Dr. Kelly J. Cross
Visiting Research Scientist, Bioengineering
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Abstract

"Integrating Diversity and Inclusion into Chemical Engineering"

The inequities that plague our society are mirrored in higher education and arguably exacerbated in STEM fields. Giving a voice to marginalized groups and understanding the double bind of race and gender on university campuses is critical. The result of uncivil discourse and behaviors, as well as more subtle beliefs about white superiority, are interpersonal and institutional barriers that lead to limited STEM participation of women and women of color. This limited participation results in the loss of their presence and expertise within the field of engineering and STEM, more broadly. The “chilly climate” is often cited as an explanation for the loss of women from STEM. The “chilly climate” is defined as women in the male dominated STEM fields feeling unwelcome or people of color experiencing a diminished sense of belonging within engineering profession based upon daily social interactions that threaten their identity. Additionally, interactions that allow the “chilly climate” to persist have yet to be characterized. This lack of understanding can inhibit the professional engineering identity construction of women. Additionally, a need exists to examine how the engineering culture impacts multiple components of identity and the intersection of identities within women. To address this gap, our Double Bind study illuminates the intersections of identity of women in engineering and how women of perceive the double bind of race and gender within the context of their engineering education. In this interactive workshop, Dr. Cross will provide an overview of the Pedagogical and Research-based Integration of Diversity into Engineering “PRIDE” model. The PRIDE model is a conceptual model under development by Researcher Cross.  The workshop will conclude with a discussion of how aspects of the PRIDE model are relevant to Chemical Engineering.

Bio

Dr. Cross is a culturally responsive practitioner, researcher, and educational leader. She completed her doctoral program in the Engineering Education department at Virginia Tech in 2015 and worked as a post-doctoral researcher with the Illinois Foundry for Innovation in Engineering Education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. At UIUC she has collaborated with multiple teams of engineering faculty on implementing and assessing instructional innovation. Dr. Cross is currently a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Bioengineering working to redesign the curriculum through the NSF funded Revolutionizing Engineering Departments (RED) grant. She is a member of the ASEE Leadership Virtual Community of Practice that organizes and facilitates Safe Zone Training workshops. Dr. Cross has conducted multiple workshops on managing personal bias in STEM, both online and in-person. Dr. Cross’ scholarship investigated student teams in engineering, faculty communities of practice, and the intersectionality of multiple identity dimensions. Her research interests include diversity and inclusion in STEM, intersectionality, teamwork and communication skills, assessment, and identity construction. Her teaching philosophy focuses on student centered approaches such as problem-based learning and culturally relevant pedagogy. Dr. Cross’ complimentary professional activities promote inclusive excellence through collaboration.

Part of the Fall 2018 Graduate Seminar Series