Things a Physicist Rarely Talks About (Grow PoLS)
On October 25-26, 2020, Rice University hosted the Grow PoLS Virtual Workshop: Growing Equity, Inclusion and Diversity for the Physics of Living Systems. The purpose of this PoLS (Physics of Living Systems) workshop was to grow the ecosystem of physics by recognizing the systemic barriers that exist in STEM fields at all education and career levels, by building alliances, and by sharing best practices to overcome these systemic barriers. This interactive event included 13 featured speakers, dozens of talks and panel sessions, and participants from across the US.
PTF Vernita Gordon presented her talk during the session "Alliance with Undergraduate Educators on Improving Climates for POC." Titled "Things a Physicist Rarely Talks About," Gordon discussed the course and programs she developed in the UT Physics Department as part of her PTF Initiative.
You can learn more about the Grow PoLS workshop here, or view Gordon's session below.
Related Initiatives
Being Human in Physics
(Project completed 2023) At UT Austin, undergraduate women are about twice as likely to leave the physics major then are undergraduate men. This does not arise primarily from academic difficulties–women physics majors and men physics majors are dismissed (for academic reasons) or drop out at roughly the same rates. Rather, women are more likely to switch out of the physics major into other majors than are men.