The College of Science is pleased to welcome Dr. Bryan Dewsbury to the University of North Texas to discuss diversity in the STEM fields and how educators can develop more inclusive classrooms. The talk, titled "The promise and practice of inclusive classrooms," will take place on February 16, 2022 at 2pm in the UNT University Union Room 382 and will be available to watch virtually*. Seating for the event will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.
"The pursuit of education has always been a social endeavor," said Dr. Dewsbury. "In this talk we will explore the ways in which the social context of the students we serve and our educator-selves inform the creation of inclusive classrooms. We will also discuss specific strategies that practitioners can consider to transform classrooms from content-only foci to experiences that allow its participants to both access fully and thrive within them."
Bryan Dewsbury is an Associate Professor of Biology and Associate Director of the STEM Transformation Institute at Florida International University. He is the Principal Investigator of the Science Education and Society (SEAS) program, where he and his team conduct several research projects and programming that investigate the social context of teaching and learning. He has conducted over 85 professional development workshops across North America on equity-minded education practices at institutions of higher education helping faculty transform their curricula, and administrators transform their campuses. He is a Fellow with the John N. Gardner Institute where he supports institutions undergoing curricula transformation. He sits on several other advisory boards including the Improving General Education Life Sciences network (IGELS), Racially-just Inclusive Open Science (RIOS), and HHMI Biointeractive program. He is the PI and founder of the Deep Teaching Residency (DTR), a yearlong program that helps faculty transform their practice pertaining to inclusive education.
Dr. Dewsbury is interested in how students (especially those in underrepresented groups) develop perceptions of the world and others, and how these perceptions might in turn affect their engagement with science content, career choices, and ultimately their academic performance. Central to the formation of these constructs are the presence of hidden biases, stereotype threat, and mindset. He uses a variety of qualitative and quantitative methods to deduce the effects of these forces, and partners with local schools and URI to implement interventions that have proven to be effective.
This event is free and open to all College of Science and College of Engineering faculty, staff, and students. Engagement with the event, whether in-person or online, will fulfill 90 minutes of UNT's Diversity and Inclusion ABCA (Anti-Bias and Cultural Awareness) training. Participants must fill out a brief survey after the event to confirm their attendance and log their training time.
*Please email Amy-Marie Ashmore at amymarie.ashmore@unt.edu prior to 11am the day of the event for access to zoom information.