UMass NEXT Summits Presents “The Science of Diversity: Data-driven Solutions for Higher Education & Careers in STEM,” June 29-30

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National concern for equity in higher education and in the workplace has grown rapidly as the country reckons with the consequences of racial disparities. To help confront this issue, the UMass Amherst Institute for Diversity Sciences and the University of Massachusetts Office of the President are sponsoring a pair of online summits June 29-30 that will explore solutions to demonstrably increase the persistence and retention of under-represented minorities and women in STEM education and industry.

The university community is welcome to participate in “The Science of Diversity: Data-driven Solutions for Higher Education & Careers in STEM,” which will present Zoom webinars from 3 to 5 p.m. each day focused on the college experience and career trajectories. Both events are free and open to the public, but advanced registration is required.

The summit on Tuesday, June 29 – “Promoting student diversity and success in STEM: What’s Working?” – will explore impactful and evidence-based programs that have proven to increase the persistence and retention of under-represented minorities and women in STEM majors in universities and colleges.

This event will discuss how students who participate in affinity-based learning cohorts during critical periods of the college experience – and in mentoring relationships with near peers with similar identities – become more attached to STEM, graduate at significantly higher rates in these fields, and develop more professional skills than students who didn’t participate in these programs. The summit will explore how students’ subjective experiences changed, which in turn impacted objective outcomes, and then consider how these insights could be valuable to other universities and colleges.

The summit will also examine the characteristics of successful on-ramps to industry, with speakers discussing such options as:

• A STEM professional development program developed by the Institute for Diversity Sciences at UMass Amherst in collaboration with the Harvard Kennedy School
• The Professional Apprenticeship and Career Experience (PACE) program at the UMass Boston
• Co-op programs at Northeastern University

Wednesday, June 30 will feature “Industry Initiatives that Work to Promote STEM Diversity,” which will explore impactful programs and initiatives that attract, retain and advance into leadership in STEM careers professionals from under-represented groups. Special attention will be paid to the early career period – when there is the greatest risk for attrition – and highlight successful efforts to advance the careers of women and minorities into management roles. The program will feature presentations from professionals at Dell Technologies, Intel, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Gingko Bioworks and Github.

This summit will focus on solutions that increase the presence, visibility and influence of minority and women workers in STEM. Researchers from UMass Amherst and Harvard Business School will discuss differences in organizational structure, recruitment practices, patterns of access to consequential work and other workplace practices that demonstrably matter in improving outcomes.

“The Science of Diversity” summits are sponsored by the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center and the Massachusetts Business Roundtable.