The Penn State MRSEC has recognized that, in order to further increase the diversity of our own Center participation, we need to target institutional-level change by addressing pipeline issues of recruiting, support and retention. While continuing
the historically most effective diversity-focused efforts that have provided consistent Center representation of female and URM participants above departmental levels, three brand new diversity initiatives were fully implemented in the past year:
- a Fall STEM Open House for prospective graduate students and senior year REU students
- a joint event series called “Different People, Different Science, Working Together” which includes diversity training integrated with exposure to interdisciplinary research for participants in multiple summer research programs
- a partnership with Penn State’s brand new Millennium Scholars program matches MRSEC faculty to first year undergraduate scholars for their first summer research experience#
Participants of these programs are female and URM individuals with direct or close reach to Center research activities.
