Higher education institutions frequently offer mentored research experiences to increase undergraduate student interest, motivation and preparedness for research careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematic and Medicine (STEMM) fields.

However, for participating students from historically underrepresented groups, unaddressed cultural factors may hinder engagement and result in a less effective mentoring relationship.

Two recent studies led by University of WisconsinMadison researchers demonstrate the different ways mentors and mentees understand and experience race and ethnicity within the mentoring relationship, and how culturally aware mentoring (CAM) training may help improve mentoring efforts.

In the first study, published in the Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, the team conducted a preliminary qualitative analysis of a sample of 38 mentors and mentees who had participated in a biology summer research opportunity program.

They found that while mentors and mentees recognized that racial and ethnic diversity may play a role in the mentoring relationship, some perceived it as not relevant to the lab environment or to being a proficient researcher.

Some participants viewed race and ethnicity as separate realities outside of the mentoring relationship, reflecting a perception that science is beyond culture, said lead author Angela Byars-Winston, PhD, professor of medicine and associate director of the Collaborative Center for Health Equity at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. Byars-Winston also serves as director of research and evaluation in the UW Center for Womens Health Research and is aninvestigator with the Wisconsin Center for Education Research'sCenter for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research.

Mentors and mentees had differing beliefs about if and how racial and ethnic diversity in the mentoring relationship should be addressed, with some reporting that it should only be addressed if a problem or issue arose.

Notably, while several mentors felt that the responsibility for bringing up the topic should be on the mentee, only one mentee echoed this statement.

This mismatch could become a source of discord in the research mentoring relationship, Byars-Winston noted.

Some participants suggested that discussions of race and ethnicity within mentoring relationships may introduce problems or discomfort, and others indicated difficulty managing those conversations sensitively.

Noting the overall culture of silence about the relevance of race and ethnicity in mentoring relationships, the authors advocated for further examination into the effects of checking ones racial/ethnic identity at the laboratory door.

Previous studies from other experts affirm that mentees from historically underrepresented groups benefit from mentors who address race and ethnicity, acknowledge their unique needs and allow them to bring their identities into the academic and research environment.

Moreover, efforts to improve diversity in STEMM fields typically focus on increasing the numbers of historically underrepresented students and faculty at educational institutions. But without also emphasizing inclusionfostering environments in which people feel welcome, valued, and have a sense of belongingthese efforts may fall short.

Other scholars have encouraged research mentor training that includes culturally sensitive practices, Byars-Winston said. Our study suggests that mentor training should include content targeting different experiences with and perceptions about racial/ethnic diversity.

In a second study, recently published in PLoS One, Byars-Winston and a multidisciplinary research team from UWMadison, Northwestern University and the University of Maryland showed how the lasting impact of culturally aware mentoring (CAM) training on academic administrators and faculty can help improve diversity efforts in STEMM fields.

CAM training prepares faculty and staff who have existing mentorship roles to navigate the social and cultural dynamics that accompany a more diverse academic community.

By addressing the lived experiences and treatment of underrepresented individuals, this method can help counter biases and prejudices in the prevailing culture, and foster mentors who can effectively engage with and develop the talent of all individuals.

The team conducted follow-up interviews with a sample of 24 research mentors from three institutions who had participated in a day-long CAM training session 18 to 24 months earlier.

The training focused on intrapersonal awareness, interpersonal awareness and interactions, and skill building for behavioral change, as described in a related article. Participants immediate reactions to the training had previously been published in the Journal of Clinical and Translational Science.

In the follow-up, researchers found that participants most frequently remembered activities that were novel or that had elicited an emotional response. These included the culture box, in which participants shared items representing their cultural identity; role playing; and the video A Tale of O, which highlights what its like to be the only visibly identifiable member of a specific group.

Over the long term, CAM training increased participants cultural awareness and deepened their understanding of cultural differences. This helped them better recognize and respect differences, make fewer assumptions about mentees and listen more closely to them.

In addition, participants said they were able to more effectively intervene when culturally insensitive comments arose, and in some cases, address broader dimensions of cultural diversity and inequalities in the training environment.

Mentor training targeted to cultural awareness through the entry point of personal cultural self-awareness and introspection, coupled with sharing these insights in community, can be effective in prompting changes, the authors wrote.

These findings are consistent with neuroscience research showing that self-reflection stimulates the same circuits that underlie compassion and sympathy.

Cultural self-awareness facilitated through CAM training may increase [mentors] ability to have empathy toward their historically underrepresented students and their attention to cultural dynamics in their mentoring relationships, the authors concluded.

Its remarkable that 18 to 24 months after the training, participants were able to recall concrete takeaways and start to change their behavior with mentees and colleagues, reflects Byars-Winston.

In addition, because the original training and the current follow-up study are both grounded in scientific, validated approaches, the results provide evidence that CAM training can be incorporated into existing mentor training programs.

