How can the structure of academia be changed to make it more equitable? This question was posed by an audience member at a December 2020 panel discussion on systemic racism in higher education hosted by the MIT Communications Forum and co-sponsored by Radius at MIT and the MIT Governance Lab (MIT GOV/LAB). Harvard University computer scientist Professor James Mickens emphasized the importance of mentorship in helping people navigate a field in which knowing the right people and knowing how to play the game is essential. “I think one of the…
