university teachers and researchers
from Latin professor 'one who professes'
Professors profess what they know - it's literally their job description!
Title presumed male ('Professor' vs. diminishing forms for women). Women academics fought for equal rank recognition; gender-neutral use is now standard but implicit bias persists in gendering assumptions.
Use 'professor' gender-neutrally for all ranks; do not default to male pronouns. Specify pronouns or names if clarifying identity.
Women professors, especially women of color, fought against systematic barriers to tenure and institutional invisibility; their scholarship transformed academia across disciplines.
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