SIUE's Colaninno Leads Efforts to Reduce and Prevent Sexual Harassment and Assault in New National Role

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill., Jan. 13, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Southern Illinois University Edwardsville's Carol Colaninno, PhD, research associate professor in the SIUE STEM Center and adjunct professor in the Department of Anthropology, has been named the first Sexual Harassment and Assault Reduction and Prevention (SHARP) Coordinator for the Southeastern Archaeological Conference (SEAC) Executive Committee.

According to Colaninno, research demonstrates that archeologists, primarily students and early career professionals who identify as female, experience sexual harassment and assault at alarming rates. With the creation of this critical position, SEAC is prioritizing efforts to reduce and prevent the frequency at which its members are subjected to sexual harassment and assault.

"I am excited about this appointment, as it allows me to have a broader understanding of how the discipline can respond to issues of harassment and what we can do to support students and professionals who experience harassment," Colaninno said.

The SIUE researcher is uniquely qualified to serve in this critical new position, given her work as principal investigator of a collaborative research project aimed at preventing sexual harassment from occurring during undergraduate field-based courses, specifically in the field of archeology. The project, "Evidence-based Transformation of Undergraduate Field Schools to Promote Safety and Inclusivity," is funded by a $300,000 grant from the National Science Foundation (Award No. 1937392).

"My research focuses on how instructors of field schools can make their field schools safer and more inclusive for students by reducing and preventing behavior that is considered harassment and/or sexual harassment," Colaninno explained. "I have spent hours interviewing field school instructors to see how they try to create an environment free of harassment, and I've also interviewed students to see what they perceive as effective. This research has given me a unique perspective on the full range of positions people have when developing and implementing practices and policies, and how people feel affected by those policies and practices. I also have a unique understanding of where archaeological instructors, students, and professionals need support when it comes to handling issues of harassment."

Colaninno will lead efforts that support SEAC's commitment to creating an environment where members feel comfortable, safe and free from harassing behavior. Efforts will include coordinating workshops at annual meetings, developing and piloting a code of conduct for the annual meeting, and conducting research to investigate if these efforts are reducing the number of archeologists who are subjected to harassment.

"How people are affected by harassment is individualized based on one's interactions of identity," she said. "As SHARP Coordinator, I have the opportunity to hear and learn from people who are not like me and understand their perspective on how the issue of sexual harassment shapes their identity as an archaeologist and how they do archaeology. Hearing from a diverse range of voices is beneficial for how we conceptualize and actualize change within our discipline and beyond."

Colaninno will serve a two-year term, through November 2023.

The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Center for STEM Research, Education and Outreach comprises an independent group of researchers and educators, innovating ways to engage students and the public in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Within the SIUE Graduate School, the Center brings together research faculty, graduate students and practitioners to conduct education research. The Center contributes educational expertise to SIUE undergraduate classes and provides professional development for K-12 teachers. The Center boasts a significant library of equipment and resources, which are available for loan at no cost to campus and regional instructors. For more information, visit siue.edu/stem or contact STEM Center Director Sharon Locke at (618) 650-3065 or [email protected].

Media Contact

Megan Wieser, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, 618-650-3653, [email protected]

SOURCE Southern Illinois University Edwardsville