MSNBC correspondent to kick off Implicit Bias Speaker Series

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Sometimes people aren’t aware of how their attitudes and beliefs operate below conscious level and affect their judgment or behavior.

The Office of Diversity and Inclusion wants to change that and is sponsoring the Implicit Bias Speaker Series.

“Implicit bias refers to the unconscious attitudes we have about people that, left unchecked, can lead to prejudice and discrimination,” Jennifer Pizio, associate director for the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, said. “By learning about these biases and making the implicit explicit, we can change our attitudes and help create a more diverse and inclusive environment.”

Ari Melber, MSNBC chief legal correspondent, will kick off the series Thursday, April 6. He will give a talk on “Bias in a Post-Truth Era” at 5 p.m. in Doermann Theater.

“There’s nothing new about bias distorting our view of the world, but are polarized politics and selective information making bias worse? What can we learn from social science and legal training to combat our own biases? I’m hoping to tackle those questions in this program,” Melber said.

Listed by date, other topics and speakers in the series are:

• Thursday, April 13 — “Unconscious Bias and Its Impact on the Patient-Clinician Relationship” by Dr. Adil Haider, surgeon and Kessler Director of the Center for Surgery and Public Health at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, at 4 p.m. in Collier Building Room 1000B.

• Tuesday, April 18 — “Discrimination, Subtle Bias and Inequalities in the Workplace: In the Name of Meritocracy” by Dr. Leanne Son Hing, associate chair of psychology at the University of Guelph in Ontario, at 5 p.m. in Thompson Student Union Room 2584.

• Wednesday, April 26 — “Unconscious Racial Bias in Health Care and in Medical School Admission” by Dr. Quinn Capers IV, associate dean for admissions at Ohio State University College of Medicine, at 4 p.m. in Health Education Building Room 110.

For more information on the free, public talks, contact the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at 419.530.2260.