patients, and colleagues.
• Female applicants had shorter reference letters with higher instances of language that “raised doubt”, such as irrelevant references to applicant’s personal life, use of negative language, and faint praise.

Implicit Association Test (IAT)

• Measures implicit attitudes and beliefs that people are either unwilling or unable to report.

​

What implicit biases do I have?

Examples of IATs:

• https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/canada/takeatest.html
• https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/user/pih/pih/selectatest.html (IATs on mental and physical health topics)

​

• 18 out of 21 mental health professionals who took the IAT showed implicit dangerous bias towards either mental or physical illness.

​

​

• Participants acknowledged tensions between their personal vs. professional identities.

vulnerable

shaped by personal experiences

unbiased, calm

confident

Ideal Professional Identity

Actual Personal Identity

Recognizing and managing implicit biases is challenging.

​

Reconciliation of personal and professional identities requires safe and supportive relationships between all members of community.

Strategies to Mitigate Implicit Bias

​

Devine, et al. (2012) J Exp Soc Psychol 48: 1267-1278.

Understanding Bias: A Resource Guide, https://www.justice.gov/file/1437326/

​

I have a child who’s a math major in college.

Stereotype Replacement

• Replace stereotypical responses with new, non-stereotypical responses.

​

• Recognize a response as stereotypical.
• Reflect on why the response occurred and how to prevent it in the future.
• Replace the response with an unbiased, non-stereotypical response.

Oh, really? What is his name?

Devine, et al. (2012) J Exp Soc Psychol 48: 1267-1278.; Understanding Bias: A Resource Guide, https://www.justice.gov/file/1437326/

Counter-Stereotypic Imaging

• Create an opposite image of a stereotype in your mind.
• Challenge stereotype validity and make a positive association with an image that is the opposite of the stereotype.

Example: To address stereotypic thinking about gender and employment, think of a female friend you know who is a professional and is married to a stay-at-home dad.

​

Devine, et al. (2012) J Exp Soc Psychol 48: 1267-1278.; Understanding Bias: A Resource Guide, https://www.justice.gov/file/1437326/

Example:

​

Try to make a woman’s occupation as a scientist more significant than her gender.

​

Know her history, qualifications, experiences, and achievements before making a judgment.

​

If she makes a mistake, inquire about any particular factors that may have contributed to the mistake at hand, rather than relying on an antiquated, knee-jerk stereotype that “women are not interested in science.”

• Obtain information about individual members of a group instead of generalizing about that group (i.e., group stereotypes).

Individuation

Devine, et al. (2012) J Exp Soc Psychol 48: 1267-1278.; Understanding Bias: A Resource Guide, https://www.justice.gov/file/1437326/

• Take a first-person perspective of a member of a stereotyped group.
• This helps one to empathize and understand the implications of stereotypes.

Perspective Taking

Examples:

​

Bias against African Americans: Imagine what it would feel like to be considered less qualified for a position based on your skin color.

​

Gender bias: Imagine what it would be like to lose opportunities based on assumptions about family responsibilities or questions about your abilities to be authoritative and independent.

Devine, et al. (2012) J Exp Soc Psychol 48: 1267-1278.; Understanding Bias: A Resource Guide, https://www.justice.gov/file/1437326/

• Seek out opportunities to engage with stigmatized groups in a positive manner.

Examples:

• Chat with community members of stigmatized groups
• Participate in events with various community members
• Patronize ethnic markets or restaurants where you would get to know people from communities that are unfamiliar to you
• Bring in diverse individuals to speak during training sessions
• In addition to seeking personal contact, you can modify your visual environments by watching movies, TV shows, and news that portray stereotyped groups in non-stereotypical ways.

Increasing Opportunities for Contact

Devine, et al. (2012) J Exp Soc Psychol 48: 1267-1278.; Understanding Bias: A Resource Guide, https://www.justice.gov/file/1437326/

Overcoming Barriers to Diversity in STEM

​

1. Top-down leadership approach for setting expectations to the commitment to STEM diversity and inclusion.
2. Faculty development programs and onboarding protocols are critical for instilling values around inclusion and unconscious bias. These practices should be included in professional development on an ongoing basis.
3. Promote field experts from underrepresented groups whenever asked for nominations for panels, awards, and speaking opportunities.
4. Foster healthy mentoring relationships. Mentorship is critical and should be made available to individuals throughout their training trajectory in various forms.

