Dr. Hila Riemer of the Guilford Glazer Faculty of Business and Management GGFBM has been chosen to serve as the Presidential Advisor for Gender Equity. She will replace Prof. Iris Shai, who was appointed by former BGU President Prof. Rivka Carmi in 2013.
Dr Riemer's research focuses on consumer psychology, particularly on the emotional and cultural factors that influence consumer judgment and decisions.
"Achieving gender equality is not simply a goal for the sake of equality," said BGU President Prof. Daniel Chamovitz. "It is part of what it means to strive for excellence. As a leading institution of higher education we aim to make groundbreaking discoveries with the potential to influence our society. Gender balance ensures that we are able to maximize our excellence."
Dr. Riemer has long played a role in facilitating opportunities for women at BGU, both as a member of BGU's Committee for the Advancement of Women in Academics and by mentoring doctoral students in general, particularly women, and encouraging them to pursue academic careers.
Prof. Miki Malul, GGFBM Dean, applauded the selection, saying it would be difficult to have nominated a more deserving candidate. "I can't think of a better person to fill this role," he said. "Hila is an outstanding researcher and teacher. That, together with her keen sense of social awareness, is a perfect combination for this role."
"This issue is 'hot' at the moment, because despite the advances made in recent years women are still under-represented in so many areas, in Academia, particularly at senior levels," said Dr. Riemer. "The main source of this issue is cultural. There is a long way to go before we really achieve meaningful cultural change. We must work hard to remove internal and external barriers and biases, both explicit and implicit. We must continue to commit resources, and to work as hard as we can on all fronts- education, policy and regulations, corporate processes; and at all levels sociocultural, organizational and personal.
"With the strides already made at BGU, we are well-positioned to become the leader for women in science, and to have an impact far beyond the University itself," she added.
About The Office for Advancement of Women in Academia
The Women's Forum at the Ben-Gurion University was established in 2000, following the recommendation of the Council of Higher Education and as part of a broad strategy to promote female researchers, particularly in subject areas where women were under-represented. The strategy includes a range of programs to encourage women to pursue careers in academia; these include support groups for high school students and university undergraduates, as well as for easing the absorption process for new faculty members at institutions of higher education.
The Office for Advancement of Women in Academia consists of representatives from across the academic spectrum. Each member of the forum is responsible to raise and address issues of concern in their "home" faculties. Each year the group produces a schedule of events to address the challenges facing female faculty members, with support from the Office.
