Dr. Denise Sekaquaptewa is Professor of Psychology and Women’s Studies at the University of Michigan. She has received numerous awards for her work on diversity-related issues. In this presentation, Dr. Sekaquaptewa discusses her research indicating that gender stereotypes prevalent in our society can have a significant influence on student retention in fields traditionally dominated by men. These studies examine how outcomes for male and female students in group project teams are influenced by gender stereotypes (for example, of men as engineering experts and women as their supporters and organizers). They show that men engage in more technical aspects of the projects than women and speak longer than women during group project presentations, consistent with gender stereotypes. These studies also show that women who are more targeted by gender stereotyping on their teams (as assessed by independent observers) report weaker identification with engineering than women who are less targeted.  

In the interactive session, participants will work from a “Toolkit for Change” to consider and address the effects of stereotypes in their classrooms. We will answer questions such as “How we can identify the influence of stereotypes on student behavior?  Do instructors also engage in stereotyping of students? What steps can be taken to reduce the influence of gender stereotypes on student outcomes?”