e-Newsletter: November 2005
Watch Video of IDEAL Summer Interns
Summer internships are an integral part of the IDEAL Scholars program at Level Playing Field Institute. Produced for the IDEAL 2005 Fall Reception in October, this 10 minute video documents the experiences of four IDEAL Scholars during their summer internships. The video was created to share what IDEAL Scholars are learning and how they benefit from summer internships with the greater IDEAL community. It shows the students’ real world experiences working at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, Alameda County Superior Court District Attorney’s Office, Centro Legal de la Raza, and San Francisco General Hospital’s Emergency Room.
Many underrepresented students of color do not have the connections that other students on campus might have that would allow them to have easy access to summer internships in their sectors of interest. Through their connections and networks, Level Playing Field Institute helps IDEAL Scholars locate internships, which are essential to resume building and job opportunities after college.
IDEAL (Initiative for Diversity in Education and Leadership) provides resources and support to outstanding underrepresented students so they may maximize their academic and leadership opportunities in college and beyond.
Unconscious Bias in the Workplace
Twelve experts in workplace diversity--representing a broad range of fields, from law and information technology to venture capital, retail, and higher education (among others)--joined the Level Playing Field Institute team on Oct. 20 for a talk and brainstorming session with Dr. Brian Nosek, Director of Project Implicit. Nosek and his Project Implicit colleagues are well-known for their research on “implicit associations” and “unconscious bias.” These are assessments and thoughts that, if unexamined, remain outside of conscious awareness or conscious control (e.g., stereotypes that one does not endorse, but may still influence one’s judgments or behaviors).
Dr. Nosek’s multimedia presentation described the “Implicit Association Test” (https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit), which is taken every week by more than 10,000 people around the world and is a powerful tool for revealing unconscious bias. Following Nosek’s presentation, he participated in a brainstorming meeting to examine how unconscious bias-related tools and concepts could be used as a means of furthering workplace diversity efforts.
Level Playing Field Institute has been interested in unconscious bias since the earliest days of its workplace-related endeavors. Mini Kahlon, our Director of Research and Workplace Programs, herself a neuroscientist, spoke about this issue at the Kaiser National Conference on Diversity in 2004 and 2005. Level Playing Field Institute’s interest in this arena stems from our understanding that fairness in the workplace can only be achieved when blatant, obvious obstacles (e.g., sexual harassment and race discrimination) AND subtle, hidden barriers (e.g., stereotyping and unconscious bias) are addressed.
Dr. Freeman Hrabowski Talks to SMASH and IDEAL Community
On October 29, Dr. Freeman Hrabowski gave an interactive and inspirational talk to a group of SMASH and IDEAL students, parents, and community members. Dr. Hrabowski is the nationally-renowned president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and founder of the Meyerhoff Scholars, an enormously successful program that prepares and places students of color into graduate programs in the sciences. Dr. Hrabowski shared his story and discussed with students their own goals.
From growing up African-American in Birmingham, Alabama during segregation, to earning a Ph.D. in mathematics at 24 and becoming a dean at 26, Dr. Hrabowski attributes his success to hard work, discipline, and being proactive in his pursuit of knowledge. These are the qualities he instills in his Meyerhoff Scholars, and spoke of with the SMASH and IDEAL community. Part of his visit consisted of discussing students’ individual experiences with them, as well as their goals and visions. He stressed that they should expect the best of, and believe in, themselves--no matter what others may say. An anonymous SMASH student reflected:
One of the statements which Dr. Hrabowski made that resonated with me was when he stated, “I do not have time to be a victim.” Often times when I am speaking to students of color, they tend to say that this teacher is racist because she or he gave me a D. After listening to Dr. Hrabowski, I realized it doesn’t matter whether the teacher likes you or not, or if you feel you are a victim of a racist teacher. What matters is that as long as you do the best at all times, always performing at your best, then that teacher should have no reason but to give you the grade you deserve. That is something I definitely think about everyday--that as students, we do not have time to be the victim.
Dr. Hrabowski was in the Bay Area as the keynote speaker at the Berkeley Edge Conference, a recruitment event targeting underrepresented students of color for graduate programs in math, science, engineering, and technology at UC Berkeley. Dr. Hrabowski left a big impression on the SMASH and IDEAL community. Everyone found the visit truly thought provoking, encouraging, and motivating, and Dr. Hrabowski to be knowledgeable, charismatic, and friendly.
IBM Donates Laptop Computers to SMASH
IBM’s Corporate Giving Program donated “Thinkpad” laptop computers to be used by our Summer Math & Science Honors (SMASH) Academy students. The students will have daily access to the computers during SMASH’s six-week residential program at UC Berkeley in July and August, and also during academic year activities at Level Playing Field Institute’s office.
The ultimate goal of SMASH is to encourage students from underrepresented communities (Hispanic/Latino, African American and Native American) to pursue studies and excel in math, technology, engineering, or science at top universities and graduate schools. IBM’s generous donation of laptops will definitely further the development and integration of a cutting edge, technology-rich curriculum for our scholars.
IBM’s corporate philanthropy efforts are active worldwide, with a range of programs that support initiatives in math/science education (pre-kindergarten through 12th grade), workforce development, and arts and culture to benefit communities in need. IBM provides grant recipients with technology, project funds, and employee time and talent. For additional information about IBM’s philanthropic endeavors, please visit: http://www.ibm.com/ibm/ibmgives/
Two New Members Join LPFI Board
Level Playing Field Institute is very pleased to welcome two new members to its Board of Directors: Anula Jayasuriya, M.D., Ph.D., M.B.A. and Monica Stevens, M.B.A. Anula and Monica are both Bay Area residents who share a deep understanding of, and commitment to, the Institute’s mission. The entire Level Playing Field Institute team is looking forward to working with them.
Anula received a B.A. from Harvard summa cum laude, having worked under the supervision of renowned scientist and conservationist E.O. Wilson. She received an M.D. and Ph.D. (in microbiology and molecular genetics) from Harvard Medical School; and completed an internship at Children's Hospital in Boston before leaving for Harvard Business School, where she received her MBA. Anula's expertise derives from her unique combination of business, basic science, and medical knowledge. Her most recent work is in the field of life science venture capital.
Monica received a B.S. in political science from the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD and served as an officer in the U.S. Navy. Afterwards, she worked in San Francisco as a project manager for a political consulting and lobbying firm, focusing on real estate issues. She subsequently received an M.B.A. from the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley with a focus in real estate finance. Monica is currently the Director of M.B.A. Recruiting for Wholesale Banking at Wells Fargo. She is also active on several boards that focus on diversity issues at the Haas School of Business.