Kelsey Thiem
Dr. Kelsey Thiem earned her Ph.D. in Social Psychology from the University of Iowa and is currently a postdoctoral research scholar in Prof. Nilanjana Dasgupta’s Implicit Social Cognition Lab at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Kelsey’s research focuses on the ways in which stereotypes serve as identity threats and interventions that can be used to mitigate these threats. Her research particularly focuses on the experiences of women and under-represented racial minorities in STEM fields.
Challenges Facing Women in STEM: Recognizing and Managing Implicit Bias and Identity Threat
The stereotypes of most science, technology, engineering, and math fields are that “STEM is for men.” Additionally, men are over-represented at almost every level of STEM participation, both inside and outside of academia. Together, this gender imbalance in scientific environments and the gendered nature of science stereotypes signal to women that STEM isn’t for them. Importantly, these issues may be exacerbated for women from racial groups that are under-represented in STEM fields. The purpose of this session is to identify some of the specific psychological challenges facing women in STEM and discuss different ways to manage them.