Gender/Implicit Bias Topic of RFU Women in Medicine and Science Symposium
Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science recently held its inaugural Women in Medicine and Science Symposium, drawing more than 600 participants and national speakers for an extended dialogue on "Gender Bias Under the Microscope."
Mahzarin Banaji, PhD, a Harvard University professor and groundbreaking researcher on implicit bias, delivered the Ruth M. Rothstein Memorial Keynote Address. A chief developer of the Implicit Association Test, taken by more than 18 million people worldwide, Dr. Banaji and her research are helping to transform how organizations like NASA, Microsoft and Ebay recruit and promote an inclusive workforce.
"Women are still woefully underrepresented in the higher echelons of medicine and science," said Wendy Rheault, university provost, PT, PhD, in opening remarks. She added that a lack of gender balance has been found to adversely affect both the quality of professional practice and team productivity.
Held Sept. 23 on the university's North Chicago campus, the symposium featured talks by women leaders in medicine, science, academia and business, and panels and workshops on gender gaps in science and medicine and the barriers women continue to face in leadership, promotion and pay equity in many fields, including STEM.
RFU President and CEO Dr. K. MIchael Welch moderated a panel on "Women's Leadership: Progress and the Barriers to Diversity in Science and Health Care," which included: Neelum Aggarwal, MD, Rush University and chief diversity officer for the American Medical Women's Association; Phil Hajduk, PhD, AbbVie vice president of Information research; Ramona Sequeira, MBA, Takeda Pharmaceuticals president of U.S. business; and Kimberlydawn Wisdom, MD, senior VP, Henry Ford Health System, first Surgeon General of Michigan. Also speaking were Sarah Richardson, PhD, social sciences professor at Harvard University and Eileen Pollack, MFA, professor at the University of Michigan, author of "The Only Woman in the Room."
Rosalind Franklin, RFU trustee and niece of the university's namesake, spoke about the legacy of her aunt, Rosalind Franklin, PhD, who received belated and posthumous recognition for a vital contribution to the most important discovery in modern biology - the structure of DNA.
"She didn't feel being a woman held her back," Franklin said, adding that her aunt did suffer a lack of collegiality and isolation while working at King's College London to produce her famous Photograph 51. Franklin cited shared values between the university and its namesake, including a spirit of inquiry, diligence and academic excellence.
The first medical institution in the nation to recognize a female scientist through an honorary namesake, RFU is a beacon for women in STEM. It's home to the Chicago Medical School and many prominent women researchers, including neuroscientist Lise Eliot, PhD, a national expert on brain-based differences between the sexes. Women comprise 42 percent of the university's faculty and 54 percent of students - well above the national average.
About Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
Formed in 1912 as the Chicago Hospital-College of Medicine, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science is a national leader in interprofessional medical and healthcare education, offering a doctor of medicine program through the Chicago Medical School, doctor of podiatric medicine program through the Dr. William M. Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine, doctor of pharmacy through its College of Pharmacy, and a range of degrees through its College of Health Professions, including nurse anesthesia, nutrition, physical therapy, pathologists' assistant and physician assistant. RFU also offers advanced biomedical degrees through the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. More than 18,000 RFU degreed alumni are active throughout the United States and around the world. Learn more at rosalindfranklin.edu.