2024 MRS Fall Meeting & Exhibit

Navigating Unconscious Bias

Tuesday, December 3
9:30 am – 10:30 am
Sheraton, 5th Floor, Boston Common

Yvonne Kavanagh
South East Technological University

We are hardwired to make fast decisions about people and interacting with them. This has come from our experience.  Sometimes we are not aware of the processes going on as we make these decisions. Understanding this process can support a positive view of colleagues and promote a positive image to others.

You have expectations from your career, and you focus on your work and how you engage with people is an important factor in achieving your goals.

Have you considered what your view of the world is shaped by? How do you shape your judgment of people, how has this judgment affected your approach and your success?  How do we construct a positive approach to others to use any bias to our advantage?  This workshop aims to reflect on these and other questions as we navigate bias – both conscious and unconscious. It will look at aspects of the workplace and how to successfully navigate it.

 

Biography

Yvonne Kavanagh is the Director of Engineering Research and Innovation at the South East Technological University (SETU), Carlow, Ireland.  She has leadership responsibility for directing and developing the research portfolio across the engineering domains. Her research interests include sol-gel deposition of thin films for applications in display technology and wind turbine design.

Kavanagh was the Chair of the Institute of Physics (IOP) Ireland committee from 2019 to 2022 and is currently a member of the Institute of Physics Council and the IOP Audit and Risk Committee. She is the Ireland team lead for the International Conference for Women in Physics since 2017. Kavanagh is a member of the MRS Focus on Sustainability Subcommittee.  She is the Vice Dean for Academic Affairs at the Carlow International College of Technology based in Zhengzhou, China.  Her interest in Education led her to pioneer Physical Physics as an active learning approach to engage students.  Kavanagh previously worked in industry for Hughes-JVC and Bio-Rad in various scientific roles.