Not all diversity and inclusion training uses a systematic approach, added Byars-Winston, whose work also includes leading the national committee that developed The Science of Effective Mentorship in STEMM, a 2019 report released by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

Our goal is to elevate competency-based, evidence-informed mentoring practice thats effective and that makes a difference in the success of trainees and early career professionals.

Byars-Winston and collaborator Richard McGee, Jr, PhD, associate dean for faculty recruitment and professional development and a professor ofmedical education at Northwestern Universitys Feinberg School of Medicine, have recently joined with Sylvia Hurtado, PhD, a professor of education at the UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies to lead a five-year, National Institutes of Health-funded project to further test the impact of the CAM training on individuals and institutions.

As part of Phase 2 of the NIH National Research Mentoring Network, the new study uses a randomized control design to investigate the impact of the length and dose effect of CAM training on faculty mentors in doctoral training programs in the biomedical sciencesand how that may spur institutional change.

The long-term goal of this body of work is to further the science and practices of mentoring, thereby improving the training environment for students from underrepresented groups and ultimately, advancing their success, said Byars-Winston.

By Andrea Schmick

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UW studies investigate need for and impact of culturally aware mentorship training - University of Wisconsin-Madison

Self-awareness is a trait far more attractive than height. Photo by Emma Hitchcock | The Cavalier Daily

Height is a touchy subject for many men. Unlike many causes for our insecurity, this one is immutable and completely out of our control. Like men with erectile dysfunction, the short kings among us need to be lifted up. This is not the place for that, however. I am going to be brutally honest here, but self-awareness is a trait far more attractive than height. Here we go, gentlemen the implications of your stature

5 feet This is nothing short of an anatomical disaster. At least you are designed to bench press a lot of weight, but dont gloat over 315 for reps when your arms are shorter than a loaf of bread.

5 feet, 2 inches Your peers secretly refer to you as the manlet. Yes, the giggles are about you. This is a demoralizing situation to be in, but hey, you can now ride every attraction in an amusement park.

5 feet, 4 inches Clearly self-conscious about your height, or lack thereof, you frequently reference your personality on the dating front. But I am really down to earth, you often say. We know you are you dont have to remind us.

5 feet, 6 inches You actively try to elevate your height by employing some well-known strategies. You opt for a high sole in your footwear and resort to lift inserts for your flat-bottoms. When it comes to pictures, get off your tiptoes and tilt your chin back down.

5 feet, 8 inches This is 1 inch shy of the average height for a man in the United States, but it is average or even above average for men in many parts of the world. So bolster your ego by studying abroad. Im willing to bet that your height is inaccurate on your passport, though.

5 feet, 10 inches You identify as five-eleven, but you are not. Take it up with a measuring stick.

6 feet Congratulations, you are officially in the enviable six club. I bet it feels good not having to lie about it. The true five-eleveners will try to claim youre one of them. When that argument erupts, youll just have to go over their heads.

6 feet, 2 inches If you have an attractive face, too, youre basically Mr. Dos Equis. Regardless, the musculoskeletal genetics you carry are admirable. Youve got one lucky kid swimming around in your balls. Get them involved in sports early.

6 feet, 4 inches Even if you are plagued by excessive shrinking later in life, you should still die at a commendable height. Thats assuming you dont live to be 120 or so. A once striking presence, Noah was a miniscule two-foot-four when he died at the age of 950

6 feet, 6 inches At this height, you are very tall, but not so tall that a basketball career was inevitable. Therefore, your shameful no, in response to the Do you or did you play basketball? question tells us everything we need to know about your athleticism.

6 feet, 8 inches Youre the asshole people dread seeing in a theater, stadium or other seated venue. And please, if the audience is not situated on a slope, go stand in the back.

6 feet, 10 inches Now the basketball questions are ineluctable. They are going to come up in just about every social situation, so I hope you at least played Division II to avoid complete humiliation. You better have a really good excuse if you didnt.

7 feet A true marvel, you are now taller than 99.9999 percent of humans worldwide and 74 percent of humans in the village of Bibwaclanda.

Michael Lindemann is a Humor columnist for The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at humor@cavalierdaily.com.

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A guide to male height - University of Virginia The Cavalier Daily

Months before Ovie Soko applied to be a contestant on hit reality show Love Island, he set himself a goal. Im a huge believer in manifesting stuff. You know that if I write it down it will happen, the 29-year-old says. So I wrote in my journal: Provide a service or a product that helps people feel better about themselves and it will reach millions of people. I hadnt a clue how I was going to do that. So to go on to Love Island later and get that reception, well, it was nuts. Blew me away. Still does. I dont really get it but nonetheless, I do appreciate it.

Previously only known to basketball fans (at the time he was signed to Spains CB Murcia), Soko was instantly catapulted to fame. Almost overnight, he earned millions of fans who were struck by his self-possession and chilled personality in an environment where bravado and insecurities reign supreme. He became known for his wise words of comfort and advice to the other contestants, including pulling other men up on any disrespectful behaviour toward the women on the show (and there was a lot). It is in this vein that his debut book You Are Dope (subtitled Let the power of positive energy into your life) continues, offering guidance, advice, and inspiration on how to become the dopest person you can be.

