Excellence Empowered by a Diverse Academic Workforce: Chemists, Chemical Engineers and Materials Scientists with Disabilities

堪萨斯大学的Kristin Bowman-James和David R.Benson以及宾夕法尼亚州立大学的Thomas E.Mallouk得到了NSF化学(CHE)、材料研究(DMR)和化学、生物工程、环境和运输系统(CBET)以及国家卫生研究院(National Institutes Of Health)的支持，组织了一场名为“由多样化的学术工作队伍赋予能力的卓越：化学家、化学工程师和材料科学家残障人士”的研讨会。研讨会将审议：(1)《美国残疾人法》和其他联邦法规规定的学术机构的法律义务；(2)增加科学和工程系价值的残疾人的特点；(3)指导残疾学生和教师的重要性；(4)残疾教育和辅助技术研究的最新进展；(5)扩大包括残疾人在内的代表性不足群体参与科学的资金机会。残疾可以是明显的(例如，行动能力、视觉和听力障碍)，也可以是不明显和未披露的(例如，学习/认知和精神健康障碍)。学术部门的残疾教师人数仍然很少，这使得对化学、材料科学和工程学科至关重要的现有人才库得不到充分利用。该讲习班的目的是协助各部门主席和政策制定者制定认识到残疾人并对他们敏感的观点。

Kristin Bowman-James and David R. Benson of the University of Kansas and Thomas E. Mallouk of Pennsylvania State University are supported by the NSF Divisions of Chemistry (CHE), Materials Research (DMR), and Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental and Transport Systems (CBET) and the National Institutes of Health to organize a workshop on "Excellence Empowered by a Diverse Academic Workforce: Chemists, Chemical Engineers and Materials Scientists with Disabilities." The workshop will consider: (1) the legal obligations of academic institutions under the Americans with Disabilities Act and other federal regulations, (2) characteristics of people with disabilities that add value to science and engineering departments, (3) the importance of mentorship for students and faculty with disabilities, (4) recent advances in research on disabilities education and assistive technologies, and (5) funding opportunities on broadening participation from underrepresented groups in science, including those with disabilities. Disabilities can be apparent (e.g., mobility, visual and often, hearing impairments) or unapparent and undisclosed (e.g., learning/cognitive and mental health disorders). Academic departments continue to have low numbers of faculty with disabilities making the underutilization of the available talent pool of critical interest to the chemical, materials science and engineering disciplines. The aim of this workshop is to assist Departmental Chairs and policymakers in developing perspectives that recognize and are sensitive to people with disabilities.