キャリアニュース2020年6月25日～7月1日

“Why are you dressed so nicely?” a fellow graduate student asked me in passing, after noticing my collared shirt, slacks, and dress shoes. “Oh, I have to teach today,” I replied. He stopped and stared at me for a few moments, the confusion written plainly on his face. “As a Black man, students treat me with more respect when I dress up,” I explained. What I did not say was, “Our society's current idea of professionalism is so intertwined with straight, white, masculinity that underrepresented people must go above and beyond or risk being seen as incompetent.” > “The mask I crafted was disingenuous and was alienating students of color.” I love teaching. However, for a Black man in a STEM department, it can be taxing, frustrating, and daunting to figure out how to present myself to undergraduate students. Taxing because I have to learn to interact with students who may have preconceived notions of my abilities. Frustrating because the number of colleagues who share my experiences or