So what is dopeness? Dopeness is innate, and its in everyone, reads the book. Youve probably been dope for a lot of your life and didnt even realise it. Remember the time you did the washing-up for your mum and dad without them even asking? Dope. Broadly speaking, dopeness is a feeling of contentment, self-awareness and self-acceptance that isnt reliant on money or social status.

When my management first said publishers were interested in me writing a book, I thought of course not, Im not an author, says Soko, who co-wrote the book with Guardian journalist Lanre Bakare. But maybe people took a liking to me because they saw me as being a bit different on the reality TV setting. And I just think hold on, all you guys are different, too! Everyones different. And thats something that should be celebrated, not just because someones on reality TV. You should celebrate yourself, not what is sold on Instagram.

For Soko, helping others be grateful and happy through the book is his way of giving back to the many people who have been so warm toward him since his appearance on the show, and is a particularly personal undertaking as an avid reader of self-help books himself (he says they helped me advance my life.). His book is similarly bright and accessible, coming with worksheets to help readers organise their thoughts, and packed with anecdotes from Sokos own life. Learning to overcome doubt through professional basketball, dealing with social media pressures after Love Island, or navigating two cultures, as a young man raised by Nigerian parents in London but its not a memoir, he insists.

Im not going to write a memoir, I havent lived long enough, he says. The book has stories about me, and lets people into my life, but the goal is to show people how I dealt with certain situations. Theres lots from my life that isnt in the book.

Soko joins a roster of personalities Fearne Cotton, Russell Brand and Chidera Eggerue to name a few who have entered the self-help space, a genre that has seen sales boom by 20% to reach 30m a year. The book is not explicitly written for men (I think men and women can benefit from this material, says Soko) but with chapters on masculinity, and the lessons hes learned from his romantic relationships with women, You Are Dope will have a very strong appeal to men, especially young men.

Self-help books for young men have come under scrutiny in recent years as some of its most popular authors are accused of repackaging alt-right ideologies and misogynistic thinking in the guise of self-improvement. Perhaps the most famous example is Jordan Peterson, the Canadian psychology professor who ostensibly gives out tough love to disaffected young men, but whose classically influenced philosophy champions strict social hierarchies, including along gender lines.

Against this, Sokos book is a breath of fresh air. He describes a masculinity that can be soft, and urges the reader especially young black men to resist social pressures. And instead of laying out a sweeping philosophy to inform a fixed code of conduct or way to live, he urges the reader to use their own inner compass to figure out what is right or what is dope for them. In many respects its a progressive answer to the demand for mens self-help, but without ever using the word feminism. Would that have been a step too far? Or was he simply playing it safe?

I think it takes more guts to live by your own internal compass than to live within the safety of what everyone else thinks, says Soko, who argues that the personal growth he wants to help his readers experience can be hindered by labels. In politics, everyone wants you to take a side. But if you think about what you actually believe in, youll probably not fit fully into any one specific political group. Maybe you agree with most of it so you put yourself in that box, because were trained to think that if you dont fit in a box, youre weird.

But hold on its a bit weird that you want to be put in a box. Everything about our lives since we were born, systematically as a society, is to train us to believe that you must fit inside the box. Your house is a box. We drive in a metal box. We go to school and sit at square tables. Well how about you think outside of the box? he exclaims. Weve all been given the mind that enables us to, but the older we get, the more we get used to just trying to fit into the parameters created by those who run the society which is obviously a tool used to control the masses and the more we feel alienated by our own intuition. Our own intuition becomes foreign to us, and it becomes madness. Dont do that to yourself! Youre selling yourself short.

Does Soko think hes now living to his full potential? In addition to writing a book, earlier this year he became the face of Diet Coke and finished filming a new BBC documentary exploring life after reality TV. He has also launched a fashion line for Asos, all while continuing to play professional basketball in France.

I do have goals. I want to do stuff in fashion, and maybe do some more TV. So Ill just keep on knocking down little milestones, he says. But the overall goal, the main goal of my life is to be happy and give back. Help other people be happy. And if you ask me, thats a life well lived.

Link:
Love Island's Ovie Soko: 'It takes guts to live by your internal compass' - The Guardian

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) A woman diagnosed with breast cancer one year ago is now working to raise awareness about getting tested and trusting instincts.

Alana Cottrill says she found a lump in her breast in July 2019 and was told it was probably nothing.

She says doctors didnt think she fit the bill for having breast cancer because she was only 30-years-old, worked out often, didnt smoke or drink, and had no family history of the disease.

Months later, she went back and asked for a diagnostic mammogram because she felt something wasnt right and the lump wasnt going away.

Cottrill says her self-advocacy is why shes still here today. She held a yoga event Saturday to raise awareness, in collaboration with Sweat Fitness Studio, and she hopes it helps others develop the same self-awareness.

