Section A·Page 6
The University Daily Kansan
Thursday, August 26. 1999
Professor wins national award for research on stereotyping
By Amanda Kashube
writer@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Monica R. Biernat, associate professor of social psychology at the University of Kansas, has received national recognition for her research on social judgment and stereotyping from the American Psychological Association.
Biernat, who is on maternity leave this semester, is one of two winners of the APA's annual Distinguished Scientific Early Career Contribution to Psychology Award in social psychology.
"Since the award came from other psychologists, it was a nice recognition," Biernat said. "Hopefully, it will bring more attention toward teaching research."
The APA presented the awards Friday through Monday at its annual convention in Boston, which Biernat could not attend. Biernat shares the award with a professor from the University of Bristol, United Kingdom.
Greg Simpson, head of the University's psychology department, said he was pleased with Biernat's accomplishments.
in a sense, we are always surprised when someone wins an award," he said. "But we've known about the quality of
her work and the attention her work has gotten through funding from national agencies."
Since coming to the University, Biernat has received research grants exceeding $1.1 million from the National Institute of Mental Health.
Biernat's research on stereotyping and prejudices was conducted on campus through undergraduate psychology experiments during the last five years. She focused mainly on how women and African Americans are evaluated in society.
"Employers tend to have lower standards for them because they have an image of being less competent than white males," she said. "There is a paradoxical pattern that employers are impressed by women and blacks because they don't expect them to do well. But they are also less likely to be promoted."
Biernatal incorporates these themes into her social psychology classes at the University. She said stereotypes tend to sneak up on even the most open-minded thinkers.
"We try to talk about how stereotypes can impact judging people," she said. "Even though much has changed, they continue to exert influence."
Recipients of the award must have held a doctorate degree for less than
nine years. Biernat barely missed the nine-year cutoff for the award by being nominated last year. She earned her doctorate at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, in 1989. She came to the University in 1992 from the University of Florida at Gainesville.
Simpson said Biernat was nominated by a sociology professor at another university and her nomination was then reviewed by a panel before a final decision was made.
"She did it all on her own merit," he said. "We are very pleased that she won such a national, highly competitive award. The department is certainly pleased with the high profile her award has given us."
Nyla Branscombe, associate professor of sociology, said she was happy her colleague received the national award.
"It's wonderful that the world has recognized Monica and her valuable work," she said.
Ironically, Biernat's award for research about the stereotyping of women is shared with a colleague who is male. Biernat said she has not experienced any bias in her field.
"The psychology field has a fairly good representation of women, unlike the engineering or physics," she said
Edited by Chris Hutchison
By Amanda Kaschube
writer@kansan.com
Kansas staff writer
Libraries offer new cards
The new borrower's card,
introduced by
the University of Kansas
libraries on Aug. 1, allows
non-students to use vending
machines and copy
machines in addition to
checking out books.
The new cards are available for $5 a year and may be acquired at Watson Library. The new plastic card is more durable than its paper predecessor and allows borrowers to use the copy machines.
The card is available for those not affiliated with the University and for those who attend other Kansas public schools, such as Kansas State University.
Julia Rholes, assistant dean for information services, said she did not foresee a problem with non-University borrowers intruding on students' and faculty's books.
"People tend to share well," she said. "It would be less of a problem because of the limits on books we impose."
from the Watson Library stacks for six weeks at a time. Now, the libraries have limited checkout to one week, with the option of renewal if no one else has asked for the journal.
In past years, people could check out bound journals
Rholes said this process should make the new borrower's card more efficient for the students, faculty and staff at the University.
"We had a lot of concern that bound journals weren't always on the shelves," she said. "We hope
Another change in library policies that affects the new borrower's card is the number of books a resident can have out at one time.
they are needed."
Rholes said all University-affiliated people could check out as many books as they wanted. But, she said, those with the borrower's card could have only 20 out at a time.
Still, some students are wondering about the availability of books when midterms or finals
approach.
"I can see how people could be concerned, because it is a University library that is meant for students," said Mandy Wilcox, Olathe junior.
Carrie Depenbusch,
Columbus junior, said she
thought the new card could
help others.
"I think it's a good idea, because it will be beneficial to other people who don't have the same facilities as KU," she said.
One problem in the library system that could hinder students and faculty is that the computers do not recognize the difference between the smart card and the borrower's card. Rholes said books would be available on a first-come, firstserve basis.
"Since there are no limits on the number of books KU people can have, it gives a little priority to KU," she said.
Rholes said she thought the card would be a success.
"The library is considered a resource for all citizens of Kansas," she said. "The card is a good value for those who are interested."
—Edited by Kelly Clasen
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