Data, Innovation and Community Engagement Distinguished Lecture Series
Equity Ethics: Transforming Stem/AI and Ensuring Species Survival
Speaker: Ebony McGee Ph.D.
Dr. Ebony McGee explores equity ethics in transforming STEM and AI. Learn how her groundbreaking work addresses race, structural racism, and wellness in the STEM ecosystem. Engage in this inspiring event that envisions a more equitable future in STEM on October 7th.
“Our world balances on the brink of multiple existential crises… caused by STEM. The result is a civilization that teeters on the precipice of disaster.”
Key Takeaways:
- STEM’s Role in Global Crises: The Industrial Revolution, driven by STEM, has led to existential threats like climate catastrophe, pandemics, and unregulated AI. Addressing these requires changes in current STEM practices.
- Educators as Catalysts: STEM educators must lead by confronting barriers, and promoting comprehensive innovation.
- Urgency for Transformation: The survival of humanity and ecosystems depends on integrating equity ethics into STEM now—through curriculum redesign, collaborative learning, and societal engagement.
We stand at a pivotal moment in history, where the very forces that propelled human progress—STEM—now threaten our survival. From climate collapse to unchecked AI, these crises demand more than technological fixes; they require a fundamental shift in who leads, who benefits, and how we educate. This talk explores how STEM educators can drive this transformation by centering equity ethics and pioneering solutions that honor both people and the planet. The time to act is not tomorrow—it’s now.
About Dr. Ebony McGee:
Dr. Ebony McGee, a 13-time NSF investigator awardee and electrical engineer by training, is a Professor of Innovation and Inclusion in the STEM Ecosystem at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Education and the School of Public Health in the Department of Mental Health. She specializes in the research of race and structural racism within the STEM ecosystem, a role that has established her as the leading expert in this arena.
Dr. McGee’s groundbreaking work in STEM education and occupation focuses on the experiences of mental/physical health outcomes for Black and other minorities students and professionals. Her investigations extend beyond traditional boundaries, delving into the limits of resiliency, wellness, and job embeddedness within the STEM ecosystem. Responding to these challenges, Dr. McGee has pioneered multiple initiatives, such as the Racial Revolutionary and Inclusive Guidance for Health Throughout STEM (R-RIGHTS), the Explorations in Diversifying Engineering Faculty Initiative (EDEFI), and the Institute in Critical Quantitative and Mixed Methodologies Training for Underrepresented Scholars (ICQCM). These initiatives are made possible via support from the National Science Foundation, the Spencer Foundation, and the WT Grant Foundation.
A significant portion of Dr. McGee’s scholarship investigates how Afrofuturism––a movement that merges science, technology, and African diasporic culture to envision more equitable futures––can be leveraged to dismantle racial barriers in STEM. She co-authored a chapter on Afrofuturism in the “Handbook of Urban Education,” emphasizing the potential of Afrofuturist principles to reimagine STEM for Black urban learners. Her work often highlights how Afrofuturist artists and writers, like Octavia E. Butler, use speculative fiction to address contemporary issues such as environmental justice, food insecurity, and advanced computing ethics, providing a visionary blueprint for real-world STEM innovations.
