Supporting Postdoctoral Scholars Experiencing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education

Webcast

Supporting Postdoctoral Scholars Experiencing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education - Release Event

May 14, 2025

11:30 AM - 12:45 PM (ET)

Past

Discussion

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About

Postdoctoral scholars are particularly vulnerable to sexual harassment for a variety of reasons, including their dual roles as trainees and employees, early career stage, reliance on mentors, and a lack of institutional policies tailored to their needs, amongst other factors.

The Action Collaborative on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education held a virtual issue paper release event on Considerations for Supporting Postdoctoral Scholars Experiencing Sexual Harassment. This issue paper reviewed existing research on factors contributing to the sexual harassment of postdoctoral scholars, describes the landscape of relevant policies, laws, and regulations that influence postdoctoral scholars’ vulnerability to sexual harassment, and analyzes examples of efforts to address the sexual harassment of postdoctoral scholars.
This issue paper serves as research-based resource for higher education administrators; practitioners; and faculty, staff, and student leaders. Issue Papers describe the status of and key elements shaping an issue, examine and summarize the research or evidence base, examine existing practices on a key issue, and/or provide technical assessments of strategies or priorities. They do not provide consensus findings, conclusions, or recommendations.

Moderator

Kait Spear, Program Officer, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

Speakers:

Adrienne Allison, Deputy Title IX Coordinator in the Office of Institutional Equity, Duke University
Lauren Jones McKown, Associate Vice Chancellor for Civil Rights and Title IX, University of Kansas
Shannon Lynn Burton, University Ombudsperson, Michigan State University; Co-Ombuds, American Educational Research Association; Adjunct Professor of Management, Aquinas College; Editor, Journal of the International Ombuds Association; Co-Editor, The Organizational Ombuds: Foundations, Fundamentals and the Future

Discussants:

Andrea Joseph, Assistant Professor in Biomedical and Chemical Engineering, Syracuse University
Sofie R Kleppner, Associate Vice Provost & Associate Dean for Postdoctoral Affairs, Stanford University

Contact

Kait Spear

KSpear@nas.edu

Disclaimer

It is essential to the National Academies mission of providing evidence-based advice that participants in any of our meetings or events avoid political or partisan statements or commentary and maintain a culture of mutual respect. The statements and presentations during our meetings or events are solely those of the individual participants and do not necessarily represent the views of other participants or the National Academy of Sciences, which is a non-partisan, tax exempt organization that includes under its Charter the National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine, and that operates the National Research Council.

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Supporting Postdoctoral Scholars Experiencing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education

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Supporting Postdoctoral Scholars Experiencing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education - Release Event