Diversity Initiatives
Throughout the year, the Office of Graduate Education (OGE) hosts many opportunities for outreach, recruiting, and mentoring of students from diverse backgrounds. There are a number of ways that faculty members can get involved and these are outlined below. To indicate which programs or initiatives you would like to participate in, please fill out this survey or contact Samar Fahmy or Terrance Mayes.
Outreach and Recruitment
An important component of encouraging promising undergraduate students from diverse backgrounds to apply to Stanford is to engage with these students through campus visits or by speaking with them at conferences. As such, throughout the year, you have the opportunity to give talks on various campuses (specifically focusing on Minority Serving Institutions or campuses with active Diversity Student Organizations). For example, if you are already planning to visit a city close to one of our targeted campuses, we have funding to support faculty members who wish to extend your visit in order to engage with students by:
- Meeting informally with students to discuss research, graduate school, or career options
- Giving a talk about your research
- Giving a talk on the graduate school admission process (materials provided by OGE)
Target Campuses
Northern California
| Institution | City |
|---|---|
| California State University, East Bay | Hayward, CA |
| California State, Sacramento | Sacramento, CA |
| Humboldt State University | Arcata, CA |
| San Francisco State University | San Francisco, CA |
| San Jose State University | San Jose, CA |
| University of California, Berkeley | Berkeley, CA |
| University of California, Davis | Davis, CA |
| University of California, Merced | Merced, CA |
Southern California
| Institution | City |
|---|---|
| California State Polytechnic University, Pomona | Pomona, CA |
| California State, Los Angeles | Los Angeles, CA |
| California State, San Marcos | San Marcos, CA |
| San Diego State University | San Diego, CA |
| University of California, Irvine | Irvine, CA |
| University of California, Los Angeles | Los Angeles, CA |
| University of California, Riverside | Riverside, CA |
| University of California, San Diego | La Jolla, CA |
| University of San Diego | San Diego, CA |
Western Region
| Institution | City |
|---|---|
| Arizona State University | Tempe, AZ |
| New Mexico State University | Las Cruces, NM |
| University of Arizona | Tuscon, Arizona |
| University of New Mexico | Albuquerque, NM |
| University of Nevada, Las Vegas | Las Vegas, NV |
Eastern Region
| Institution | City |
|---|---|
| The George Washington University | Washington, DC |
| Georgetown University | Washington, DC |
| Howard University | Washington, DC |
| University of Maryland, Baltimore County | Baltimore, MD |
Southern Region
| Institution | City |
|---|---|
| Emory University | Atlanta, GA |
| Florida International University | Miami, FL |
| The Georgia Institute of Technology | Atlanta, GA |
| Morehouse College | Atlanta, GA |
| Spelman College | Atlanta, GA |
| Tulane University | New Orleans, LA |
| University of Texas at El Paso | El Paso, TX |
| Xavier University | New Orleans, LA |
Other Campuses
| Institution | City |
|---|---|
| Chicago State University | Chicago, IL |
| The City University of New York | New York, NY |
| Michigan State University | Lansing, MI |
| Northwestern University | Evanston, IL |
| Penn State University | State College, PA |
| Stony Brook University | Stony Brook, NY |
| University of Chicago | Chicago, IL |
| University of Michigan, Ann Arbor | Ann Arbor, MI |
| University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras | San Juan, PR |
Conferences
We also highly encourage faculty to participate in recruitment at several minority research conferences across then nation, each year. Faculty can serve as poster judges, speakers, panelists, or do meet with students at a recruitment table. If you are interested in participating any of these conferences please contact Samar Fahmy at samarf@stanford.edu who will be able to help coordinate.
