A Change Model for Doctoral to Faculty Diversity in STEM

Meetings

2024 Summer Alliance Meeting

Friday, June 28, 2024

10:30 AM – 3:00 PM

UNC Charlotte Student Union Room 200

Agenda

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM | Keynote | Dr. Beronda Montgomery 

12:00 PM – 1:00 PM | Lunch/ Round Table Discussion 

1:00 PM – 1:30 PM | Round Table Report Back 

1:30 PM – 2:15 PM | AGEP-NC Alliance Dissemination Efforts 

2:15 PM – 2:55 PM | Campus Updates 

2:55 PM – 3:00 PM | Closing Remarks | 

RSVP Link

Previous Meetings and Webinars

2023/24 Winter Alliance Meeting

January 24, 2024 | 11:30 am – 4:00 pm | Greensboro, NC

Theme: Continuing Progress Toward Our Goals in the Current Legal Climate

Agenda

  • 11:30 | Registration and Lunch
  • 12:15 | Welcome!
    • Ajit Kelkar | Professor, Mechanical Engineering
  • 12:45 | Keynote Address
    • Introducing Keynote Speaker
      •  Yvette Huet | Director of ADVANCE Faculty Affairs and Diversity Office and Professor, Applied Physiology, Health and Clinical Sciences
    • Keynote Speaker
      • Andre Lindsay, Senior Associate General Counsel
      • Presents: How do we continue to progress toward our goals in the new legal climate?
  • 1:30 | Roundtable Discussion
    • How/what can we do given the information we have heard in the Keynote
    • Facilitator:
      • Melanie Simpson | Professor and Head, Molecular and Structural Biochemistry
    • Table Leads:
      • Jeff Joines | Associate Dean, Wilson College of Textiles
      • Erin Sills | Professor and Head, Forestry and Environmental Resources
      • Frederick Ferguson | Professor and Chair, Mechanical Engineering
      • Alesia Ferguson | Professor and Chair, Built Environment
      • Christine Richardson | Chair, Biological Sciences
      • Bernadette Donovan-Merkert | Interim Dean, College of Science
  • 2:15 | Break
  • 2:30 | Update on AGEP-NC survey results and evaluation
    • Cathy Brawner | President Research Triangle Educational Consultants
    • Amy Germuth | President, EvalWorks
  • 3:15 | Panel of Deans: College Actions and Plans
    • Abdellah Ahmidouch, College of Science and Technology
    • Bojan Cukic, College of Computing and Informatics
    • Jim Pfaendtner, College of Engineering
  • 3:45 | Closing
  • 4:00 | Goodbye!
    • Marcia Gumpertz | Professor Emerita, Statistics

AGEP-NC Summer Alliance Meeting

Friday, May 5, 2023
9:00 am – 2:30 pm
NC State University, Witherspoon Student Center
 
Agenda:
Keynote Address was delivered by Dr. James Holly, Jr.
 
Humanizing Intellectualism: Supporting the Epistemic Agency of Non-Eurocentric Thinkers
 
“If you do not understand White Supremacy (racism)– what it is, and how it works– everything else that you understand will only confuse you.”– Neely Fuller, Jr. (1971)
 
Discourse concerning the racial diversification of the professoriate has largely focused
on the challenges non-White individuals navigate along the pathway to becoming a
faculty member. Scholars have suggested same-race mentors, faculty development
programs, and affinity groups as mechanisms to increase the racial diversification of the
professoriate. Despite the benefits of the aforementioned strategies, these approaches
do not necessarily reckon with the lasting legacy of White supremacist ideology and
governance in higher education. As engineering faculty, we face an urgent need for a
deeper understanding of White supremacy. Specifically, how this system of oppression
has evolved from emphasizing physical exclusion to enacting epistemic exclusion. In this
presentation, I will present the ways I have sought to make visible and counteract the
exclusion of non-White scholars from full participation in the construction and
distribution of engineering knowledge.
 
