(Posted November 7, 2016)

  HUNTINGDON, Pa. -- Atira Charles, assistant professor of management at Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, Fla., will talk on how personas can interfere with success in the workshops “The Art of Unmasking Identity as a Vehicle to Awareness, Acceptance and Meaningful Action” at Juniata College.

            The workshops will be held for Juniata employees at 3 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 16, in Sill Boardroom in the von Liebig Center for Science. The second workshop, for Juniata students and open to the public, will be at 7 p.m. in Sill Boardroom.

Charles is the creator of The Mask Project, a national initiative that documents and uncovers individual experiences in "wearing the mask" at work and in life.

Charles will explain how understanding the different masks people wear during work and at home is critical to navigating the biases, perceptions and stereotypes that are encountered on a typical day at work or in public.

She also will cover emotional, behavioral and psychological strategies to help participants increase educational, professional and personal success. Attendees will take part in interactive exercises designed to reveal layers of identity, thus unmasking personality factors that might be hindrances to engagement and success in business.

Charles is the creator of The Mask Project, a national initiative that documents and uncovers individual experiences in “wearing the mask” at work and in life.

She has worked at Florida A&M since 2009. She also is CEO and organizational consultant for Think Actuality, a consultancy she founded in 2010.

She earned a bachelor’s degree and MBA in 2003 from Florida A&M, and went on to earn a doctoral degree in organizational behavior in 2009 from Arizona State University.

Contact April Feagley at feaglea@juniata.edu or (814) 641-3131 for more information.