Speakers List
A recurring issue at conferences and seminars is the underwhelming number of URM speakers giving talks. A commonly cited reason for this is not knowing who to invite. To that end, we’ve begun compiling a list of prominent URM researchers across every field of STEM and Medicine. We hope that conference organizers can use this list as a resource when inviting speakers. However we hope that organizers use this list conscientiously. There is a well-known, and well-documented, issue of “tokenism”, i.e. the idea that women and underrepresented minority researchers are included to give an appearance of diversity. We would like to stress that a diverse conference is not just about representation of minority speakers but also about creating an environment that is conducive to sharing ideas and collaborating. See our “Best practices” page for tips on how to create an inclusive environment.
Finally, we would like to stress that:
(i) Speakers on our list should be compensated properly for their time.
(ii) We are not the only resource out there! Check out this database for more lists of underrepresented researchers.
(iii) Our list is mainly nomination based (we then reach out to the researchers for their consent to be featured on the list). Please consider nominating yourself or others to be on the list! You can do so here or by emailing us at dscnatl@gmail.com.
NOTES ON USING OUR LIST
1) Please see here for the Speakers List in spreadsheet format (useful for more complicated searches), an explanation of all of the fields (and how to search them), and a list of sorted subfields.
2) Our website saves your previous search for future reference! If you would like to clear your search, press the “Clear” button (next to the “Submit” button).
Field (see Notes for sorted subfields) | Preferred Name | Position | Description | Website | Tags |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Developmental Psychology, Psychology | Dr. Dr. Diane C. Gooding | Full Professor | I primarily study risk factors and indicators for the later development of schizophrenia. These include biobehavioral markers as well as personality factors. | Lab Website | Schizophrenia, mental health, cognition |
Ecology, Environmental Science & Resource Conservation, Equity/Advocacy | Dr. Neo Martinez | Associate Professor | Internationally Leader in Ecological Complexity, Networks, Sustainability and diversifying STEM | Lab Website | Complexity, Network Science, Sustainability, Human-Natural Systems, Nonlinear Dynamics, Food Webs, Diversity in STEM |
Neuroscience, Psychology | Dr. Sonia Bansal | Instructor | Cognitive neuroscientist researching psychosis | Research Page | schizophrenia, cognition, behavior |
Environmental Science & Resource Conservation, Marine Biology, Sociology | Dr. Lekelia "Kiki" Jenkins | Associate Professor | My research centers on the human dimensions of sustainable fisheries and tidal energy as well as dance as a means of science engagement. | Lab Website | Sustainable fisheries, marine renewable energy, marine social science, science dance, science art, bycatch reduction |
Neuroscience, Psychology | Dr. Dwight Jacob Kravitz | Associate Professor | The Kravitz lab studies the cognitive neuroscience of intermediate and high-level vision with a particular focus on the relationship between functional organization, behavior, and neuroanatomy. | Research Page | primate vision, cognition, neuroanatomy, neural representation, behavior, perception, memory |
Epigenetics, Neuroscience | Dr. Bianca Jones Marlin | Assistant Professor | Dr. Marlin investigates transgenerational epigenetic inheritance, or how trauma in parents affect the brain structure and sensory experience of their future offspring. | Lab Website | epigenetics, trauma, inheritance |
Inorganic Chemistry, Materials Chemistry, Optics/Photonics | Dr. Kwabena Bediako | Assistant Professor | The Bediako lab works on the mesoscopic investigation of interfacial charge transfer and charge transport in two-dimensional (2D) materials and heterostructures. | Lab Website | electrochemistry, Low-Dimensional Materials, Quantum Transport, Optoelectronics |
Neuroscience | Dr. Lewis Wheaton | Associate Professor | Research focuses on understanding the impact of neuroplasticity on motor control therapy in stroke and amputation. | Lab Website | Motor control, neuroplasticity, neural rehabilitation |
Neuroscience, Psychology | Dr. Marisa Carrasco | Professor | The Carrasco Lab studies how attention affects visual perception using a wide variety of methods including behavioral psychophysics, fMRI, EEG, MEG, computational modeling, and TMS. | Lab Website | attention, binocular vision, computational modeling, eye movements, neuroimaging, perception, action, plasticity, learning, psychophysics, spatial vision, special populations, temporal processing, visual appearance, visual awareness, visual perception, visual search |
Cellular Biology, Immunology, Molecular Biology, Virology | Dr. Peter Ramirez | Assistant Professor | The Ramirez lab investigates how retroviral gene products affect host cell pathways and immune response. | Faculty Page | retroviruses, HIV, lncRNAs, cell signaling |