Dr. James Holly, Jr. is an Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering and core faculty
member within the Engineering Education Research program at the University of Michigan. He
earned a bachelor’s degree from Tuskegee University and a master’s degree from Michigan State
University, both in Mechanical Engineering. He earned his doctorate in Engineering Education
from Purdue University. His research paradigm is shaped by his experiences growing up in a
Black church within a Black city and later studying engineering at Tuskegee University, a Black
institution, three spaces where Blackness is both normal and esteemed. As such, he sees his
teaching, research, and service as promoting pro-Blackness—affirming the humanity and
epistemic authority of Black people—in engineering education. His scholarship focuses on the
ways disciplinary knowledge (i.e., mechanical engineering) reinforces racialized power, the role
of culture and cognition in teaching and learning, and preparing pre-college engineering
educators to identify and counteract racial inequity.
 
Rob Santos, Director, U.S. Census Bureau from this Hispanic Heritage Month blog post:
 
“All of us — Latinx or otherwise — have stories that need telling so that we can better understand one another.  And the COVID-19 pandemic only seems to have exacerbated the situation.  So I’m going to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with you by telling you the story of my journey of self-identity — no holds barred.  It’s important to share this story to illustrate the dynamic nature of self-identity and how that can help you grow professionally and otherwise.  As for myself, I believe that bringing one’s whole self to your career helps you become better at whatever you do.  In my case, it makes me a better statistician, mentor and leader.”
 
AGEP-NC Winter Alliance Meeting
Friday, January 20, 2023
UNC Charlotte, Harris Alumni House Agenda
 
Monday, August 8, 2022
Julie Swann,  Julie Ivy,  and Maria Mayorga
Edward P. Fitts Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, NC State
NC State’s Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering increased their outreach and were able to increase the number of African American applicants last year. It has taken a lot of intentionality. They don’t yet feel that they have been successful in recruiting Black, Latino/a, and Indigenous faculty, but have learned a lot and are laying a foundation for the longer term.
 
Julie Swann, Department Head and A. Doug Allison Distinguished Professor; Julie Ivy, Professor and Fitts Fellow in Health Systems Engineering; and Maria Mayorga, University Faculty Scholar and Professor, will discuss what they have tried to do this year and what they have learned about outreach and what goes on in faculty search committee meetings.
 
 

AGEP-NC Summer 2022 Alliance Meeting

Wednesday, June 29, 2022
O. Henry Hotel, Greensboro, NC

Agenda

  • 9:30-10:00        Breakfast and Welcome
  • 10:00-10:30      Overview and 2022 AGEP-NC Alliance Updates
  • 10:30-11:15      Keynote: Promoting Diversity in the Professoriate: Individual and Organizational Approaches.         Dr. Jabbar Bennett, Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer, Michigan State University.  Slides
  • 11:15-11:30      Break
  • 11:30-12:15      Concurrent Sessions
            •  AGEP-NC Cohort 2 Fellows and Evaluation Team Focus Groups
            • Input and Feedback from AGEP-NC Community and Advisory Boards to Leadership Team
  • 12:15-1:15        Lunch and Recognition of Cohort 2 AGEP-NC Fellows
  • 1:15-2:30          Institutionalization: University Leaders and External Advisory Board
  • 2:30-2:45          Break
  • 2:45-3:30          Highlights of AGEP-NC Fellows’ Department Plans
  • 3:30-3:45          Wrap up and conclusion

Featured Speaker

Jabbar R. Bennett, PhD, Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer Michigan State University
Promoting Diversity in the Professoriate: Individual and Organizational Approaches

Dr. Bennett works to advance MSU’s diversity, equity and inclusion strategic priorities along with staff in the Office for Institutional Diversity and Inclusion and partnership among senior executives, deans, faculty, staff, students and alumni. Bennett is also a professor of medicine in the College of Human Medicine.

Prior to joining MSU in December 2020, Bennett served as the inaugural associate provost for diversity and inclusion, and chief diversity officer at Northwestern University. Previously, he worked as associate dean of the Graduate School, and associate dean for diversity in the Division of Biology and Medicine at Brown University.

Bennett received a bachelor’s degree in biology and a minor in Spanish from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and earned a doctoral degree in biomedical sciences from Meharry Medical College. Bennett completed postdoctoral research training at Harvard Medical School and is an alumnus of the Harvard University Administrative Fellows Program and Massachusetts Education Policy Fellowship Program.

Webinar: Using Evaluation for Decision Making and Improvement

Leslie Goodyear, Education Development Center

Thursday, March 31, 2022

12:30-1:30

In this webinar, Using Evaluation for Decision Making and Improvement, Dr. Goodyear will discuss ways Alliance teams and faculty can collaborate with evaluators to use data to inform and improve design and implementation, and document and demonstrate outcomes. There will be plenty of time for questions and conversation, and she will share resources as well.

