Show Me The Heroes

Hello all,

This has been a momentous week already, with the Dr. Martin Luther King Holiday and the Presidential Inauguration.

As I ponder the impact of our national history on our national future, I am reminded that we have opportunities to draw upon the heroes of our nation as we make our way into the future. How will we serve our university missions this next year? These words from Dr. King can help set our daily tasks in a larger context.

Martin Luther King Jr.: On the Purpose of Higher Education.

"In 1948 as a student at Morehouse College, Martin Luther King Jr., delivered a speech entitled, “The Purpose of Education,” where he proclaimed that “the function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character, that is the goal of true education.” MLK Jr.’s point was that attending college is not just the absorption of facts and data, but engaging deeply with information, questioning it, and understanding its broader context and implications. It’s about developing the capacity for analytical and independent thought... In 1965, MLK Jr., spoke at UCLA, reiterating the same sentiment from 17 years earlier. He proclaimed: “We must remember that intelligence is not enough. Intelligence plus character, that is the goal of true education. The complete education gives one not only power of concentration but worthy objectives upon which to concentrate.” As we now reflect on MLK’s vision of education nearly sixty years later, what can we do to further his mission in a tangible way?"

And yet, we need our women heroes too! Where are the Women?: A Report on the Status of Women in the United States Social Studies Standards documents the lack of women heroes in our K-12 history and attempts to provide some of the missing resources.

"Where are the Women? examines the status of women's history in state level social studies standards. States have devised sets of learning standards that describe what students are expected to know and be able to do at specific stages of education. The report and analysis finds that women's experiences and stories are not well integrated into US state history standards. The lack of representation and context in state-level materials presupposes that women's history is even less represented at the classroom level. This implies that women's history is not important."

Most of us learn our general history facts before college (unless you are a history major) - and then maybe we learn a bit more throughout our lives. What we learn in K-12 sets the stage for how we see the world.

SUNY WIT is focused on creating a community of people knowledgeable and ready to advocate for the full participation and potential achievements of woman-identifying folks in technology-related areas within SUNY. We need to know who our technology heroes are- yes, and we have featured many each March for Women's History Month. But we need all our heroes in every aspect of life.

So take a few moments to enjoy learning about some of the women featured in the Digital Classroom Resources so that you can look to the future with a more diverse group of heroes in a variety of fields to draw upon.

I'll be curious to know if any of these featured women catch your eye- so send a message to me or to the list!

All the best,
Holly

Synergies Ahead: AI and Higher Ed

Hello all,

Two news items this week have alerted me to some interesting new synergies for higher education women in tech.

One is a SUNY job posting for a Director of AI from the Stony Brook Libraries, and another is a funding initiative from Melinda French Gates.

I'm sure there are other jobs across SUNY that will focus on AI use and development.

The Director of AI position has listed the following, "Preferred Qualifications: Teaching and mentoring experience in the use of AI tools. Experience with interdisciplinary collaboration. Contributions to open-source repositories. Strong understanding of ethical standards and data privacy laws. Proven track track record of managing technology-driven projects in a library or academic setting. and Brief Description of Duties: The Director of Artificial Intelligence for Libraries will spearhead our AI transformation, bringing deep technical expertise in several AI domains such as machine learning, natural language processing, and data analytics to lead strategic initiatives integrating AI technologies across all library operations. This position demands hands-on experience developing and implementing AI solutions, combining technical innovation with academic leadership."

The French Gates funding initiative is described here, "Melinda French Gates will donate $150 million to nonprofits that aim to increase professional opportunities for women. About a third of the money—$45 million, according to Axios—will be designated for women’s initiatives in the tech industry, and specifically artificial intelligence." and further..."Quantitative fields like tech and engineering have a reputation for especially poor track records of female representation, according to the U.S. National Science Foundation. French Gates’ donation aims to rectify that fact at a time when most DEI initiatives, including those focused on gender equity, are facing scrutiny."

Is the time right for SUNY libraries and tech areas to really start working together in upskilling current employees, collaborating on project implementation, and in helping computer science and tech related academic departments make sure women in their programs are well supported and ready to engage with us for their future careers?

Let me know what's happening in your institution or what see as potential collaborations!

All the best,

Holly

Happy New Year: Beating the Back-to-Work Blues

Hello all,

Happy New Year 2025!

Returning to work after a break can be something we look forward to, or can be something we struggle with. Or maybe both!

Keeping it light this week, here are some resources that might help you adjust and even laugh in case you are experiencing the struggle.

From Forbes: How To Beat The Back-To-Work Blues After A Vacation

From MSN: Back to Work After the Holidays: Your Ultimate Guide to a Smooth Return

From Grammarly: 6 Wonderful Tips on How to Catch Up on Emails After a Vacation

And finally, some laughs from Fairygodboss: 35 Memes That Perfectly Capture the Pain of Returning to Work After Vacay

If you did not take time off yet this winter, some of these have tips that will get you prepared for when you do get some time away, so check them out.

