Awardee: Nia Imara (FAS)

Summary: Awardee will pilot a Diversity Journal Club (DJC) to understand how diversity issues impact learning, teaching, research, and culture in the science community.

Journal clubs are often an integral part of science education that provide regular, formal, and collaborative ways for faculty and students to keep abreast of the most recent, innovative, and influential scientific research, and improve students’ research and communication skills.

Post-doctoral fellow Nia Imara aims to use the journal club model to pilot a Diversity Journal Club (DJC), creating an open dialogue between students, faculty, researchers and staff. The objectives of the DJC are (1) to shed light on the causes of the dearth of diversity in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields; (2) to help participants understand how the special challenges experienced by underrepresented and under-served students can affect their learning in the classroom; and (3) to seek effective solutions for creating a more inclusive scientific community beneficial to all learners.