Webinar

Friday, January 14, 2022. Virtual via Zoom

Presentations

  • The importance of Identity in the Success of Students from Minoritized Communities. Manuel Pérez-Quiñones, Professor of Software and Information Systems, UNC Charlotte. Video Recording
  • The Language of Othering: Unlearning the ABCs. Lisa Merriweather, Professor of Adult Education, UNC Charlotte. Video Recording

Monday, July 12, 2021. Virtual via Zoom

 

Presentations and Workshops

  • Opening Remarks from NSF. Karen Marrongelle, Assistant Director, Education and Human Resources, NSF. Youtube link
  • Race Really Matters. David Asai, Senior Director, Science Education, Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Youtube link
  • I. The Absence of Diversity Hurts Everyone; II. Accountability. Karen L. Dace, Vice Chancellor, Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, IUPUI. Youtube link 
  • Showcase of AGEP-NC Faculty Fellows’ Department Plans for Making Changes to Policies and Practices to Promote the Success of URM Doctoral Students. Youtube Link

Thursday, May 20, 2021.

A Model for Dramatically Increasing Diversity at the PhD Level in STEM

Youtube Link 

Keivan Gaudalupe Stassun, Stevenson Professor of Physics and Astronomy, Vanderbilt University

Abstract: This talk will discuss how partnerships with minority-serving institutions, such as the Fisk-Vanderbilt Masters-to-PhD Bridge Program which he co-directed for more than 10 years, can help to achieve the goal of increasing STEM diversity at the doctoral level. During the discussion, Stassun will summarize three core strategies: (1) replacing the GRE in admissions with indicators that are more predictive of long-term success; (2) partnering with a minority-serving institution for student training through collaborative research; and (3) using the master’s degree as a deliberate steppingstone to the PhD, with a wraparound mentoring model. Stassun will draw on his experiences as a nationally leading voice for diversity in STEM, including as a member of the National Science Foundation’s Committee on Equal Opportunity in Science and Engineering, and as a member of multiple National Academies studies on Effective Mentoring in STEM and Promising Practices for Addressing Underrepresentation in STEM. The session will conclude with a mentoring model and toolkit which may be used to support the success of all PhD students. This presentation is part of the External Advisory Board webinar series. 

Webinar Series

Friday, January 15, 2021. Virtual via Zoom

Keynote address: Strategies for Planning, Implementing and Evaluating Department DEI Initiatives. Ayesha Boyce, UNC Greensboro. Video of the Presentation

Abstract:

University department diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives are often well-intentioned but can lack the planning, commitment, and momentum to reach fruition. This presentation draws on literature, program evaluation results, anecdotal data, and reflections to present 10 strategies to plan, implement, and evaluate department DEI Initiatives. These strategies include: 1) Internal buy-in is necessary but not sufficient, 2) Put it on the agenda, 3) Don’t stop at diversity, 4) Adopt an anti-deficit orientation, 5) Prioritize internal and external-facing initiatives, 6) Learn from the literature, 7) Institutionalize sponsored projects, 8) Invest in external facilitation and training, 9) Show me that data, and 10) Don’t let great get in the way of good. Each strategy will be presented with practical and accessible examples.

Dr. Ayesha Boyce is an Assistant Professor of Educational Research Methodology and Co-Director of the Office of Assessment Evaluation and Research Services at UNC Greensboro. Dr. Boyce’s scholarship focuses on attending to value stances and issues related to diversity, equity, inclusion, access, climate, cultural responsiveness, and social justice within evaluation—especially multi-site, STEM, and contexts with historically marginalized populations. She has evaluated over 50 projects funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), US Department of Education, National Institutes of Health, and Spencer and Teagle foundations. She is a Co-PI of Spartans ADVANCE: Adaptations of Practices for Faculty Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at the UNCG. Dr. Boyce is a 2019 American Evaluation Association Marcia Guttentag Promising New Evaluator Award receipt and a 2019 UNCG School of Education Distinguished Research Scholar Award recipient.

