Could it be that men and women are more alike than we think? Emily Keener says so.

Keener, a faculty member in Slippery Rock University's Department of Psychology, will give her evidence in a keynote address at Radford University's Gender Studies 2012 Symposium on Tuesday, April 17. The free public event will be at 5 p.m. in Heth 022.

In her presentation "Men and Women in Relationships: What's the Difference?" Keener, a 2005 RU graduate, will offer strategies for "moving beyond an overemphasis on gender differences to a more balanced approach where gender similarities are examined and where gender differences are explained," she said.

Keener also will discuss the negative consequences of emphasizing gender differences.

At Slippery Rock, Keener teaches introduction to psychology and introduction to experimental psychology. She taught previously at West Virginia University and at Bethany College. Keener began her teaching career at Radford University as an instructor in introductory psychology and psychology research methods. While at Radford, she worked with psychology Chair Hilary Lips on research into identifying gender-neutral tasks.

Keener's address is part of the afternoon-long symposium, which also features eight presentations by Radford University faculty and students. Symposium sign-in begins at 1 p.m., and the first presenters take the podium at 1:20 p.m. A full list of presenters and topics is available online.

The symposium is part of Radford University's Undergraduate/Graduate Engagement Forum. To learn more, contact Lips at hlips@radford.edu or symposium coordinator Karmen Rizzo at krrizzo@radford.edu.