Critical Conversations
Wednesday, July 1, 2020

Manu Platt, PhD

Associate Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University
Manu Platt, PhD

As visibility of the killing of unarmed black men by police has increased, a movement to address racial inequities in the United States has gained steam, and neither academia nor STEM researchers are immune. In addition, the disproportionate effect of COVID-19 on black and brown people has led to a tipping point driving activism nationwide. However, the risk remains that the moment will pass and that structures supporting systemic racism will remain, once again, gaslighting academics and students of color into thinking that change is coming.

You will walk away being able to:

  • Uncover micro-to-mega activities that occur on a daily basis that sustain racial inequities
  • Understand the toll it takes on recipients
  • Learn about changes that you can make to promote anti-racist practices
  • Transform the academic culture

Manu Platt received his PhD from the Georgia Tech and Emory University joint program in biomedical engineering in 2006, where he returned as a faculty member in 2009 after completing his postdoctoral training at MIT in orthopedic tissue engineering and systems biology. Now a tenured professor, his research centers on proteolytic mechanisms of tissue remodeling during disease progression using both experimental and computational approaches. In addition, Platt is a champion for diversity in science and engineering. He is co-founder and director of Project ENGAGES, a program that provides African American high school students research opportunities at Georgia Tech.

Awards for Efforts in Diversity

  • Georgia Tech Diversity Champion Award
  • Biomedical Engineering Society Diversity Award
  • Emerging Scholar by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education Magazine
  • Atlanta 40 under 40 by the Atlanta Business Chronicle
  • Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering
  • Root 100, List of the most influential African Americans, ages 25 to 45

Additional Resources to Prepare for This Event

Details

Dates
July 1, 2020
Time
10:00-11:30am PDT
Location
Online
Audience
Gladstone

Critical Conversations was launched in 2020 as a way for Gladstone community members to challenge and empower themselves by considering different ways of thinking through the lens of others. These discussions will encourage you to reframe or shift your perspective. All community members are encouraged to participate and continue the dialogue outside this forum.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

At Gladstone, we are committed to providing events and professional development activities that resonate with our community’s diverse members. Our goal is to develop creative programming that encompasses a wide variety of ideas and perspectives to inspire, educate, and engage with everyone within our walls.

We want to effect positive change through our events and activities by providing a platform for discussions on important topics related to increasing diversity and inclusiveness in the sciences.