Science in the Time of COVID and America's Reckoning with Race
Abstract: The disruptions brought on by the pandemic have forced colleges and universities to work differently. The added disruptions that sprang from America's reckoning with race have called on institutions to re-imagine, re-invent and DO things differently. Science took front and center in battling COVID-19; but the effects of disparities that accompanied life during the pandemic for scientists from marginalized groups will likely extend over time. How can our re-imagining lead to greater diversity, equity and inclusion in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine?
Bio: Shirley Malcom is Senior Advisor and director of SEA Change at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world's largest general science organization. She works to support transformative change in teaching and learning, research and practice to improve the quality and increase access to education and careers in STEMM fields. Dr. Malcom is a trustee of Caltech, and a regent of Morgan State University. She served on the National Science Board, the policymaking body of the National Science Foundation (NSF), and on President Clinton's Committee of Advisors on Science and Technology. Malcom received her PhD in ecology from the Pennsylvania State University, masters in zoology from UCLA, and bachelor's in zoology from the University of Washington. She holds 17 honorary degrees and serves on the boards of the Heinz Endowments, Public Agenda, the National Math-Science Initiative and Digital Promise.