Overcoming Barriers to Diversity in STEM

Swartz, T.H., et al. (2019). J Infect Dis 220: S33–S41.

What can YOU do to foster diversity and inclusion?

BE A MENTOR

Sharing the wisdom of one’s experience and serving as a role model for a trainee early on is invaluable. Even short contact or remote contact can have a great impact.

GIVE A SEMINAR

Promote your own mission and drive through dissemination of your scientific expertise. If you are unable to, recommend someone qualified who might otherwise be overlooked.

CELEBRATE ACHIEVEMENTS

Take time to think about individuals whose contributions go unrecognized. Take a moment to post on social media of a colleague’s accomplishment or a research study of merit.

BUILD A TEAM

Recruit members of your team from a diverse group to foster collaboration, bring in new ideas and provide new perspectives.

VOLUNTEER

Sharing your voice can increase the representation of those who have not traditionally had a seat at the table.

CHECK YOUR BIASES

Acknowledge that everyone has biases. Take an Implicit Association Test. Note your attitudes and beliefs and work to identify valuable perspectives that you may have overlooked

Swartz, T.H., et al. (2019). J Infect Dis 220: S33–S41.

• Diversity Benefits Science and Research
• Challenges for Underrepresented Groups
• Information on Implicit Bias
• Overcoming Barriers to Diversity

Icons in this presentation are from

References

Adams, J. (2013) Collaborations: The fourth age of research. Nature, 497(7451): 557-60. https://doi.org/10.1038/497557a

AlShebli, B. K., Rahwan, T. & Woon, W. L. (2018) The preeminence of ethnic diversity in scientific collaboration. Nat Commun, 9(1): 5163. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-07634-8

Eckstrand, K. L., Eliason, J., St.Cloud, T., & Potter, J. (2016) The priority of intersectionality in academic medicine. Acad Med, 91(7): 904-907. https://doi.org/10.1097/acm.0000000000001231

Freeman, R. B., & Huang W. (2014) Collaboration: strength in diversity. Nature, 513(7518): 305. https://doi.org/10.1038/513305a

Freeman, R. B., & Huang, W. (2015) Collaborating with people like me: Ethnic coauthorship within the United States. J Labor Econ, 33(S1): S289–S318. https://doi.org/10.1086/678973

Powell, K. (2018) These labs are remarkably diverse - here's why they're winning at science. Nature, 558(7708): 19-22. https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-018-05316-5

Swartz, T. H., Palermo, A-G. S., Masur, S. K., & Aberg, J. A. (2019) The science and value of diversity: Closing the gaps in our understanding of inclusion and diversity. J Infect Dis, 220(2), S33–S41. doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/infdis/jiz174

Wright, A., Michielsens, E., Snijders, S., Kumarappan, L., Williamson, M., Clarke, L. & Urwin, P. (2014) Diversity in STEMM: Establishing a business case. Royal Society. https://royalsociety.org/topics-policy/diversity-in-science/business-case/

Diversity Benefits Science and Research

Collins, K. H., Price, E. F., Hanson, L., & Neaves, D. (2020) Consequences of stereotype threat and imposter syndrome: The personal journey from STEM-practitioner to STEM-educator for four women of color. Taboo: The Journal of Culture and Education, 19 (4). https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/taboo/vol19/iss4/10

​

Elks, M. L., Herbert-Carter, J., Smith, M., Klement, B., Knight, B. B., & Anachebe, N. F. (2018) Shifting the curve: Fostering academic success in a diverse student body. Acad Med, 93(1): 66-70. https://doi.org/10.1097/ACM.0000000000001783

