Meeting Abstract
P2.68 Saturday, Jan. 5 Jumpstarting STEM Careers BALUCH, DP; TRAYNOR, K; CEASE, AJ*; COLOUMBE, M; STOUT, V; SWEAZEA, K; Arizona State University; Arizona State University; University of Sydney; Arizona State University; Arizona State University; Arizona State University arianne.cease@sydney.edu.au
A successful career in STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) requires not only great classroom education and research experiences but also extensive training and preparation via great mentors and role models. To help promote this preparation, initiatives by the NSF, NIH and other funding institutions now require that post-doctoral mentoring plans be incorporated into funded research proposals to maintain a pipeline of future professionals. Women and minorities are especially affected by low rates of career advancement. Recent statistics show that women received over 40 percent of all BA/BS degrees awarded by U.S. 4-year colleges and universities in the life sciences. However, in the basic science departments of most medical schools and universities, the proportion of women associate professors is still below 30 percent, and the proportion with rank of full professor is only 20 percent. In an effort to address these concerns, the Central Arizona Chapter of the Association for Women in Science (AWIS), based at Arizona State University, in collaboration with colleagues from George Washington, Gallaudet and Ottawa Universities, has developed a program to help prepare graduate students, post docs and early faculty for a career in STEM. This NSF ADVANCE funded program tackles the problem of low career advancement of women and minorities by hosting a series of career development seminars and workshops to provide training, mentoring and networking opportunities to graduate students and post docs as they progress through their program of study. Such career training programs that include mentoring and networking will help address the complex problem encountered by women and minorities and thus will aid in restoring a pipeline of diverse STEM professionals.
