51������

KALAMAZOO, Mich.—Western Michigan University’s Center for the Study of Ethics in Society has announced the keynote speaker for a National Science Foundation-funded conference Feb. 25 in Cincinnati.

Sarina Saturn, Ph.D., editor of the ADVANCE Journal for Individual and Institutional Transformation for Social Justice, will headline the one-day conference focused on privilege in research ethics titled “Privileged Logics: Interrogating Foundations and Practices in Research Ethics.”

NSF awarded the Ethics Center $49,792 for to plan and host the conference in cooperation with the .

A neuroscientist and social justice advocate, Saturn devotes her time educating communities on LGBTQ2SIA+ and other minority groups’ trauma healing and growth. She currently serves as the director of strategic partnerships at OEA Choice Trust. She has extensive education and research experience as an associate professor at the University of Portland and Oregon State University, as a community research evaluation scientist at the Multnomah County Health Department and Oregon Health Authority, and as a presenter and facilitator to diverse audiences.

aims to raise awareness about issues of privilege in research ethics, generate useful concepts for understanding them, and identify broadly applicable recommendations for addressing them that build on inclusive mentoring and other promising practices that already exist in research ethics. This project promotes fairness and equity in science, in alignment with NSF’s mission, by expanding knowledge about the negative impacts of privilege in research and identifying effective strategies for mitigating them.  

A goal of the conference is to assemble a network of experts who want to develop a standard ethical and responsible research (ER2) proposal using ideas from the conference to generate new topics in ER2 and new standards for STEM research and RCR training.  

The conference format will use focused workshop conversations around successful strategies for remedying biases and removing barriers resulting from privilege in STEM research.   

The conference will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza. Limited space is available to attend and participate in workshop discussions. To apply, complete . Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until Feb. 2 or until all slots are filled.

To learn more about the Center for the Study of Ethics in Society, visit wmich.edu/ethics.

About the Center for the Study of Ethics in Society

In August 1985, the Center for the Study of Ethics in Society was created after 51������ faculty across the curriculum met to discuss their common interests in studying and teaching ethics. Each academic year, the center sponsors 15 to 20 public presentations addressing a wide range of ethical issues. Originally sponsored by 51������’s Graduate College, the center is now housed in the College of Arts and Sciences.

For more 51������ news, arts and events, visit 51������ News online.