Globalization Seminar Wednesday, Oct 30

Dr. Atsushi Akera, associate professor of science and technology studies at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), will present a public seminar on the topic, “Asians as Model Minorities–Navigating through STEM careers in a Globalized Workforce.”

The talk will be held in the Alumni Lounge in the Memorial Union on Wednesday, Oct. 30 at 4 p.m. Refreshments will be available.

The conversations that will follow Dr. Akera’s opening remarks will center on the challenges that under-represented group faces in preparing for and seeking careers in STEM fields in the changing circumstances of the 21st century, with Asian-American experiences as one window into this process.  The focus of this session will be to explore the complex dynamic surrounding cultural stereotypes that affect both over- and under-represented groups. Insofar as pan-Asian identities in the context of a global workforce affect everyone, we also hope that all Michigan Tech students will find the subject to be of interest.

A historian of technology whose research interests include the history of engineering education and the history of computing, Dr. Akera is the author of numerous articles and also of Calculating a Natural World: Scientists, Engineers, and Computers during the Rise of US Cold War Research (2006).  He was co-editor (with William Aspray) of  Using History to Teach Computer Science and Related Disciplines (2004), and (with Frederick Nebeker) of  From 0 to 1: An Authoritative History of Modern Computing (2002).  He has just finished ten years in the position of Director of First Year Studies at Rensselaer.

Dr. Akera is visiting campus as a Michigan Tech Visiting Women & Minority Scholar, and this presentation is partially supported by the Visiting Women & Minority Lecturer/Scholar Series (VWMLS) which is funded by the President’s Office and a grant to the Office of Institutional Equity from the State of Michigan’s King-Chavez-Parks Initiative.  Additional partners include the College of Sciences and Arts, the College of Engineering, the Department of Computer Science, and the Waino Wahtera Center for Student Success.  The Center for Diversity and Inclusion and the Career Center also provided assistance in support of this presentation.