UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Throughout the month of February, the Eberly College of Science will be featuring stories from its Black students, faculty and alumni as part of its celebration of Black History Month.
Led by the college’s Climate and Diversity Committee and its events subcommittee, the effort aims to inform and inspire others by shining a light on these individuals’ experiences, their accomplishments, and their motivations for pursuing careers in science.
“One of the main goals of the subcommittee creating this campaign is to highlight the importance of diverse role models and promote diversity and inclusion within STEM,” said subcommittee co-chair Amber Boston. “We hope to continue to grow the network of Black scientists associated with Penn State on the website to foster a community that will connect and support one another professionally as well as provide encouragement for prospective students.”
These stories are showcased on the Eberly college website as part of its Black in STEM collection, and they are being compiled on a rolling basis as part of the college’s ongoing efforts to promote diversity, foster inclusivity, and increase representation of those in its community who have historically been underrepresented.
The stories will also be featured in the college’s social media throughout the month, providing additional opportunities for engagement.
“We are excited to recognize the accomplishments of our Penn State science scholars and alums for Black History Month,” said Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion Kristin Finch. “This aligns with our mission to support a diverse community of lifelong learners and is just one of many activities the college is doing to highlight Black scientists, which include NOBCChE hosting a chemistry seminar series and Eberly co-sponsoring Picture a Scientist Week. Please join us in supporting our college community.”
A calendar of Black History Month events is published on the Eberly website.
The college encourages all of its Black students, postdocs, faculty, alumni and staff to continue to share their stories via this Qualtrics survey set up by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion.