UArizona ASEMS Program Receives INSIGHT Into Diversity Magazine’s 2021 Inspiring Programs in STEM Award
The University of Arizona’s ASEMS program was recently recognized by a prominent diversity and inclusion publication for its commitment to facilitating the recruitment and retention of women and underrepresented students into STEM fields.
Photo credit: Rocque Perez
The University of Arizona’s ASEMS program was recently recognized by a prominent diversity and inclusion publication for its commitment to facilitating the recruitment and retention of women and underrepresented students into STEM fields.
INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the largest and oldest diversity and inclusion publication in higher education, recently announced 79 programs—including one from the University of Arizona—as winners of its 2021 Inspiring Programs in STEM Award.
The Inspiring Programs in STEM Award honors colleges and universities that encourage and assist students from underrepresented groups to enter the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Alongside the other recipients, the winning UArizona program, Arizona’s Science, Engineering and Math Scholars, or ASEMS, will be featured in the September 2021 issue of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine.
Inspiring Programs in STEM Award winners were selected by INSIGHT Into Diversity based on efforts to inspire and encourage a new generation of young people to consider careers in STEM through mentoring, teaching, research, and successful programs and initiatives.
“ASEMS works because we are culturally responsive and asset based,” said ASEMS director Nura Dualeh. “Additionally, we have a dynamic team of STEM equity professionals, faculty partners, and an advisory board who believe all our scholars have the potential to succeed in STEM.”
ASEMS provides services to support students in graduating with a STEM degree, focusing on students who are underrepresented in STEM, such as first-generation college students, students from low-income households, those who transferred from community colleges, and students from underrepresented groups, including ethnic minorities and students with disabilities. The program is a partnership between two university units: Research, Innovation & Impact and Student Success and Retention Innovation.
ASEMS began as a grassroots effort among a small group of faculty and staff in 2011 with 12 students. It now supports more than 400 students across the university's STEM majors.
“The institutional significance of the ASEMS program goes beyond recruitment and retention of underrepresented groups into STEM fields,” said Elizabeth "Betsy" Cantwell, senior vice president for research and innovation. “What’s exceptional about ASEMS is its holistic approach to those students, from facilitating mentorship, to honing communication skills, to supporting them in forming identities as researchers and future leaders in the workforce.”
“We know that many STEM programs are not always recognized for their success, dedication, and mentorship for underrepresented students,” says Lenore Pearlstein, owner and publisher of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. “We want to honor the schools and organizations that have created programs that inspire and encourage young people who may currently be in or are interested in a future career in STEM. We are proud to honor these programs as role models to other institutions of higher education and beyond.”
For more information about the 2021 Inspiring Programs in STEM Award, visit the INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine website.
Extra Info
Media contact:
Kristina Makansi
Research, Innovation & Impact
520-621-2194
kbmakansi@arizona.edu
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona, a land-grant university with two independently accredited medical schools, is one of the nation's top 40 public universities, according to U.S. News & World Report. Established in 1885, the university is widely recognized as a student-centric university and has been designated as a Hispanic Serving Institution by the U.S. Department of Education. The university ranked in the top 20 in 2019 in research expenditures among all public universities, according to the National Science Foundation, and is a leading Research 1 institution with $734 million in annual research expenditures. The university advances the frontiers of interdisciplinary scholarship and entrepreneurial partnerships as a member of the Association of American Universities, the 66 leading public and private research universities in the U.S. It benefits the state with an estimated economic impact of $4.1 billion annually. For the latest on the University of Arizona response to the novel coronavirus, visit the university's COVID-19 webpage.
INSIGHT Into Diversity
INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine is the largest and oldest diversity and inclusion publication in higher education today and is known for its annual INSIGHT Into Diversity Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award, the only award that recognizes colleges and universities for outstanding diversity and inclusion efforts across their campuses. INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine presents timely, thought-provoking news and feature stories on matters of diversity and inclusion in higher education and beyond. Articles include interviews with innovators and experts, as well as explorations of best practices and profiles of exemplary programs. In our Career Center, readers will also discover career opportunities that connect job seekers with institutions and businesses that embrace a diverse and inclusive workforce. Current, archived, and digital issues of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine are available online at insightintodiversity.com.