Evelyn M. Simien, director of the Africana Studies Institute and professor of political science, has been studying black women in politics for 20 years.

But throughout her career, as she moved from one position or job to the next, employers would ask her, “Tell me again: Why is it important that we address black women in American politics?”

“Fast forward to the present – ​​I don’t think anyone would dare ask that question,” says Simien.

Women from UConn and 15 other universities studying psychology, nursing, social work, engineering, nutrition, human development and family sciences, and education gathered at UConn the week of August 5 for workshops, discussions and collaboration.

Although the Democratic Party’s nomination of Kamala Harris, a black woman, for U.S. president has increased the importance of Simien’s research, women and girls of color still do not receive enough attention in other research areas, such as health inequalities, Simien says.

“I’m just an example,” Simien says. “I want to inspire others and give them the tools they need to be successful in this profession. I also want to show them that you can study women and girls and get promoted, get tenure and succeed in academia. This institute shows how successful women of color studying women and girls have been.”

Simien and colleagues at Institute of African Studies organized the program to inspire researchers and teach practical skills, such as grant-making, to younger faculty members who research women and girls of color.

The program was launched in 2015 with funding from the Provost’s Office and followed an initiative by the White House Council on Women and Girls to promote scholarship and research on women and girls of color.

The week-long program included keynote speakers, writing workshops, group coaching Meetings and lectures.

Each day of the program revolved around a different theme, with Monday’s activities focusing on “storytelling.” Tuesday’s sessions focused on mixed methods and data collection, where participants learned about Lorrie Fraiser, Professor of Political Science and African American Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles who explained how to start and fund a large-N survey. They also learned about various qualitative research methods from Fiona Vernal, associate professor of history and African studies at UConn, And Nadia Brown, professor of government at Georgetown University.

On Wednesday, the group explored topics such as self-care, career development, and digital wellbeing. On Thursday, the group focused on lessons on funding sources and community engagement, learning strategies on how to make their own grant proposals stand out from Shawnda Chapman, director of innovative grants and research at the Ms. Foundation.

Keynote Speaker Deirdre Cooper Owensassociate professor of history at UConn, opened the program on Monday by highlighting her professional journey and the difficulties she has faced not only in her career but in life.

Speech by Cooper Owens, The article, titled “How to Regain Peace and Balance When Academia Becomes Too Much,” covers several lessons Cooper Owens has learned throughout her stellar academic career, including lessons she had to learn and unlearn in order to succeed both professionally and personally.

The keynote speaker shared that early in her career, an advisor advised her not to trust other academics and that she fell victim to the “hustle culture.” However, as her career progressed, she realized that she was more beneficial in building relationships and figuring out how to balance her career and personal life.

Participants could relate to Cooper Owens’ experiences and shared their struggles, asking each other for advice on what to focus on early in their careers or how to deal with being the only ones in their department advocating for a particular issue they care about.

According to Simien, having women from different disciplines at UConn helps build a robust network of female researchers who can continue to help each other long after the week-long program concludes.

“I wanted people to go home confident and self-assured, knowing that what they are doing is of tremendous value to the American public,” Simien says.