Initiative 7. Increased Participation of Underrepresented Minorities
Led by CELEST Board members George Alvarez and Kathleen Kantak
CELEST exploits multiple approaches to include diverse students (undergraduate and graduate) in CELEST laboratories. CELEST offers group events with the goal of helping undergraduates to discover new career opportunities. The core of CELEST’s strategy is utilization of a Diversity Outreach Committee. The Co-Chairs of the committee (George Alvarez and Kathleen Kantak), who are members of the CELEST Governing Board, also present a formal diversity evaluation once a year to the Governing Board. The Diversity Outreach Committee guides the integration of diversity activities into CELEST and facilitates links between CELEST and many external diversity opportunities. Most members of the distinguished Diversity Outreach Committee reside in the Boston area and are encouraged to make suggestions to the CELEST Governing Board.
In addition to local experts, Professor Ramon Lopez of the University of Texas, Arlington joined the Diversity Outreach Committee in 2006 and took a leadership role in planning and implementing diversity activities that enhance both recruitment and retention of underrepresented minorities and expand the CELEST engagement with groups underrepresented in science. CELEST participation in the 2007 – 2010 annual meetings of the Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) has been one important diversity outreach mechanism. The October 2011 SACNAS meeting will include a Science of Learning Centers plenary session organized by Professor Lopez that will feature talks by two CELEST faculty (Ennio Mingolla and Kathleen Kantak). Other recruiting venues are planned to educate diverse individuals about CELEST as well as to inform students about the process of becoming a scientist in general. For example, in 2010 CELEST organized its first undergraduate summer research internship program, which attracted a large number of applicants. From this pool we selected 10 students, the majority of whom were from under-represented groups. Due to the overwhelming success of this summer program, it is being implemented again in summer 2011. Eleven outstanding candidates, many from under-represented groups, will join our labs again this summer. Overall, the focus of our diversity efforts is on women and minorities and a number of activities that encourage recruiting, enabling, promoting, and supporting them are outlined in the Implementation Plan.