I am standing and preaching to the rooftops do your self exams trust your gut, Cottrill says. Even if your healthcare provider tells you that they think that its nothing if your gut is telling you somethings wrong with your body, nobody knows your body better than you do.

Posh Salon held a Cut-a-Thon in support of Cottrill last year. The salon is hosting another one for one of its employees who was recently diagnosed with the disease.

Its happening on October 25 from 10 a.m. 6 p.m. All nail services and haircut costs will go to the employee.

Originally posted here:
Breast cancer survivor telling others to trust their instincts - ABC 36 News - WTVQ

October 20, 2020

When I can bring myself to watch horror, I find it incredibly rewarding, says Morfydd Clark, the Welsh actor and star of Saint Maud the most fiercely anticipated film of the genre to come out this year which has been picked up by A24 (Uncut Gems, Hereditary, Lady Bird, Moonlight and more). I find sad horrors very difficult, she continues, I watched Goodnight Mommy and it was just so sad as well as terrifying that I was like, I can only watch The Bogeyman from now on. Social horrors are the ones that really send me into a terrible spiral, in a way that makes me a better person.

Saint Maud, then, seems exactly the kind of film someone of Clarks disposition might steer away from. But shot mostly in a school in Islington with a mid-December stint in Scarborough, where the film is set Clarks first lead role explores the relationship between religion and mental health through the sometimes gruesome lens of horror. Having experienced a never-fully-explained trauma while working for the NHS, Clarks Maud becomes a private healthcare worker whose first patient is a celebrated former dancer called Amanda (Jennifer Ehle).

I was raised Christian and Im a pretty neurotic person, explains writer-director Rose Glass of the films genesis. Its only in the last few years that Ive started to think critically and with more self-awareness about both subjects and how they connect: Saint Maud is just what came naturally. Despite being a relative stranger before joining the project, Clark immediately identified with the themes in Glasss script. I have a lot of thoughts but I dont have stories in me, so reading it was like this is what Id write if I could write, she enthuses. Im not religious, but my dads been in and out of faith and Ive always found that interesting.

Mauds connection to God is born from her earlier professional distress, by the time she meets Amanda her religion is overwhelming her. From her modest appearance (the scraped back ponytail and modern tunic and trousers of an earlier scene are replaced with a low pony and more conservative uniform dress and wool tights when she arrives at Amandas) to her internal dialogue, everything she does either alludes to or is outright propelled by Him. This intensity similarly frames her behaviour and interactions with Amanda, who entertains her faith by asking questions, and later gifting Maud, my saviour, a William Blake book. Lines are inevitably blurred, and the pairs relationship ends after an uncomfortable scene at a party.

I'm interested in human behaviour and why we do the things we do, says Glass. I like finding out what makes people tick; the weirder the better. For Clark, the role meant looking inwards. I dont become someone else when Im acting at all, she says, instead searching for the parts of herself that relate to the role shes playing. Ive often felt that theres a parallel world where Im very lonely because Ive argued too much and havent apologised enough and thats something that chills my nightmares, so this idea of playing someone incredibly lonely is a particular horror of mine. Loosely in tandem with playing Maud were roles in Eternal Beauty and His Dark Materials Craig Roberts recent feature and the BBC One show respectively both of which saw Clark play women who were seen as not fitting in, and therefore seeming to be frightening or dangerous, and subsequently bled into the character.

In addition to examining her own behaviours, research fell on those around her; many family members are doctors or nurses. Growing up with someone who was being worked very hard in the NHS, I have been quite fascinated by how people did this work, she says. There were occasions where my mum was deeply affected by something at work, and I couldnt understand how she ever managed to compartmentalise. Reading Maud made sense because I was like yeah, if I was working in the health service without support, I would struggle hugely. Engaging with early feedback for the film, which had its world premiere at TIFF in 2019, Clark found others currently working in the sector concurred. They were glad they saw it but it was very painful, she says. Im so glad weve made a film that makes sense, but that it does ring true in some ways, thats been sad, to see that this horror is not far from peoples worlds who are doing the most important, most thankless work.

On set, any mental health concerns of her own were lifted by Ehle, who volunteered her care. I dont know if Id have been able to do it if it hadnt been with someone so lovely. Also Rose having the three of us together was really special. Three quite quiet introverted people who got to be quiet and introverted together. That the film was her debut lead (shes on screen throughout), Glasss debut feature, and a first for several other crew members created a productive and ultimately united atmosphere. This film was a big deal for a lot of us, agrees Glass, the personal stakes felt high and everyone threw themselves into it. Im aware its boring and nauseating to say how bloody nice everyone was, how much fun we had. But we really did and they really were.

Saint Maud is in cinemas now.

Originally posted here:
The Making of Saint Maud, the Most Chilling Film of 2020 - AnOther Magazine

Jared Goff was a big reason for the Rams 4-1 start to the year, playing well in just about every game to open the season. He looked like a different quarterback than the one we saw last year, showing more confidence and better accuracy throwing to all levels of the field.

