Allyship
This EDI session will host Toni Schmader from UBC and take place on Tuesday, July 23rd, 10:45 am to 12:00 pm in the Auditorium.
"Engendering Success and Allyship in STEM"
Abstract: Women working in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) often cite a chilly climate as a key problem they face. In past work, women (vs. men) report experiencing greater burnout in STEM, unless they report having supportive interactions with male colleagues. These findings suggest that male allyship is a key to fostering greater inclusion in STEM. In this talk, I’ll review key findings from Engendering Success in STEM: a research consortium that has tested evidence-based ways of promoting gender inclusion. I’ll provide a broad overview of the work from our consortium but will especially highlight what we mean by allyship and how our research has aimed to foster greater allyship for gender inclusion in both kids and adults. In particular, I’ll review findings from a randomized control trial with STEM professionals where we tested the efficacy of an inclusion (vs. leadership control) workshop in changing allyship-related beliefs and behaviors. I will discuss implications and challenges of promoting greater allyship in the workplace.
About Toni Schmader:
Toni Schmader is a Social Psychologist and the incoming Head of the Department of Psychology at the University of British Columbia. She is the Director of Engendering Success in STEM and the Social Identity Laboratory at UBC. Her research examines how stereotypes and bias constrain people’s performance, preferences, and self -views, with a particular focus on gender stereotypes and implicit bias. She published over 100 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters and coauthored two textbooks. Dr. Schmader has given frequent public lectures on the topic of implicit gender bias and social identity threat including talks to the National Academies of Science in the United States, as part of Harvard’s Women in Work Series, and at the International Gender Summit. She was the recipient of a Killam Research Prize in 2013, and the Society for Personality and Social Psychology Daniel M. Wegner Theoretical Innovation Prize in 2018, as well as the European Association of Social Psychology Theory- Innovation Award for 2020-2021. She held a Canada Research Chair position from 2010-2020 and in 2022-23, was a Fellow at the Center for Advanced Studies in Social and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University. Dr. Schmader is a Member of the Department’s Equity Committee and Co-Chair of the Working Group on EDI Funding, and Member of the Dean’s Advisory Committee on Promotion and Tenure for the Faculty of Arts.
