Collaborating To Increase Recruitment

Collaborating to increase recruitment and retention of diverse students in undergraduate and graduate education in STEM Fields
Engagement: Intermediate

Four year institutions have been seeking to broaden participation of women and underrepresented minority groups in undergraduate and graduate education in STEM. We have seen some progress toward diversity in undergraduate and graduate education in STEM, however, it has been slower than desired. Women and minorities remain underrepresented in STEM fields. Women as well as minority ethnic groups are consistently underrepresented in STEM fields at all levels. In order to increase the inclusion of diverse students and retain them within STEM fields we must adopt new recruitment efforts and utilize our networks to make sure students from all backgrounds are identified and connected with resources needed to retain them through graduation. This presentation will emphasize the Tilford Competencies of Cross Cultural Communication, Teamwork, Respect, and Diversity Implications for Careers. We will discuss how diversity impacts the academic discipline, career and professional development of students as well as how we can encourage their engagement within STEM fields.

Presenters

Dr. Zelia Wiley
Assistant Dean for Diversity
College of Agriculture

Dr. Wiley is the Assistant Dean for Diversity in the College of Agriculture and KSRE (K-State Research and Extension) and the distinguished as the first Assistant Dean for Diversity at the university. In her current role, she provides leadership in the area of inclusion and diversity for faculty, staff and students. She is the chief diversity officer for KSRE and the College with 26+ years’ experience in the work of inclusion, equity and diversity. She is a certified IDI Administrator, coordinator of the KSRE Summer Research Fellow program, as well as the KSRE Diversity Coach. Her presentation topics include Diversity in Agriculture, Food and Natural Sciences, Micro aggressions and implicit biases, and Exploring Multicultural Views, Cultural Competency, as well as, Diversity in the Workplace. Dr. Wiley holds a Bachelors and Masters of Science in Agricultural Education, Economics and Human Resources from Prairie View A&M University (TX) and completed her Ph.D. at the Pennsylvania State University in Agriculture and Extension Education. She is a 30+ member of the National Society of MANRRS, advisor to the K-State MANRRS chapter and has charted two MANRRS chapters; (1) University of Kentucky (1996) and Kansas State University (2003). She is currently the College of AG Diversity Committee Chair, Graduate Chapter President for Alpha kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Graduate Advisor to Kappa Pi Chapter, 2019 National Role Model Recipient and 2020-22 Black Faculty Staff Alliance (BFSA) Treasurer.

Dr. Amber Campbell
Project Manager
Rainfed Agriculture Innovation Network (RAIN)

Amber Campbell is an anthropologist and the project manager for the Rainfed Agriculture Innovation Network (RAIN) at Kansas State University where she works with university faculty,researchers and extension specialists. She has managed numerous projects at KSU involving recruitment of students from underrepresented groups into undergraduate research opportunities and graduate student positions within transdisciplinary research projects.

Mirit Shamir
Academic Services Coordinator
Rural Resource Resiliency NSF Research Traineeship
Alan Levin Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering

Mirit Shamir is the Academic Services Coordinator for the Rural Resource Resiliency NSF Research Traineeship housed in the Alan Levin Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering at Kansas State University. She holds an M.S. in Environmental Policy from Michigan Tech where she was an IGERT scholar, and an LL.M from Tel -Aviv University. As the academic services coordinator, she actively recruits diverse prospective graduate students, and manages the day-to-day administrative and program functions of the graduate traineeship in rural resource resiliency for food, energy and water systems.