Kicking off the year long celebration of the anniversary of 50 years of co-education at Union, Pooja Kothari ’03, an expert in bias awareness, came back to campus to host a talk titled “Creating a More Inclusive Campus: Gender, Unconscious Bias and Union’s Role.” The event was open to all, with free access.

Kothari received a B.A. in economics and Spanish from Union, going on to earn an M.A. in international relations from the John Hopkins School for Advanced International Studies, as well as a J.D. from Brooklyn Law School. Kothari spoke at length about the importance of consistently confronting an intrinsic bias, as it cannot simply be dealt with with only one discussion. It is a process that is always ongoing, and requires an ability to learn and accept criticism.

Discussing the visit of Kothari, Madison Holley ’22 commented that he believed the talk was important because it “helped to show us ways that we can face our own internal biases in a way that furthers our learning.” As well, Holley made sure to emphasize that we can improve ourselves without being “hurtful to those around us.” More events are being held during the year to commemorate the anniversary, with there being a continuation of profiles being published on female alumni and where they are today. As well, there will be art exhibits and the 8 Annual Capital District Feminist Studies Consoritium Conference will be hosted by Union on February 7.