EDII Lecture Series
The EDII Research Initiative hosts regular seminars, workshops and speaker series events to foster dialogue and disseminate cutting-edge scholarship.
Upcoming Events
“Make Geography Great Again”: Advancing DEI by Bridging Psychological Theories with Spatial-Environmental Principles in Neighbourhood Studies
- Wednesday, March 25, 2026
- 2:00 PM EDT
Speaker
Leong Chan-Hoong,
Nanyang Technological University
While the research in diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) is generally well established in the social sciences, the influence of the geography on intergroup relations is neither well understood nor integrated with individual level analysis. Moreover, not much has been theorised on the links between psychological and spatial principles, and how emerging technologies in geographic information systems (GIS) can be harnessed to generate new insights on intercultural contact and change in residential neighbourhoods. This presentation offers a spatially grounded perspective to comprehending how the built and social environments shape diversity, multicultural inclusion, and psychological wellbeing.
Learn MorePast Events
Disasters, Vulnerable Groups and Responsibilisation: Narratives, Social Dramas, and Social Policy
- Wednesday, August 27, 2025
- 11:00 AM EDT
Speaker
Mustafa Özbilgin,
Brunel University of London
Disasters are "total social facts," reflecting intertwined social, natural, and technological impacts shaped by dominant narratives that influence policy and public perception. Supporting individuals’ well-being post-disaster requires governance that is fair, collaborative, and fosters co-ownership among diverse stakeholders to integrate human, natural, and technological considerations.
“F” That!: Dealing with Fear and Fatigue Surrounding D.E.I. in the Classroom
- Wednesday, August 27, 2025
- 9:00 AM EDT
Speaker
Lynn Bowes-Sperry,
California State University East Bay
Given the current politically divisive climate in many countries, it shouldn't be surprising that many instructors and students are experiencing fear and/or fatigue with regard to the topic of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the classroom. My goal for this session is to decrease the fear and fatigue associated with DEI in the classroom while increasing the potential for fun.
The Inclusion Tax: The Price of the Ticket in White Spaces
- Monday, February 12, 2024
- 10:00 AM EST
Speaker
Tsedale Melaku,
CUNY Baruch
Through in-depth semi-structured interviews of twenty Black women lawyers, Dr. Tsedale's article demonstrates how systemic racism is deeply entrenched in white spaces, preventing a genuine and effective path to diversity, equity, and full inclusion. Moreover, it theorizes how emotional, cognitive, financial, and relational labors amount to an inclusion tax levied against Black women professionals in white spaces.
Shared Inequities: An Alternative Framework for Racial Justice in the Workplace
- Tuesday, February 7, 2023
- 9:00 AM EST
Speaker
Cedric Dawkins,
York University
Racial injustice places a burden on an ethically sensitive society and poses questions as to how we bear it. While society confronts this enduring racial inequity, I argue that it is morally fitting that all would share in its burdens. Through the concept of shared inequity, the paper discounts unqualified notions of merit and win–win convergences and holds forth the supposition that fairly apportioning the burdens of a fraught racial past (and present) is an idea whose time has come.
Including Behavior
- Friday, August 19, 2022
- 1:00 PM EDT
Speaker
Hans van Dijk,
Tilburg University
Mundane behaviors can have a large impact on experiences of inclusion and exclusion. Following a simulation modelling this effect, participants will reflect on how inclusive the workplace, culture, and organization is, and what participants can do themselves to foster inclusion.
Decolonize Your Class
- Friday, August 19, 2022
- 11:00 AM EDT
Speaker
Alexis Smith Washington,
Oklahoma State University
Reflect, reimagine and reconstruct course syllabi so that they foster students’ engagement, validation and sense of belonging with you, in the classroom and with the class material. Engage in some reflective exercises to examine their own identities and positionality, and then move into more critical analysis of course design (aka: interrogating practices and policies; reconstructing for equity & inclusion).
Staying Ready: Engaging in Difficult Conversations about EDI in the Classroom
- Friday, August 19, 2022
- 9:00 AM EDT
Speaker
Stephanie Creary,
Wharton School of Management
Enhance your “EDI readiness” for engaging in both planned and unplanned conversations about EDI in the classroom. Familiarize yourself with some difficult EDI teaching scenarios and begin to develop effective language and other strategies that will enable to you to more actively and thoughtfully guide students toward discovery and learning.