2-068 - Making a Difference through Scholarship: Equity and Social Justice as a Lens for Students and Early Career Scholars

Session Type: Conversation Roundtable

Integrative Statement

Equity and social justice related issues (e.g., structural racism, poverty, sexism and heterosexism) critically affect children and adolescents’ daily lives (see Horn, Ruck, & Liben, 2016). Thus, developmental scientists must be given access to the methods, tools, and strategies needed to engage in research that examines and addresses inequities and injustices. Given that an equity and social justice lens is not emphasized in many graduate programs and professional development opportunities, the SRCD Equity and Justice Committee proposes to host two roundtables focused on the incorporation of an equity and social justice lens in the developmental sciences for (a) student and early career scholars and (b) mid- to senior-career scholars. This proposal focuses on the roundtable specific to student and early career scholars. The roundtable aims to provide a forum to discuss successful professional enhancement strategies (e.g., preparation and career development, successful mentoring, and obtaining funding) related to equity and social justice-oriented research and to provide opportunities for informal career mentoring. The proposed roundtable will address the SRCD strategic plan by (a) building capacity of student and early career scholars to incorporate an equity and social justice lens into their scholarship, (b) advancing developmental science, and (c) integrating diversity, given that much of equity and social justice focused research is focused on marginalized populations. The moderator of the session will be Russell B. Toomey (Assistant Professor, University of Arizona), a member of the Equity and Justice Committee of SRCD.

Sub Unit

• Diversity, Equity & Social Justice

Moderator

• Russell B. Toomey, University of Arizona

Panelists

• Aerika Brittian Loyd, University of Illinois at Chicago

• Carlos Santos, Arizona State University

• Gabriela Stein, University of North Carolina - Greensboro

• Laura Wray-Lake, University of California, Los Angeles