Communications of the ACM
Summit Addresses How to Attract Underrepresented-Minority Students to STEM Careers
Educators from historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) gathered to discuss how to boost student interest in science and technology careers.
Credit: Stanford University
The United Negro College Fund's HBCU Innovation Summit last week was aimed at finding ways to get more young people, especially underrepresented minorities, to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. The first-of-its-kind gathering brought together leaders from institutions including Spelman College, Clark Atlanta University, and Howard University that have traditionally focused on educating African Americans. The program was organized by Stanford University's Center for Engineering Pathways to Innovation and the Center for Professional Development, with support from the U.S. National Science Foundation.
"We try to create opportunities for students to think creatively, to think outside the box," says Stanford president John Hennessy. "We think that kind of skill can be built in any person who has the drive, who has the excitement, who wants to change the world."
Stanford Dean of Engineering Jim Plummer urged his fellow educators to help change common practices that have unintentionally turned students off, such as asking high school students to declare their interest in STEM careers. "We actually lose a lot of young people who could be potential engineers and potential scientists and potential mathematicians because they are asked to make that choice as seniors in high school," Plummer says. The Innovation Summit was designed to show how HBCUs (historically black colleges and universities) can help boost minority representation in STEM fields.
From Stanford University
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