Navigating the academic terrain as a woman of color will be the focus of a panel discussion at Cal State San Bernardino on Friday, May 11, 10:30 a.m.-noon, in the John M. Pfau Library, PL-4005. The event is free and open to the public. Parking at CSUSB is $6.

The event, “A Seat at the Table: Intersectionality in Higher Education,” is hosted by CSUSB’s Women of Color in Academia, which was established in fall 2016 by faculty members who are women of color.

“Our primary mission is to converge teaching, research and social action as well as to create a space in which women of color faculty can discuss these aspects of their professional careers through an intersectional perspective,” said the Women of Color in Academia leadership team, which consists of Yvette Saavedra, assistant professor of history; Liliana Conlisk Gallegos, assistant professor of communication studies; Erica Lizano, assistant professor of social work; Isabel Huacuja Alonso, assistant professor of history; and Angie Otiniano Verissimo, assistant professor of health science. “We acknowledge that our professional experiences are shaped by being women of color in academia and we strive to provide women of color faculty with opportunities for networking, mentoring, collaboration and self-care.”

The discussion will feature a dynamic panel of CSUSB faculty members, including Claudia Davis, associate professor of nursing; Kathryn Ervin, professor of theatre arts; Mary Texeira, professor of sociology; Elsa Valdez, professor of sociology and ethnic studies minor director; and Eri Yasuhara, dean emerita of the College of Arts and Letters, professor in the Department of World Languages and Literatures, and coordinator of the University Faculty Mentoring Network.

Panelists will talk about their experiences in the academic field as women of color and how they have overcome challenges throughout their careers. They will offer advice to those who aspire to work in an academic setting and those who are just starting their academic careers, as well as take questions from the audience.

“The recruitment and retention of women of color across universities throughout the U.S. remains a large problem. Women of color are underrepresented among faculty, particularly given the demographics of the student body,” said the Women of Color in Academia leadership. “Emerging research has focused on the microaggressions that women of color face when they are in faculty positions and how this may contribute to detrimental health and professional outcomes. This panel brings together women of color who have successfully established their careers in academia despite this, and who serve as role models to our future academic leaders.”

“A Seat at the Table: Intersectionality in Higher Education” is sponsored by CSUSB’s University Diversity Committee. Learn more by visiting the University Diversity Committee website.

For more information on Cal State San Bernardino, contact the university’s Office of Strategic Communication at (909) 537-5007 and visit inside.csusb.edu.