K.M. (Nelly) Marosi, MSc

1. Broadening STEAM participation: An intersectional approach to promoting minoritized students’ inclusion (Ph.D. Project, 2020-2024)

A large and growing body of literature has reported that persistent inequalities within science secure the privilege of white males while women, people of color, and persons with disabilities are consistently underrepresented and discriminated in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) (EC, 2021; NSF, 2021). Of interest to this study are the experiences of LGBTQIA+ individuals (queer from now on), who are both an “underrepresented and underserved” community in STEM (Patridge, Barthelemy, & Rankin, 2013, p.78) but have not received a lot of attention.

This project aims to respond to the urgent call for inclusive and equitable quality education (SDG 4) and gender equality (SDG 5) (United Nations, 2021) by a) shedding light on the nature of the exclusion of queer people from STEM fields throughout schooling, university, and career trajectory, and b) creating knowledge on how to teach science in a queer inclusive and affirmative way.

A systematic literature review was conducted to synthesize the existing knowledge base on the experiences of queer individuals in STEM learning and working environments. Following this work, data will be collected through communicative focus groups and biographical interviews with queer STEM majors in order to a) examine their science identity throughout schooling and university education,  b) examine the intersections of their science identity with other social identities, and c) identify experiences that affirmed the participants’ science identities and fostered their STEM participation.

University of Groningen, University of Athens

2. ALLINTERACT Widening and diversifying citizen engagement with science (EU-H2020, 2020-2023; Budget: 1.1 million euro, with dr. L. Avraamidou and dr. M. Lopez Lopez)

ALLINTERACT is a project selected and funded under H2020 program (SwafS-20-2018-2019: Building the SwafS knowledge base).

This project will aim, on the one hand, to create new knowledge about how to transform potential citizen participation in science into actual engagement in scientific research, and on the other hand, to unveil new ways to engage societal actors, including young citizens and groups that have traditionally been excluded from science: women, refugees, LGTBQIA+, ethnic/religious minorities. 

The project is grounded on the idea that, although many citizens still do not see why they should understand science or participate in it, they are willing to participate in science when they become aware of the social impacts generated by research outcomes. In this line, previous research has evidenced that if citizens are aware of social impact emerged from research, they are more likely to be involved and participate in science.

ALLINTERACT project will focus on two Sustainable Development Goals –Quality Education and Gender Equality – and with a mixed-method approach, by using digital technology (social media analytics), a survey, and an intervention study, including communicative focus groups.

Partners: CREA-Universitat de Barcelona, University of Helsinki, University of Groningen, University Milano-Bicocca, ISCSP – University of Lisbon, Oxford University,  European Parents Association (EPA).  Supported by Instituto Natura, Yes Forum, and the Department of Welfare of the Catalan administration.

3. STEAM4ALL: Towards an Inclusive STEAM programme for ALL (Erasmus+, KA220-SCH, 2022-2024)

The aim of the project is to develop an interdisciplinary STEAM program to empower and actively engage students, teachers, school leaders, school staff and school communities to apply STEAM activities, robotics and digital tools to develop important 21st century skills for students.

The project includes the development of the 3 following project results

1. Project result 1 - A comprehensive toolkit for all stakeholders which will consist of pedagogical material including blended learning modules, lesson plan, experiential workshops, material for thematic school days, videos will be freely available for usage.
2. Project result 2 - An online platform where all project’s material will be uploaded and will be freely accessible. The platform will not require registration for accessing and downloading material so as to facilitate user access and challenges.
3. Project result 3 – A Guide for educators that will be used during the LTTE event and which will be made available for participants to use in their own practice with their students.

Partners: University of Groningen, Netherlands (coordinator); CARDET, Cyprus; Ekpaideftiria Douka, Greece; Europa Media, Hungary; Dimotiko Scholeio Egkomis 2, Cyprus; The Rural Hub, Ireland

4. ENLIGHT Workshop 2022

ENLIGHT is a European University formed by nine comprehensive, research-intensive universities from nine European countries. ENLIGHT strives to transform the way in which we address global challenges by developing new models and methodologies for education and research adapted to the complex sustainability issues that cities and communities face today.

Together with Viraf M. Mehta (University of Göttingen), Lucy Avraamidou and Valeria Cernei (University of Groningen), Katerina Pia Günter and Virginia Grande (Uppsala University) we organized the workshop Interdisciplinary Intersectionality in (Theoretical) Physics that took take place in Göttingen, Germany on March 22-24, 2023.

This workshop facilitates a dialogue between physicists and experts studying the "culture of physics", with the goal of plotting the path of least resistance toward an equitable and just scientific practice within physics.

Our sessions were coordinated discussions around topics including:

— Epistemic Injustice: understanding exclusionary practices in the academy
— A Focus on Physics: specific issues of accessibility in physics
— Towards Epistemic Justice: an exercise on collective sense-making and understanding