Symposium Spotlight features educational sessions that were presented as part of the 20th Annual (virtual) Diversity Symposium, held October 19-23, 2020.

Dismantling Research as a System of Power: Advancing Equity-Centered Evaluation and Research Engagements

Presented by Courtney Everson

As a land grant institution committed to inclusive excellence, we have an unequivocal obligation to ensure access, equity, and social justice are evoked in scientific studies. While research can be used to redress inequities, the production and application of research evidence majorly serves as a system of power (Kirkland, 2019) that maintains white supremacy and perpetuates systemic oppression. Through learning vignettes and reflexive pedagogy, this session will assess the role of implicit and structural bias in research, illuminate the harmful impacts of deficit-based designs, and elevate leading tools, approaches, and frames to advance culturally responsive, equity-centered evaluation and research engagements.