Symposium Promotes Diversity in STEM

More than 160 people gathered at Talley Student Union on Feb. 5 for the Diversity in STEM Symposium: Making Space for Ourselves and Others. Students, faculty and the public participated in sessions on topics related to diversity in STEM run by experts in the community.

The event, which was organized by the College of Sciences, included sessions on salary negotiation, creating a personal brand, finding and navigating a diverse work environment, and respecting community culture in STEM research. The symposium also featured a student poster session highlighting STEM research by diverse students as well as research on diversity in STEM. BASF was the event sponsor.

The keynote speaker was Donna Matthews Jarrell, an NC State alumna and director of the Center for Comparative Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. She discussed her career, shared stories about working in diverse settings, and offered advice to students about career advancement.

“When you are learning in diverse settings, you are more nimble,” she said. “You become more creative.”

This event was made possible with the collaboration of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Center; the Initiative for Maximizing Student Diversity; the College of Engineering; the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences; the College of Textiles; the College of Veterinary Medicine; the College of Natural Resources; and the Women in Science and Engineering program.