Then the Rams played the 49ers and the 2019 version of Goff showed up again. He missed open receivers, threw an interception in the end zone on fourth down and was making poor decisions with the football, resulting in a 50% completion rate and a 72.0 passer rating.

Goff wasnt the reason the Rams lost 24-16 on Sunday night, but he also didnt do enough to help them win. There were too many missed opportunities, and had he capitalized on those chances, the Rams are probably 5-1 right now.

His self-awareness after the loss was good to see, acknowledging that he has to be better in order to win games down the stretch.

We liked what we had all night and we had guys open, he said. We had good things out there and weve just got to execute better. Weve got to be a little bit better at execution. Again, I think if Im a little bit better tonight, we have a different result and unfortunately thats the way it goes, but Ill learn from it and be better.

Accuracy was Goffs biggest issue. He completed just 19 of his 38 passes, missing even on the simplest of checkdowns. According to Next Gen Stats, his expected completion percentage was 57.8, giving him a differential of 7.8% fifth-worst in the NFL this week.

Goff is fully aware of how accurate he usually is, but this was an uncharacteristically bad performance by the young quarterback.

Well clearly it wasnt my best, he said. It was just some uncharacteristic stuff for me, missing guys open there early. Its something that Ive never done in my life and dont expect to ever repeat. Ive just got to be a little bit better there at being a little bit more accurate. Thats probably what I do best is accuracy and I would have put us in a little better situation there and given us a chance to a better chance to win.

Goffs worst miss came on the Rams opening drive. He had Cooper Kupp wide open on a crossing route, but he overthrew him and didnt give his receiver a chance to make the play. It wouldve gotten the Rams on the fringe of field goal range, but they instead wound up punting a few plays later.

In the second half, Kupp broke free deep down the middle, but Goff led him too far to his left and the pass fell incomplete as the wideout twisted and turned in an attempt to locate the ball.

Those are two throws Goff would like to have back, and had he completed them, the score mightve been different.

Again, it starts with me and if Im accurate on a lot of those balls early on, were not even talking about this right now, he said. Its a good chance, like I heard Andrew [Whitworth] say for us to look in the mirror and get better and come back. Weve got another big game next Monday night. Theres a lot of stuff to work on, a lot of stuff to be better at.

View post:
Jared Goff says Rams probably beat 49ers if he plays better - Rams Wire

Over the past decade, the F.I.R.E. movement has gained many vocal adherents. Popularized by financial bloggers like Mr. Money Mustache, a former tech worker who famously retired after just nine years in the workforce, along with websites like Financial Samurai, the movement is grounded in the belief that parsimony, a healthy lifestyle and close scrutiny of ones personal finances can lead to financial independence and early retirement.

F.I.R.E. stands for Financial Independence, Retire Early, and though it has many interpretations, a common thread, as described in a blog post on Dave Ramseys website, is to save and invest very aggressively somewhere between 50 and 75 percent of your income so you can retire sometime in your 30s or 40s.

For Mr. Money Mustache, now 46, whose real name is Peter Adeney, it means extreme frugality, aggressive retirement savings and stock investment and salads and barbells every day.

Andrew Firstenberger, who is a design strategist and leader at Intuit, said the company keeps a close watch on the movement, as a core goal of Intuits AI-powered financial suite, which includes TurboTax, QuickBooks and Mint, is to help consumers and small businesses save money by managing it with greater self-awareness and efficiency.

These toolsserve different ends, said James Helms, vice president of design and product. At the most basic level, TurboTax helps individuals prepare and file their taxes. QuickBooks helps small businesses manage payroll and billings and ensure financial compliance. Mint helps people track their personal spending and net worth. Yet theyre connected by a common thread of helping people, and businesses, manage their finances.

The complexity of modern financial systems and the nagging stressors of peoples everyday lives have presented a challenge for the company, however. Analysis of peoples behavior on TurboTax showed a significant percentage were opening up sessions and quitting before theyd finished, either coming up against the limits of their financial knowledge or getting derailed in the face of extreme life hardships.

And we started to realize that there were key things in somebodys life, Oh, my wife died this year, or I changed states, or something that was just weird enough, just challenging enough that they were, like, You know what, Im not going to be able to do this myself, Helms said.

The design team wanted to keep these customers from leaving, so it started experimenting with possible solutions. When the company created a brick-and-mortar storefront in San Diego, designers met with tax filersand preparersto better understand their in-person experiences. The team tested different methods of software-based document hand-off making it easier, for instance, for a filer to pass along a 1040 EZ to a tax preparer working remotely. The company launched Tada, a limited-run iOS application that allowed customers to speak to a tax preparer through an app or via a chat interface.

These early experiments culminated in the 2017 launch of TurboTax Live a somewhat radical about-face for a company that had built its reputation around the power of artificial intelligence to eliminate taxpayers need to seek outside professional help. But in the context of the companys design framework, rooted in the mantra design for delight, the move is far less surprising.

Traditionally, you could do your taxes on your own using TurboTax. Or, you could go work with a CPA or a tax advisor, but not both.

