Season 1 Episode 2

How Can You Become a More Inclusive Leader?

January 21, 2021

Dr. Robin Brewer, Assistant Professor of Information joins Devon Keen, Director of Inclusion, Equity and Outreach at the School of Information for a conversation around leadership and accessibility. Listen to a captivating discussion covering topics and strategies for inclusive leadership, particularly around accessible technology. (46 min)

Episode Transcript is available.

Competencies

Empathy | Facilitation | Feedback

Episode Resources

What are some questions you should ask when you are planning a meeting, program, or discussion to make the event more accessible?
What are some of the problems we find with technology and accessibility? How can we be more inclusive when researching and designing technology that is accessible to all users?
Devon and Robin discuss the importance of making less visible voices heard more often. As a leader, what steps can you take to change the current narrative and empower new voices in your spaces?

Robin Brewer

Assistant Professor of Information, School of Information and Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, College of Engineering

Robin Brewer is an Assistant Professor at University of Michigan's School of Information (UMSI) and in Computer Science and Engineering (EECS). In the past she has conducted research at Northwestern University, University of Maryland - Baltimore County (UMBC), Carnegie Mellon University, and University of Maryland - College Park. Robin also worked at Microsoft Research, Facebook, and IBM Research as a user experience researcher. Robin does research in Human-Computer Interaction at the intersection of social computing and accessibility. She is studying how experiences with technology can be made more accessible to digitally constrained communities.

Devon Keen

Director of Inclusion, Equity and Outreach, School of Information

Devon Keen is the Director of Inclusion, Equity, and Outreach at the University of Michigan School of Information. A first-generation and non-traditional college student, she received her B.A. in Sociology from the University of Michigan and is currently pursuing her M.A. in Higher Education at the University of Michigan Center for the Study of Higher and Post-Secondary Education (CSHPE). Devon is deeply committed to developing and promoting initiatives centered on increasing educational access and student success. Throughout her 18+ years at the University of Michigan, she has spear-headed collaborations and programs focused on those goals and in 2020, was an honored recipient of the Washtenaw Community College Equity in Action award.