Braden Saint-Val – News Writer
Students and faculty met Roberta L. Millstein at the Buley Library to discuss the obstacles facing underrepresented students in academia.
Dr. Millstein is a retired philosophy professor from the University of California, Davis, but is still active in research, which is primarily in the history and science of biology and environmental ethics.
She was invited to the university by Sarah Roe, the history department’s associate professor, who’s main fields are the philosophy of science and its history.
Millstein was her PhD mentor at UC Davis, and was invited by Roe to fulfill her desire to give students the spaces to meet underrepresented professionals and researchers that come together to solve contemporary problems.
“Coming from a background in philosophy where we have historically underrepresented minority groups, I knew instantly that we should be bringing people on campus that can really show our students that great research takes a multitude of disciplines, a multitude of voices, and paying close attention to vulnerable populations,” Roe says.
Topics that were discussed included the imposter syndrome student minorities face at college, the impact of good and bad relationships between students and faculty, as well as how minority students meeting faculty that look like them can make a lasting impression, even before entering college.
Students and faculty also discussed with Millstein about the need for spaces to talk about topics that relate to underrepresented students and their experiences, and the importance of incorporating STEM into the education of vulnerable populations.
Jen Ng, a senior philosophy student, says inclusion in education changed the trajectory her college experience.
“I intended to stay in health sciences but I decided to switch to philosophy because I liked the way that I could see things from a lens which analyzes experience with historical context and other concepts,” Jen says.