Diego Rodriguez is Intuits chief product and design officer and a former partner at IDEO where he worked on software and physical products for companies like Apple, Ferrari and Intel. He told me design for delight (as ironic as it sounds as a framework for tax preparation and bookkeeping software) is a natural outgrowth of design thinking. It relies on customer empathy, a broad lens for problem scoping, a strong bias for action, and prototype testing to simplify user interfaces and accelerate what he calls speed to benefit.

The approach also dovetails neatly with one of Intuits core aspirations: never enter data. This idea is so foundational to the companys ethos it is frequently referred to by the acronym NED.

Traditionally, you could do your taxes on your own using TurboTax. Or, you could go work with a CPA or a tax advisor, but not both, Rodriguez said. Its the classic example of design thinking looking at a problem that is seemingly framed a certain way like make better software or make a better CPA and saying, actually, there is a bigger solution out there.

For Intuit, that solution was to re-think the sovereignty of AI in itsproduct lines and design more personalized interfaces that complement automation with live professional support.

We spoke with several members of the companysdesign team to learn more.

More on Design ThinkingWhat Is Design Thinking? It Depends on Your Customers.

One feature of TurboTax Live is live chat support. The format will be familiar to anyone who has used the service to update or cancel a subscription, check on a service interruption, or vent their frustrations to a customer support agent when theyre caught in a seemingly insoluble bind.

Maybe this starts out as Can I help you with something? Or Ive got a question. And so youre going back and forth, Helms said.

Tax experts use the chat feature to help customers identify and upload documents, and wade through the obscurantism of IRS shorthand.

Firstenberger said the decision to offer live professional assistance on the platform was met with a fair amount of skepticism, at first.

One of the interesting, almost emotional journeys on that front, from a design point of view, is that, to some extent, bringing people into the equation can feel like moving backwards a little bit, because we spend all this time automating.

The idea of adding video chat was even more of an affront to the status quo. Yet, spending time with customers, particularly at the San Diego storefront, led to a new way of thinking.

One of the predecessors to Turbo Tax Lives video conferencing feature was a capability called Smart Look, a help button that launched a video feed much like Zooms, except unidirectional. Through it, the customer could see the customer support agent, but not vice versa.

To some extent, bringing people into the equation can feel like moving backwards a little bit, because we spend all this time automating.

And what we realized was that connecting with somebody over video was a huge experience upward for customers, Helms said. To know that there was a person back here.

The success of the release raised new questions: Could we do Smart Look inside our other programs? Is this actually universal? Helms wondered.

User research suggested, resoundingly, the answer was yes. The company began building a stable of tax professionals more than 2,000 as of fiscal year 2019 who could function similarly to customer support agents, but also provide specialized tax knowledge and, more importantly, peace of mind.

Customers didnt just want support gathering and distilling information, the research showed, they also sought the reassurance of trusted advisors who could validate their concerns. Were they really making the best financial choices? Were they staying above board when addressing the complicated, gray-area questions that inevitably arise when doing taxes?

For all my life, as one customer said, when I had financial questions, I asked my dad. This is no different. I got to this point in my taxes this complicated 1099-DIV thing that I didnt understand. So I called my dad.

The team found that face-fo-face video connection could be an effective surrogate for such conversations, bringing humans back into the fold.

And the strategy appears to be working.

In an email shared with Built In, the company reported that TurboTax Live grew itscustomer base nearly 70 percent in fiscal year 2020. By providing new ways for users to access experts throughout the filing process, first-year retention and conversion rates also increased. Moreover, almost 70 percent of new TurboTax Live customers received tax preparation assistance in the prior year, a higher percentage than TurboTax Online, suggesting the offering may be reachinga new subset of customers.

With the live support model in place, QuickBooks Live launched in January of this year. Though Intuit saw a dip in demand for its small business and self-employed offerings when the pandemics shelter-in-place orders shut-down many small businesses, a spokesperson reported, the company isnow seeing recovering trends across the platform. Six hundred experts support QuickBooks Live, which has seen 10 percent of franchise customers upgrade to a paid live bookkeeping service.

TurboTax Live and QuickBooks Live are two-sided marketplaces. Tax experts hired by Intuit can leverage Live to find new leads, set up appointments, reach out to customers and sign and file tax returns. Without the need to carve out personal brands, they also can work withpotentially more diverse client bases, and do so on their own schedule.

How you are feeling about doing your taxes?is among the first questions TurboTax asks its customers.

On the flip side, Helms said, clients receive professional guidance. English and Spanish-speaking agents initiate the conversation, upload documents, and field questions directed at the specific circumstances of a customers financial profile.

This is a tennis match, right? It goes back and forth, Helms said.

Automation implicit in the UX design reduces friction, particularly at the document upload stage, by scraping data from documents and applying it to text fields in the tax return, he added. That not only relieves the tax professional of clerical work it supplies the software with information it needs to make high-confidence inferences that can be used to pre-fill much of the return.

