Alison Coil Colloquium Abstract (Feb 24, 2016)

Unconscious Bias:  Data, Studies, and Next Steps

I will present data and studies that find evidence for unconscious bias in various hiring and evaluation scenarios, ranging from evaluations of CVs to self citations, letters of recommendation, and teaching evaluations.  I will discuss a key mechanism, that of shifting criteria, and how this plays out in hiring.  I will also discuss what one can do to counteract unconscious bias in faculty hiring and beyond.