Speaker: Dr. Kimberly Scott, Arizona State University

How best to engage more underrepresented women—namely African American, native American, Latinx, and Asian Americans- in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM)? This presentation challenges the notion that STEM equity is gained through simply diversifying the disciplines. A systemic approach that applies intersectionality as a methodology will be offered during this talk. Particularly for efforts aiming to engage underrepresented girls and women in STEM, the presenter will briefly discuss and present examples of how counting the number of bodies in a STEM space falls short of creating a just system.  Drawing on her circuitous journey from teaching in a ‘special needs’ district, working in a rehabilitation center for female prostitutes and slaves, to collaborating with others to lead the nationally recognized girl-centered STEM program, entitled COMPUGIRLS, the presenter provokes listeners to reconsider rhetoric about leveling the playing field.

Dr. Kimberly A. Scott is a Professor in the Women and Gender Studies Department at Arizona State University (ASU) and Founder/Executive Director of ASU’s Center for Gender Equity in Science and Technology (CGEST). Founded by Scott, the center is a one-of-a-kind research unit focused on exploring, identifying, and creating innovative scholarship about under-represented girls in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Center projects include the National Science Foundation-funded COMPUGIRLS; Gates-funded project on African American Families and Technology Use; and NSF-funded Culturally Responsive Co-Robotics Program. Scott is also an Affiliate Faculty in George Mason University’s Center for Digital Media Innovation and Diversity located in Fairfax, Virginia.

Trained as a sociologist of education and childhoods, Scott’s interdisciplinary work examines girls’ of color (African American, Native American, Latina) social and academic development in informal spaces and their technosocial innovations. With nearly 50 publications in outlets such as the, International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, International Journal of Gender, Science, and Technology, Feminism and Psychology, Huffington Post, and Slate, to name a few, Kimberly is also co-author of the Rowman and Littlefield book Kids in Context and co-editor of the IAP published book, Research in Urban Educational Settings: Lessons Learned and Implications for Future Practice. Recently, she published Women Education Scholars and Their Children’s Schooling (Routledge) and is completing COMPUGIRLS: Becoming Ourselves in This Digital Age (University of Illinois Press).

Cost: Free

Contact: Amy Summers
217-333-0960
arsummer@illinois.edu

Sponsor: College of Education and Office of Community College Research and Leadership