But not everybody needs such high-touch care, and thats okay, said Firstenberger. In fact, its preferred. Some customers find the answers they seek in a FAQ or help tab. For those who need more guidance, there is a community support page, and if that doesnt suffice, options for automated chat or live-person chat.

Intuit uses AI to identify when a customer is getting stuck. If they are dwelling at length on an item, a button that asks if they need help and offers a few solutions, including an opportunity to connect to a TurboTax Live expert.

Its almost like a ramp, with graduating steps in terms of how much support a customer may need, he said. What will get them the help that they need as quickly as possible so they can get the job done. And probably go do something else besides bookkeeping or taxes.

Getting to the something else quickly, and, ideally, with the biggest return possible, is where the delight comes in, Rodriguez told me.

The Intuit Design System establishes standards for everything from the color palette, to the operation of buttons, to the way a user logs in and moves from screen to screen. Departments across the company use a one-page customer problem statement as a universal way to define a customers needs. And data integration among QuickBooks, TurboTax and Mint helps preserve customer financial information across platforms, while building loyalty in the parent brand.

But for all the consistency fostered through Intuits design thinking approach, it is personalization recognizing that each customer has unique needs and concerns that has steered the company toward products that balance automation with live support.

How you are feeling about doing your taxes?is among the first questions TurboTax asks its customers, said Firstenberger. Not your income, middle name orfiling status, but:How are you feeling? Its critically important.

More on Design Strategy9 Insights From Googles Material Design Guidelines

Originally posted here:
Intuit Automated Our Personal Finances. Now Its UX Team Is Bringing Human Helpers Back. - Built In

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Of all the topics that continue to fascinate fashion-obsessed women, the most enduring always come back to the French. What is thatthing that French women have? How do they look constantly, effortlessly chic? What are their secrets? The obsession with Parisienne style continues to spawn books, YouTube series, podcasts and dedicated Instagram accounts (the latest @parisiensinparis, is a personal favourite). But if youre looking for secrets to mastering the art of French dressing, all the answers you need reside in 67-year-old cinematic icon Isabelle Huppert.

Yesterday, Huppert took to the red carpet at the Rome Film Festival for her upcoming film, Le Discours(which translates to The Speech), wearing a velvet black suit, white shirt and black pumps. The outfit was simple, beautifully tailored and, above all, familiar. Those well-acquainted with Hupperts style will have seen her in similar iterations multiple times. In fact, for the last 20 years, black suits have been the bread and butter of Hupperts red carpet wardrobe. Since the early Noughties, shes opted for evening suits over dresses time and time again.

Usually paired with a fresh face and simple hair, Hupperts red carpet appearances perfectly embody the je ne sais quoithat non-French women continue to fawn over. Whats the secret? Consistency and nonchalance. Hupperts decades-long commitment to outfit repeating speaks to the delicious paradox at the root of good style: You have to care, but you cant care too much.

Her clothes are always designer (usually Armani, occasionally Chanel) and always fit her like a dream, but she wears them with the indifference of a person who just threw any old thing on, oblivious to whether shes doing the school run or walking the red carpet at Cannes. French women seem to innately know what most women take decades to realisestyle is rarely about the clothes themselves, its about the attitude of the person wearing them. Attention to detail, self-awareness of what suits your own body and an appreciation for craftsmanship are simply accoutrements.

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Isabelle Huppert Has Been Wearing The Same Thing On The Red Carpet For 20 Years - Grazia

The Arts and Education Council awarded 13 organizations a total of $115,000 in funding through the Arts and Healing Initiative, a new program, in partnership with Missouri Foundation for Health, aimed at increasing the capacity to heal through the arts.

Im thankful for the support of Missouri Foundation for Health, who made this initiative possible and for the additional support from Crawford Taylor Foundation, Missouri Arts Council, Marillac Mission Fund, Graybar and Church on the Rock, said Cynthia A. Prost, Arts and Education Council president and CEO.

In the Angel Band ProjectTelehealth Music Therapy for Survivors, board-certified music therapists with experience in trauma will conduct music therapy programs with survivors of sexual assault and intimate partner violence.

Arts as Healing FoundationCreative Outreach Programwill provide virtual and in-person art classes customized for two organizations in the St. Louis area: Pink Ribbon Girls, working with breast and gynecologic cancer patients, and the City of Ferguson, focusing on community residents with chronic illnesses.

A Call to ConscienceCelebration of Survival Projectwill use the arts, including theater, visual art and narrative storytelling, to provide information, resources, opportunity and access to restorative health.

Fathers and Families Support CenterYouth Leadership and Development Programprovides integrated services and activities that reduce high-risk behaviors and increased self-sufficiency of youth, specifically between the ages of 14-24 with assistance and guidance from mentors.

Girls Inc.Girls and Images of Healingwill use girl-generated photography inspired by what they see as relevant and healing about their homes, families and community. Girls in grades 8-12 will receive disposable cameras, learn photography techniques and be supported by experienced photographers.

