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HOWARD HUGHES MEDICAL INSTITUTE SYMPOSIUM:
A Collaborative Effort to Increase Diversity in the Sciences Plans
Next Steps
January 27–29, 2008
After participating in the Minority Science Programs at the University of California, Irvine (UCI), Brian León says he feels "totally prepared for graduate school." León transferred to UCI from a local community college and has gone on to receive top grades in his science classes and to conduct a research project in the laboratory of a well-known chemist. He has already been accepted to five graduate programs across the country. For Donna Alcantara, participating in the Alliance for Minority Participation at Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi, gave her the confidence and support she needed to pursue a bachelor's and then a master's degree in the sciences, something she would have never dreamed of doing after dropping out of high school.
These programs were two of many represented at the symposium, "Diversifying Science: From Concept to Practice," held at HHMI headquarters on January 27–29, 2008.
It was the last in a series of four diversity symposia sponsored by HHMI and the National Institutes of Health to bring together institutions committed to increasing the number of underrepresented minority (URM) students in the life sciences.
The earlier symposia showcased model programs with demonstrated records of supporting and retaining African American, Hispanic American, and Native American students in undergraduate science programs. The latest symposium—organized by Craig Woodard from Mount Holyoke College, Robert Lue from Harvard University, Barbara Wakimoto from the University of Washington, and John Matsui from the University of California, Berkeley—brought back a cross-section of institutions that had participated in the first three symposia to discuss the lessons they had learned.
"We wanted participants to ask tough questions about their programs. How can I modify it? How can I adapt what I am doing to what my students are doing? What are the barriers and strengths at my institution?" says Matsui. "The conversations that took place were important in helping us understand how to continue to improve our practices."
Participants encompassed a wide range of institutions and presented diverse approaches. The program at Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi, a public master's university located in an underserved area of southern Texas, provides URM students with research opportunities, social support and advice, and stipends to increase their retention in science fields—regardless of the path each student eventually chooses to pursue. The Minority Science Programs at UCI, a large research university, provide similar types of support but focus on getting students to enter Ph.D. programs. Other programs—such as a newly established one at Bates College, a small liberal arts college in New England—consist of a summer introduction to campus life and academic courses.
"Even with this amazing diversity, we were able to find commonalities," says Lue. After discussing common obstacles and the strategies they had used to overcome them, participants explored ways in which their institutions could continue to collaborate to support common goals.
One accomplishment of this collaborative effort so far has been to put in place strategies to collect data on URM student recruitment and retention—data that will provide benchmarks against which colleges and universities can measure the impact of their science diversity initiatives. "There is no question in my mind that we need to continue with data collection," says Lue, echoing a commitment expressed by many other participants.
Participants said that they believed that a consortium of institutions committed to diversity could also share resources and information, provide expert advisers, and encourage institutions to make changes—such as carving out time and providing rewards for diversity efforts by their faculty. Organizers are currently gathering responses from participants to plan the next steps for the consortium.
In addition to the four organizers, individuals responsible for the diversity symposia include Michael Summers, University of Maryland, Baltimore County; Isiah Warner, Louisiana State University; Ann Findley, University of Louisiana at Monroe; and Wendy Raymond, Williams College.
Photo: James Kegley
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