Diversity Week: Is “Meritocracy” in Stem Research Inherently Biased?

Mary Blair-Loy, Ph.D. Professor and Interim Director of Graduate Studies Professor of Sociology, UC San Diego Renee Alexander, Ph.D. Former Associate Dean of Students and Director, Campus Climate Initiatives, Cornell University Ithaca Founder, “Breaking Bread” community Sushmita Mukherjee, Ph.D., M.S. Associate Professor of Research in Biochemistry Co-Director, Microscopy and Image Analysis Core Facility Diversity Champion, Departments of Biochemistry and Cell Biology Weill Cornell Medicine A conversation based on the recently published book, “Misconceiving Merit.” Few beliefs are as sacred to scientists, engineers and mathematicians as the belief that science is a meritocracy. As a system of advancement and recognition, meritocracy is thought to reward those who produce the best work. In this conversation, Mary Blair-Loy will help us unpack the very word "meritocracy," to reveal the cultural beliefs and practices around merit and excellence, and how the dominant culture affects how these words are defined and understood. The goal of this book, and our current conversation, is to explore how these cultural beliefs and practices, which are seen as legitimate and neutral, can in fact lead to a perpetuation of inequities in STEM. We will also speak about how these biases may be potentially mitigated.