Visiting scholar will address need for more diversity in STEM fields

LAWRENCE — A Phi Beta Kappa Visiting Scholar will examine how to improve diversity in science during a lecture at the University of Kansas.

Professor Karen Fleming, an internationally prominent biophysicist, will talk about equity in STEM fields at 5 p.m. Tuesday, March 2, over Zoom. The lecture is free and open to the public. It will be moderated by Phi Beta Kappa members Apolonia Arteaga and Aroog Khaliq, both KU students.

Fleming is a professor of biophysics at Johns Hopkins University who directs a discovery-oriented research laboratory at the intersection of physics and biology. Her work enables insight into the rules of life, mechanisms of disease, evolution and biological design. 

The professor is an outspoken advocate for nurturing a more diverse, representative and inclusive STEM pipeline. She has won numerous awards for both her scientific and diversity/equity accomplishments, including the Thomas Thompson Award from the Biophysical Society and the Johns Hopkins Provosts prize for Faculty Excellence in Diversity. She serves as an associate editor at the Journal of Biological Chemistry.

Her lecture is part of a virtual university visit for the Kansas Alpha Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. Other events include a screening of the documentary “Picture A Scientist” and small group discussions with KU faculty, staff and students.

“As a pre-medical student, I am familiar with the experiences of women and minorities in STEM, and while the field changes and grows constantly, the pitfalls associated with underrepresentation are hardly new to me,” Khaliq said. “I am grateful to the Phi Beta Kappa organizers for bringing this conversation to its students and encouraging us all to consider our place in academic cultures, as there is a lot of work to do if we want to prioritize equity beyond the level of mission statements.”

The Phi Beta Kappa Visiting Scholar Lecture at KU is sponsored by the University Honors Program, Department of Molecular Biosciences, Center for Computational Biology, the Multicultural Scholars Program, KU Natural History Museum and The Commons.

The 16 individuals participating in the Phi Beta Kappa Society’s 2020-2021 Visiting Scholar Program will make more than 100 visits to colleges and universities like KU with chapters of Phi Beta Kappa, the nation's oldest academic honor society. The program strives to contribute to the intellectual life of institutions by making possible an exchange of ideas between the visiting scholars and the resident faculty and students.