June 16, 17, 18, 2007 St. Paul Minnesota The College of St. Catherine

Conference Overview

It is no secret that there is a national crisis in STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), particularly in terms of the involvement of women and people of color. A great deal of effort has been exerted in the past few years to patch the "leaky pipeline" - the educational and experiential pathway which leads to careers in the sciences.

However, critics of science, often feminists, have pointed out that "it's not just enough to add women [or people of color] and stir" (C. Bunch, adapted) - we must look at how science and scientists are portrayed, who gets to ask the questions, what questions are asked, what methods are used, and how data are interpreted and used. We must also teach all of our students, particularly women and those in under-represented groups, that the process of science is open to all and that, in fact, without a diversity of investigators and approaches, our sciences are incomplete.

Intersections of science and feminism

“Inclusive Science: Articulating Theory, Practice, and Action” focuses on three intersections of science and feminism:

1. Multiple Frameworks: critiques of science from multiple perspectives including gender, race and ethnicity and class;
2. Pedagogies that engage women, students of color, and students from a variety of social classes in the sciences, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM);
3. Transformation: putting theory into action; changing the way we do, learn, and teach about science.

These are areas in which there has been a great deal of scholarly activity, and yet few opportunities exist to exchange information, assess where we are, and determine where we need to go. This conference is designed to help scholars in and of the sciences:

• share knowledge and ideas
• develop strategies for disseminating their theory, pedagogies, and activism
• discuss ways to go forward

We plan to include ample opportunity for dialog through innovative participatory sessions and intentionally scheduled time for informal conversations.