Ten 艾可直播 College students attended the recent National Diversity in STEM Conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where they presented their research findings and networked with mentors in their desired science fields鈥攁n accomplishment made possible by the establishment of a 艾可直播 College chapter of the Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science, or SACNAS.
鈥淚 like to think we鈥檙e [艾可直播 College鈥檚] best kept secret,鈥� said Cristina Cusmai 鈥�24, a Montlclair, N.J., native who is chapter president.
Cusmai expressed pride in being part of a group that enables students to 鈥渂ring their full selves鈥� into scientific research. As one of the passionate undergraduates present at the NDiSTEM conference, Cusmai was impressed by its foundation of cultural diversity intermeshed with scientific discovery. 鈥淢any people were in full traditional dress,鈥� she said, and SACNAS recruiters 鈥渉eld this in such high value.鈥�
Member of the 艾可直播 College chapter of the Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science at the National Diversity in STEM Conference in Puerto Rico.
Much of SACNAS鈥檚 mission revolves around preparing underserved populations and their allies for their careers in STEM. Whether through resume workshops, instructions on how to approach STEM 艾可直播with questions, or the BC chapter鈥檚 own 鈥淒eclassified Guide to Research,鈥� SACNAS strives to aid students鈥攚hatever their level of knowledge鈥攊n advancement in the sciences.
The chapter鈥檚 advisor, Biology Department Associate Director Dina Goodfriend, has seen it through every stage of its establishment. The road was rocky, she noted: Creating a SACNAS chapter at 艾可直播 College entailed making clear that the society was more than just a 鈥渟cience club鈥� and that allies are invited to participate as well.
鈥淲e had to act as a sort of ghost organization,鈥� laughed Goodfriend as she recounted the early days of the chapter in 2019, 鈥渂ut I saw a space in BC that was vacant and needed to be fulfilled.鈥� She emphasized to prospective students that joining SACNAS is an 鈥渋mpactful act for your future and your career.鈥�
Cusmai joined SACNAS as a freshman, at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic had a considerable impact on campus activities: There were no in-person meetings and any events were held on Zoom. To see the organization grow into what it is today is extraordinary, she said, noting that the chapter鈥檚 first general interest meeting of the academic year drew 60 people.
聽She also pointed to the many events that SACNAS has organized with the help of STEM faculty, where students are encouraged to talk with professors in a more relaxed setting about their research and how to get started in a lab. These unique gatherings set SACNAS apart as an organization that meets students where they are and equips them with the skills they need to break into the world of science, according to Cusmai.
Goodfriend and Professor and Biology Chair Welkin Johnson agree that 艾可直播involvement in SACNAS events and students鈥� willingness to enter into conversations surrounding research and inclusivity within STEM have been a boon for the BC chapter.
鈥淭here鈥檚 momentum here,鈥� said Johnson of the multitude of possibilities available for SACNAS members. To the students and 艾可直播who are interested in joining or supporting the chapter, he added, the organization has one message: 鈥淭he doors are wide open.鈥�
Meghan Keefe '24 | University Communications | November 2022