22429: Turning Pushback into Progress: Exploring DEI Pushbacks, Solutions, and Paths Forward

Friday, July 25, 2025

13:00 - 15:00 CEST (GMT+2)

Location: Bella Center: Hall C- C1-m3

Session Type: PDW (workshop)
Orientation: Teaching,Practice,International,Research,Diversity
Shareable link: https://cdmcd.co/PnYXwx

Organizer(s)

WZ

Wei Zheng

Stevens Institute of Technology, United States
HX

Haoying Xu

Stevens Institute of Technology, United States

Panelist(s)

LN

Lisa H. Nishii

Cornell U., United States
TS

Traci Sitzmann

U. of Colorado, Denver, United States
MH

Michelle Hebl

Rice U., United States
CB

Camellia Bryan

-, Canada
JL

John Lynch

U. of Illinois at Chicago, United States

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives have been met with increasing resistance in recent years, manifested through legislative actions, corporate policy reversals, and public perception shifts. This Professional Development Workshop (PDW) seeks to bring together leading experts on resistance to DEI and experts on organizational inclusion that strengthen DEI. It aims to examine the causes of DEI pushbacks, explore their impact on individuals and organizations, and discuss strategies that can address these pushbacks and deepen inclusion effectively in organizations. Specifically, the panel discussion will revolve around questions of how to counter the false narratives of DEI, how to raise new research questions in DEI-unfriendly environment, and how scholarship and partnerships can advance the DEI community goals. Following a moderated discussion among the panelists, participants will be invited to join breakout sessions with the panelists to share insights, generate innovative research directions, devise practical strategies, and create community to support one another’s research agenda.