​

Estrada, M., Burnett, M., Campbell, A. G., Campbell, P. B., Denetclaw, W. F., Gutiérrez, C. G., Hurtado, S., John, G. H., Matsui, J., McGee, R., Okpodu, C. M., Robinson, T. J., Summers, M. F., Werner-Washburne, M. & Zavala, M. (2016) Improving underrepresented minority student persistence in STEM. CBE Life Sci Educ, 15(3): es5. https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.16-01-0038

​

Lindemann, D., Britton, D., & Zundl, E. (2016) “I don’t know why they make it so hard here”: Institutional factors and undergraduate women’s STEM participation. International Journal of Gender, Science and Technology, 8(2): 221-241. http://genderandset.open.ac.uk/index.php/genderandset/article/view/435/791

​

Russell, R. (2017) On overcoming imposter syndrome. Acad Med, 92(8):1070. https://doi.org/10.1097/acm.0000000000001801

Swartz, T. H., Palermo, A-G. S., Masur, S. K., & Aberg, J. A. (2019) The science and value of diversity: Closing the gaps in our understanding of inclusion and diversity. J Infect Dis 220(2), S33–S41. doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/infdis/jiz174

​

Challenges of Underrepresented Groups in STEM

Devine, P.G., Forscher, P.S., Austin, A.J., & Cox, W.T. (2012) Long-term reduction in implicit race bias: A prejudice habit-breaking intervention. J Exp Soc Psychol, 48(6): 1267-1278. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2012.06.003

​

Harvard’s Implicit Association Test (Canada) https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/canada/takeatest.html

​

Harvard’s Implicit Association Test (Project Implicit Health) https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/user/pih/pih/selectatest.html

​

Ginther, D.K., Kahn, S., & Schaffer, W. T. (2016) Gender, race/ethnicity, and National Institutes of Health R01 research awards: Is there evidence of a double bind for women of color? Acad Med, 91(8): 1098-107. https://doi.org/10.1097/acm.0000000000001278

​

Girod, S., Fassiotto, M., Grewal, D., Ku, M. C., Sriram, N., Nosek, B. A., & Valantine, H. (2016) Reducing implicit gender leadership bias in academic medicine with an educational intervention. Acad Med, 91(8): 1143-50. https://doi.org/10.1097/acm.0000000000001099

​

Moss-Racusin, C. A., Dovidio, J. F., Brescoll, V. L., Graham, M. J., & Handelsman, J. (2012) Science faculty's subtle gender biases favor male students. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 109(41): 16474-9. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1211286109

​

Sukhera, J., Wodzinski, M., Teunissen, P. W., Lingard, L., & Watling, C. (2018) Striving while accepting: Exploring the relationship between identity and implicit bias recognition and management. Academic Medicine: Journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges, 93 (11S Association of American Medical Colleges Learn Serve Lead: Proceedings of the 57th Annual Research in Medical Education Sessions): S82–S88. https://doi.org/10.1097/ACM.0000000000002382.

​

Trix, F., & Psenka, C. (2003) Exploring the color of glass: Letters of recommendation for female and male medical faculty. Discourse Soc, 14(2): 191-220. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0957926503014002277

Information on Implicit Bias

Atkins, K., Dougan, B. M., Dromgold-Sermen, M. S., Potter, H., Sathy, V., & Panter, A. T. (2020) “Looking at myself in the future”: How mentoring shapes scientific identity for STEM students from underrepresented groups. IJ STEM Ed, 7(42) (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-020-00242-3

​

Estrada, M., Hernandez, P. R., & Schultz, P. W. (2018) A longitudinal study of how quality mentorship and research experience integrate underrepresented minorities into STEM careers. CBE Life Sci Educ, 17(1). https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.17-04-0066

​

Nittrouer, C. L., Hebl, M. R., Ashburn-Nardo, L., Trump-Steele, R. C. E., Lane, D. M., & Valian, V. (2018), Gender disparities in colloquium speakers. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA,  115(1): 104-108. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1708414115

Swartz, T. H., Palermo, A-G. S., Masur, S. K., & Aberg, J. A. (2019) The science and value of diversity: Closing the gaps in our understanding of inclusion and diversity. J Infect Dis 220(2), S33–S41. doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/infdis/jiz174

​

​

​

Overcoming Barriers to Diversity in STEM