Good Journey Development FoundationXpress U Thru Artwill allow young peopletoexplore trauma, oppression, emotions, resiliency, the ability to develop self-care, to develop community care, and ability to positively project internally and externally through the creation of art.

For the Jazz St. LouisBeat NF: A Jazz Music Motor Therapy Program for Toddlers with Special Needs,Washington University Neurofibromatosis (NF) Center has developed a one-of-a-kind jazz music motor therapy program that focuses on frequently delayed skills in young children with NF1, in partnership with Jazz St. Louis educational staff and St. Louis Childrens Hospital Therapy Services practitioners.

MindsEyePandemic Long-Distance Audio Description Network (PLAN)will build on the success of the Audio Description Program and the Arts and Culture Accessibility Cooperative in improving quality of life and community connection of people in our region with a visual disability. This initiative will translate aspects of these programs into in-home access to ensure that patrons with a visual disability have access to the power of the arts, even amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Saint Louis UniversityRadical Forgiveness and Radical Imagination with the Justice Fleet isa mobile, social justice, pop up museum that fosters communal healing through art, dialogue, and play, expanding safe access to the arts and healing through interactive exhibits.

SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Childrens FoundationDance Therapywill help patients improve self-esteem and body image, develop effective communication skills and relationships, expand their movement, gain insights into patterns of behavior and create new options for coping with problems.

St. Louis ArtWorksArt Therapywill be provided to participants in individual art therapy sessions at St. Louis Art Works. Their art therapist will meet with each participant at the start of every program to identify and address barriers and to engage with participants throughout the program to address issues identified by apprentices.

St. Louis Crisis NurseryHealing Heartsprovides critical art and expressive play interventions for children between the ages of 3-12 years whose families are facing challenges such as homelessness/transiency, domestic violence, extreme poverty, parental substance abuse, and significant parental health issues. Each participating child will receive their own art supply kit, delivered to their home or shelter and will be led through art and expressive play activities virtually.

Prison Performing ArtsThe Healing Power of Telling Your Storyallows individuals completing their sentences at the Transition Center of St. Louis, a community reentry facility in North City operated by the Missouri Department of Corrections, opportunities for self-paced, hands-on learning in their pursuit of self-awareness and healing.

We believe the arts have a critical role in improving an individuals health and social well-being, said Prost. This initiative was needed in our community even before the spread of COVID-19, but now more than ever people will look for ways to heal, emotionally and physically. As our arts community continues to find innovative ways to lift our community during the pandemic, we know that they will find innovative ways to heal through the arts.

For more information about the Arts and Education Council and the Arts and Healing Initiative, visitKeepArtHappening.org.

Link:
A&E Council awards $115K in Arts and Healing grants - Missouri Foundation for Health partners in funding 13 organizations - St. Louis American

With everything from No Time to Die to Dune being delayed, it feels like every movie we were looking forward to has been pushed back due to the pandemic. But not all hope is lost theres a surprising number of highly anticipated cinema releases still lined up for the remainder of 2020. From psychological horror to Oscar frontrunners, it seems like theres something for everyone on the big screen this autumn and winter.

Below, weve put together a guide for the biggest releases still coming to cinemas in 2020, along with highlighting our top picks for the coming months. We have included UK and US cinema release. Happy watching!

This chilling psychological horror is the debut feature from British director and writer Rose Glass. The titular Maud, played by Morfydd Clark, is a nurse who turns to devout Christianity after experiencing a trauma. Working in a hospice, her faith soon turns to obsession as she convinces herself that she must save the soul of her patient from eternal damnation, no matter the cost.

Gods Own Country director Francis Lee brings us to Englands rugged south coast, where palaeontologist Mary Anning (Kate Winslet) is down on her luck. When a wealthy tourist offers her money to take in his wife Charlotte (Saoirse Ronan) while hes away, Mary cant afford to refuse. The film follows the ups and downs of the two womens relationship as they learn to overcome their conflicting personalities and social backgrounds.

Chlo Zhaos highly anticipated new feature takes place in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crash. Frances McDorman plays recently widowed and homeless Fern, who now travels from town to town in a van looking for work. The movie is based on the real-life experiences of modern-day American nomads, whose stories were documented by Jessica Bruder in her book of the same name.

This adventure-comedy stars Ryan Reynolds as Guy, a bank teller who discovers that he is actually an NPC in a violent video game. With his whole world turned upside down and life as he knows it changed forever, Guy decides to use his newfound self-awareness for good and save a few lives along the way, too. The all-star cast also includes Jodie Comer, Stranger Things Joe Keery, and Taika Waititi.

The DC sequel has been hit with delay after delay, but weve got our fingers crossed that well finally get to see Wonder Woman on our screens this Christmas. Gal Gadot returns as the titular superhero, joined by an all-star cast including Chris Pine, Pedro Pascal, Kristen Wiig, and Robin Wright. Set during the cold war, Diana Prince comes into conflict with villains Maxwell Lord and the Cheetah. Read all about Wonder Woman 1984 through that link.

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The must-see movies still coming to cinemas in 2020 - GamesRadar+