Recruitment at Conferences
| Institution | City | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Diversity Forum (Northern California) | Rohnert Park, CA | April, 18, 2015 |
| NIH Graduate & Professional School Fair | Bethesda, MD | July 15, 2015 |
| Leadership Alliance National Symposium | Stamford, CT | July 24-26, 2015 |
| Society for Advancement of Hispanics/Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) Annual Conference | Washington, D.C. | October 29-31, 2015 |
| Diversity Forum (Southern California) | Santa Barbara, CA | November 7, 2015 |
| Annual Biomedical Research Conferences for Minority Students (ABRCMS) | Seattle, WA | November 11-14, 2015 |
| American Indian Science and Engineering Society National Conference | Phoenix, AZ | November 19-21, 2015 |
| Ivy Plus Symposium | Princeton, NJ | March 2016 |
On Campus Events
| Institution | Date |
|---|---|
| Stanford University Minority Medical Alliance (SUMMA) Premedical Student Conference | February 21, 2015 |
| Bioscience Diversity Luncheon | March 6, 2015 |
| Berkeley McNair Conference | July 30-August 2, 2015 |
| STANDOUT COI | October 2016 |
Mentoring
Faculty mentorship is an important aspect of any student's research career. Students from diverse backgrounds are often in greater need of supportive mentoring relationships with faculty members. Mentoring can include advising on courses, providing guidance on a research project, or assisting students during the job search process. Many students find it useful to talk to someone who isn't judging their work directly. There are several opportunities for you to become involved with mentoring students through the Stanford Biosciences:
Stanford Summer Research Program (SSRP)
This 9-week research-focused summer program offers approximately 40 undergraduate students (primarily from diverse backgrounds) the opportunity to complete a research project with you, a Stanford faculty member. During the summer, the student joins a research lab and works on an independent project determined by you and the student. As you are there to shape the overall goals of the project, the student is usually also given a graduate student or postdoc mentor to work with on a daily basis. In addition, we are always interested in having faculty give talks to our students throughout the summer. While most talks will focus on your research, our students also benefit greatly from hearing about your experience as a scientist and learning how you became a researcher at Stanford.
Stanford Institute of Medicine Summer Research (SIMR)
Similar to SSRP, SIMR offers high-achieving high school students the chance to complete summer research projects at Stanford with a faculty member.
ADVANCE Summer Institute
This 8-week research-focused program offers incoming PhD students from the Biosciences the opportunity to come to Stanford the summer before their first year and complete an early research rotation. During the summer, the student joins the lab and develops her or her own rotation project with your assistance. There are also a number of opportunities to give talks or sit on panels during the ADVANCE Summer Institute.
Note: Generally, students complete rotations in a lab affiliated with the Home Program to which they have been admitted.
The Stanford Medical Youth Science Program's (SMYSP) Summer Residential Program
The Stanford Medical Youth Science Program's (SMYSP) Summer Residential Program is an annual five-week science- and medicine-based enrichment program that takes place annually from mid-June to late July. The Summer Residential Program bolsters student's science skills while introducing them to a host of health-related careers. Faculty may participate by giving a talk on your research, hosting a tour of your lab, or by offering to serve as an informal mentor for program participants.
Second Mentor Program
We encourage students to find a "second mentor" who provides scientific and career advice from a distinct perspective. Most mentors are found informally, but through OGE, more and more groups are being formed to bring students and faculty together.
Biomedical Association for the Interests of Minority Students (BioAIMs)
BioAIMs hosts events to promote and celebrate diversity on the SOM campus. As a faculty member, there are a number of ways you can become involved with the organization, such as hosting workshops, or serving on a panel hosted by the organization. In addition, as the events are open to the entire SOM community, attending BioAIMs events is a great way to show your support for increasing diversity on our campus.
University Sponsored Opportunities
Stanford University's Office of Science Outreach (OSO)
OSO encourages and assists Stanford faculty to engage in science outreach -- organized activities targeted at our nation's youth, schoolteachers, and general public that will increase their interest, understanding, and involvement in math, science, and engineering. OSO serves faculty by helping them create outreach project ideas and proposals, identifying potential partners for them (both within Stanford as well as K-14 schools, science museums, etc.), and facilitating information and resource sharing among all of the University's science outreach programs. In addition, the OSO directs several programs in which Stanford faculty and their students can participate.
For more information or to participate in any of these activities please contact Samar Fahmy or Terrance Mayes.
