Symposia discusses minorities in academics, film

ANGOLA, IN (10/13/2017) Cassandra Bausman, Ph. D., assistant professor in Trine University's Department of Humanities and Communication, will speak on the correlation between minorities in academics and film during " 'Real Genius' Women," inspired by the 1985 film "Real Genius," on Tuesday, Oct. 17.

The event will begin at 3:30 p.m. in Wells Theater inside Taylor Hall on the Trine campus and is part of the university's Fall 2017 Humanities Symposia. It is free and open to the public.

This program will tie into the book "Hidden Figures," which tells the story of the African-American women working at NASA during the early days of the space program. The book is being read in Composition I classes for this year's Freshman Reading Engagement Experience.

Bausman also will discuss the role of Martha Coolidge, the first female president of the Directors Guild of America. At the time she directed "Real Genius," females accounted for less than 1 percent of all movie directors.

" 'Real Genius' Women" aims at giving the audience a better understanding of the rarity of females in predominately male-driven fields, such as STEM fields and the movie industry. It also will have attendants view these industries through a feminist lens.