Alumni Perspective: Perspectives on Mentoring for Fortifying a Future in Academia. Kristen Rhinehardt, North Carolina A&T State University. Video of the Presentation

Abstract:

As researchers we are both student and teacher.  With every discovery comes new opportunities and knowledge which perpetuates the lifelong learning process.  As graduate and undergraduate faculty we mentor and advise students with varying backgrounds, communities, and workforce goals.  Knowledge, attitude, and skill are noted competencies for successful mentorship. Mentorship/advising can have a positive effect on student success however, it is known to have reduced impact when mentorship competencies are lacking. In addition, among the faculty, peer mentoring has been shown to be an effective method for building relationships across disciplines and plays a notable role in the institutional culture. In this talk we will discuss avenues of mentorship in academia from student, faculty and community perspectives.

Dr. Kristen Rhinehardt is a native of High Point, NC and currently an Assistant Professor in Computational Data Science and Engineering at North Carolina A &T State University.  She received her BS degree from Cornell University in Biological Engineering and her MS and PhD from North Carolina A & T State University, becoming the institution’s first person to receive a degree in Nanoengineering.  Her scholarship includes numerous papers and presentations that encompass computational molecular modeling and engineering of complex biological systems as well as computing education. She is a 2020 AGEP NC Fellow and GHC AnitaB.org Faculty Scholar.

Thursday, October 8, 2020.

Do Faculty Diversity Programs Work? Evidence from 600 Universities, 1993-2015

Frank Dobbin, Henry Ford II Professor of the Social Sciences, Sociology Department Chair, Harvard University

Abstract: Faculty diversity at U.S colleges and universities grew between the 1970s and the 1990s.  Progress has since slowed.  Universities deserve part of the blame, for implementing diversity policies that social scientists have long known to be ineffective.  An analysis of the efficacy of diversity policies, at 600 schools over 20 years, sheds light on how universities can build faculties that look more like their student bodies.

Webinar recording

Friday, July 17, 2020. Virtual, via Zoom

Presentations

  • Deans Panel Discussion – How Can Deans Support the AGEP-NC Goals. Youtube Link 
    • Moderator: Christine McGahan, College of Sciences, NC State
    • Panelist: Sherine Obare, Joint School of Nanoengineering and Nanoscience, NC A&T
    • Panelist: Peter Harries, Graduate School, NC State
    • Panelist: Fatma Mili, Computing and Informatics, UNCC
  • Recognition of 2018-2020 AGEP-NC Faculty Fellows. Video Recording
  • Showcase of NC State Cohort I Department Plans. Youtube Link 
    • Brad Taylor, Applied Ecology
    • Melanie Simpson, Molecular and Structural Biochemistry
    • Reza Ghiladi, Chemistry
    • Prafulla Regmi, Poultry Science
    • Eric Laber, Statistics
  • Workshop: Taking Action for Change – Supporting the Thriving of URM Scholars in Higher Education. Robbin Chapman, Associate Dean for Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging at Harvard Kennedy School
  • Interactive NSF Site Visit Preview. Video Recording
    • Site visit overview highlights, Marcia Gumpertz, NC State.
    • Mentoring research, Lisa Merriweather, UNCC

December 11, 2019, UNC Charlotte, Charlotte, NC

Keynote Address: Building Effective Mentoring Relationships from the Bottom Up, Calvin Mackie, PhD.

Slides

Panel of Alumni

  • Deidra A. Coleman, Assistant Professor, Mathematics, Wofford College
  • Caresse Gerald, Assistant Professor, Environmental, Earth and Geospatial Sciences, North Carolina Central University
  • Darkus Elizabeth Jenkins, Assistant Professor, Chemistry and Forensic Science, Savannah State University
  • Sharonda Johnson LeBlanc, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Chemistry, UNC Chapel Hill

Monday, May 13, 2019, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina

Presentations and Workshops

  • Keynote Address: I Am the Innovation, Adrian Coles, Eli Lilly, Inc. and NC State alumnus
  • Workshop: Diversity of Communications Styles, Sharon Milgram, Director of the NIH Office of Intramural Training and Education. Slides
  • Workshop: Leadership and Change Strategies for Campus Diversity, Adrianna Kezar, Professor for Higher Education, University of Southern California and co-director of the Pullias Center for Higher Education. Webinar Part I Recording.  Part II: Culture Change Recording

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant Nos. 1820536 1820538 and 1820582. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

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