UNPACKING GENDER: MEN AND WOMEN IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND MORE (PROF DEBBIE CHACHRA, OLIN COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING)

Describe someone, friend or stranger. The very first thing you say revealswhether they are a man or a woman. Gender affects how we perceive everyonearound us and how we express ourselves, often in ways we don't realize. Why istechnology dominated by men? Why are women so often caregivers? This seminarwill use ideas from psychology and education research to investigate how weperceive and respond to gender. It will give you some tools to understand howyou think about gender, along with information that puts that in greater socialcontext. Please bring something to write on, something to write with, and awillingness to engage your brain.Reception to FollowThis event is sponsored by HGWISE, the GSC, HILS, FD&D, and SEASDebbie Chachra is an Associate Professor of Materials Science at the Franklin W.Olin College of Engineering, where she was one of the founding faculty. Prof.Chachra's research interests are twofold. She researches the engineeringstudent experience, including persistence and migration, differences by gender,and the role of self-efficacy in project-based learning. As well as her work ineducation, she studies biological materials, currently focusing on apolyester-silk composite synthesized by bees. She also consults, facilitatesworkshops, and speaks widely on topics including curricular design forengineering education, and on gender, diversity and the engineering studentexperience.