STEM Conference
ARISE conference focuses on STEM equity
Holyoke Community College will welcome educators and students from the Pioneer Valley and beyond on Friday, April 12, for a daylong conference focused on increasing diversity and equity in STEM education.
Called ARISE – Advancing Research and Innovation in STEM Equity – the inaugural conference will run from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Kittredge Center for Business and Workforce Development on the main HCC campus at 303 Homestead Ave.
The conference will feature presentations, activities, workshops, and student-led panel discussions all focused on increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion in STEM - science, technology, education, and math. It was developed by HCC Math Professor Ileana Vasu, Ph.D., based on research she conducted during a sabbatical semester.
"The mission of the conference is to offer participants the opportunity to reflect on implementing inclusive or culturally responsive strategies in their classrooms and institutions, share best practices and research around equity and inclusion, and to create a dynamic community focused on systemic change around STEM higher education practices," said Vasu, co-coordinator of the HCC STEM Scholars program.
The morning keynote speaker for the conference is Nathaniel Whitaker, Ph.D., a professor of mathematics and statistics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, who will give a talk titled "A Mathematical Journey through Segregation and Hidden Figures," in which he will describe his personal journey as an African-American man growing up in the South to becoming department head and dean of one of the country's leading research institutions.
The closing speaker is Vanessa Hill, Ph.D., a mathematics professor at Springfield Technical Community College. Hill, in a talk titled "It's Well Worth the Effort: Be an Agent of Change," will discuss her experiences in STEM as a woman of color, as well as intervention strategies and the benefits of inclusive teaching.
In between, there will be more than a dozen breakout sessions led by educators and students from HCC, STCC, UMass, Westfield State University, and Bridgewater State University covering topics such as culturally responsive practices, community-based learning, mentorships, research, role models, increasing diversity, motivational strategies, and sustainability.
"The conference is really for everybody working in higher education," Vasu said. "A lot of us work in silos. We wanted to bring together people who are doing equity work, particularly equity work in STEM, but also in other disciplines because we can all learn from each other."
There will also be four student-centered panel discussions led by students who will talk about their research and participation in HCC's STEM Scholars program.
"We want to showcase the work our students are doing," said Vasu. "Often there is a perception in science and other STEM disciplines that we are just teaching physics, for example, or math, and we don't worry about human values, but, in reality, what we do in the classroom, student to student, and teacher to student, really impacts whether those students thrive."
The conference is free for all members of the HCC community (faculty, staff, and students) as well as students from any other institution. The general conference fee is $99, which includes breakfast and lunch, but assistance is available for those who cannot afford the full amount.
For more details about the conference or to register, please visit hcc.edu/arise-conference.
PHOTOS: (Thumbnail) Environmental science major and HCC STEM Scholar Johnny Garcia '24 of Holyoke holds up a 3-D printed shark during a STEM Exploration event for high school students at HCC last year. Garcia will lead a panel discussion about community-based projects during the April 12 ARISE Conference at HCC. (Above) Students in a bio lab study the heart.