I'd love to hear what your best strategies are for returning to work- email me and I'll happily compile a list!

All the best,
Holly

Your Holiday Gift: People Do Well If They Can

Hello all,

We are in full winter holiday mode in my town, with craft fairs and concerts, lights and parades, dinners and all the overwhelming feelings of happy anticipation and unhappy inadequacy and worries about not being or having enough. Not having enough to share and not having enough to offer, or being enough for family and friends to gather with. And for me these feelings are also wrapped up in years of memories about what winter holidays were, and who was there and should always be, which is of course impossible!

If you are anything like me, and I know I am (that's my favorite joke by the way, cracks me up every time!), you could use a little boost to help you remember how to handle these weeks.

My holiday gift to you is this fabulous phrase... "People do well if they can."

These words are from Dr. Stuart Albon (Harvard Medical School) in a podcast interview with Mel Robbins that she says is a lifetime-changing phrase. And it is profound. "Kids do well if they can." "Coworkers do well if they can." Because Dr. Albon says that research has shown that it's not a lack of will that prevents good behavior, achievements, and social connection, it's a lack of skill. Those "soft skills" like flexibility, problem solving, creative thinking, emotional intelligence, questioning for understanding, and organizational skills that are necessary complements to "hard skills" like scientific and technical, mathematics, computer coding, analytical reasoning, deep subject knowledge, and organizational policy knowledge are often lacking in people around us through no fault of their own. They just haven't picked them up yet.

The short Instagram reel with an excerpt of the interview will get you started, but please listen to the full podcast for the most value.

The podcast is long, so start at the beginning and then skip around if you want to... do some microlearning, like I mentioned last week! And, sorry for the commercials, but really, it's worth it!

• 4:43: If someone’s behavior is driving you crazy, this simple shift will provide patience.
• 8:10: The most powerful way to help anyone change their behavior.
• 16:22: This story will completely change how you think about helping others.
• 22:34: 5 ways to communicate better in your relationships to avoid chaos.
• 40:50: How to motivate people in your life to take positive action.
• 49:47: 3 powerful strategies to handle any challenging behavior.
• 1:01:19: How to positively transform any relationship in your life.
• 1:04:15: How to practice true empathy with the people that you love.
• 1:10:02: 3 ways to connect with someone in your life who is struggling.
• 1:18:16: The truth behind why young adults are struggling now more than ever.
• 1:24:11: What every parent should know about generational trauma (and how to break it).
• 1:28:01: Show yourself empathy; you’re doing the best you can.

Our SUNY campuses are learning organizations, therefore our SUNY employees should be in the best possible position to keep learning. Whatever skills you need now, I am certain there is a way for you to get them here in SUNY.

I'll be taking a WIT Wisdom break until after the New Year, so I'll be back in 2025.

Wishing you all the best for whatever holidays you celebrate!

Holly

Keep Fighting the Good Fight - Challenge Stereotypes and Uplift Excellence!

Hello all,

We know that stereotypes limit our ability to see others clearly, and limit our ability to effectively connect with people as individuals. So breaking through stereotypes and unmasking myths about groups of people has been a focus of research, DEI workshops, and other community-building strategies. Artists and entertainers have also contributed to showcasing the wide range of strengths that all types of people can have. Nonetheless... stereotypes exist and persist.

New research covered in the most recent Women in Academia (WIA) Report delivered some disappointing news. The summary below highlights the results, and the WIA Report contains a link for those interested in the original article citation.

"A new study led by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, in partnership with the University of Michigan, has found that people who strongly believe in gender stereotypes about intelligence are more likely to dismiss brilliant women characters as unrealistic, even when the characters are based on real people. A similar result was found among people who endorse racial stereotypes regarding intelligence."

Their research outcomes showed that "participants who strongly believed in gender or racial intelligence stereotypes were less likely to perceive White women, Black women, and Black men protagonists as believable geniuses, compared to White men actors, even when these characters were based on real-life stories."

"According to the authors, prior studies have found counter-stereotypical characters in entertainment media can positively affect viewers’ perceptions of marginalized communities. However, they argue these new findings suggest that strongly held gender and racial biases may undermine the potential for character portrayals to positively impact viewers’ attitudes and beliefs."

My takeaway is that as disappointing as this might be (it was a fairly large study with 1,000 participants), a realistic view of human nature would take this in stride. Strongly held beliefs are hard to shake. Entertaining portrayals of stereotype-breaking people are probably not sufficient, just as the research found. That simply means we have to continue regularly disputing these stereotypes and pointing to counter examples in order to continue our progress towards inclusive equality. Every time one of us lifts up and acknowledges excellence in our WIT colleagues, we help shake those harmful beliefs. So keep doing what you are doing!

All the best,
Holly