What does a scientist look like, or act like? What kinds of questions are “scientific”? Most of us have been taught, consciously or unconsciously, a set of answers to these questions. In this decal, we want to open up discussion around the traditional narrative of science, and explore the stories that often get overlooked.

This is a discussion and project based course focusing on the past and present of systemic bias in STEM, specifically in the physical sciences. The first half of the course will be concerned mainly with study the narrative of science; how the story of science has been told, who is telling those stories, and how this privileges some people and leaves out others. In the second half of the course, we will ask what it means to be an ethical scientist and explore how society and science intersect. Throughout, there will be an emphasis on students actively engaging with the ideas of the course in their own lives; the two mini-projects and a final capstone are the main examples of this.

Course Objectives: Gain appreciation for how women, people of color, other marginalized groups have contributed to physical sciences/STEM, learn how to analyze historical narratives critically, gain a better understanding of the challenges for underrepresented students in STEM and what we can do about it. Examine how culture, ethnicity, race, and gender intersect with the practice of science and consider how to be ethical scientists.

Grading: Pass/No Pass. Grade will be determined by participation in discussion, and completion of two midterm mini-projects and a final capstone project.

Prerequisites: No prior knowledge is assumed. All that is required is an enthusiasm to learn and discuss the course material!

We have a super short application (see link below)-- this is just to verify your interest in the course, and we don't expect to deny any students, unless we run out of space. Once you've filled out the application, we will email you information on how to enroll.