Elevating Voices for Equity

Conversations with Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC)

Join us for Elevating Voices for Equity, a virtual conversation with BIPOC leaders, focusing on equity in STEM education. Professionals of color are significantly underrepresented today in STEM fields, which begins with STEM education, access, mentorship and career pathways. These factors also lead to limitations in social mobility and social capital. We must also acknowledge the cause of these inequities, which are deeply rooted in institutional and systemic racism. Through our Elevating Voices for Equity conversations, we hope to bring together students, educators, employers and policy makers to learn and create actionable recommendations for changing inequities in STEM education.

This year, Elevating Voices for Equity will not only include BIPOC leaders, but will also feature a half hour session with students after the initial discussion, highlighting the perspectives of students. They will offer their personal viewpoints on how they are directly impacted by the STEM educational opportunities and inequities, along with their suggestions for how students can be best supported.

Our learning series:

Developing STEM Networks for BIPOC Social Mobility

TuesDAY, February 15, 2022; 9AM PT/12PM ET

Resources, mentorships, and relationships play a factor in social mobility. BIPOC students often don’t have the important connections or access to position themselves for success. How can the community drive this level of support for true social mobility?

Moderator

**Dr. Hakeem Oluseyi**
Astrophysicist & STEM Educator

Speakers

**Dr. Aisha Francis, PhD**
President & CEO
*Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology*

**Dr. Melodie Knowlton, PhD**
Senior Director of Community Affairs & Global Head of STEAM Education
*Vertex*

Khalil Smith
Vice President of Inclusion, Diversity, and Engagement
Akamai Technologies

**Dr. Tiffany Smith**
Director of Research
*American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES)*

Student Panel

Moderator

Alazar Ayele
Manager of Corporate Responsibility
Biogen

Nailah DuBose
Freshman Psychology Major
California Polytechnic State University
San Luis Obispo, CA

Jose Melo
Junior Biology Major
Bowdoin College
Brunswick, ME

Chloe Jane Wadrick
5th Year Architecture Major
California Polytechnic State University
San Luis Obispo, CA

Missed the event? Watch the recording here!

Creating STEM Pathways for BIPOC Students

Thursday, October 21, 2021; 9am PT/12pm ET

From K-12 to Post Secondary Education and beyond: we’ll address the critical inputs to success for BIPOC students to drive STEM interest and commitment to STEM fields. How do we build the opportunities and access necessary to pique and retain the interest of students of color?

Moderator

Michelle Ellis Science Teacher and Educational Consultant — **Michelle Ellis**
Science Teacher and Educational Consultant

Speakers

Alazar Ayele Manager of Corporate Responsibility Biogen — **Alazar Ayele**
Manager of Corporate Responsibility
*Biogen*

Jamie Lathan
Interim Vice Chancellor & Dean of Distance Education and Extended Programs
North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics

Jessica Santana
Co-Founder and CEO
America On Tech

Shawna Young
Executive Director
Scratch

Student Panel

Michelle Zamora
AmeriCorps Maker Fellow
Moderator

Lily Rodriguez
Sophomore
Independence High School, CA

Ariyah Graham
Sophomore
Hunter Huss High School, NC

Missed the event? Watch the recording here!

Entry and Transition into America’s Workforce

Tuesday, April 6, 2021; 9am pt/12pm et

We will learn about actionable insights for employers seeking to diversify their workforce and support a successful transition for Professionals of Color into the workplace.

Moderator

Miecha Ranea Forbes Vice President for People and Culture The Aspen Institute — **Miecha Ranea Forbes**
Vice President for People and Culture
*The Aspen Institute*

Speakers

Michael Collins Vice President JFF — **Michael Collins**
Vice President
*JFF*

Kaniah Dunn Software Engineer, Wayfair Alumni of Resilient Coders Former Americorps VISTA, Citizen Schools — **Kaniah Dunn**
Software Engineer, *Wayfair*
Alumni of Resilient Coders
Former Americorps VISTA, *Citizen Schools*

Pamela D. Everhart Senior Vice President, Head of Regional Public Affairs & Community Relations Fidelity Investments — **Pamela D. Everhart**
Senior Vice President, Head of Regional Public Affairs & Community Relations
*Fidelity Investments*

Nikki Pitre Executive Director Center for Native American Youth, The Aspen Institute — **Nikki Pitre**
Executive Director
*Center for Native American Youth, The Aspen Institute*

Missed the event? Watch the recording here!

Pathways to Post-Secondary Education

Thursday, March 11, 2021; 9am PT/12pm ET

Together, we’ll highlight the role of nontraditional pathways in post-secondary education as well as the role of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Community Colleges, STEM education and how to support students to persist through these pathways.

Moderator

Tarlin Ray Vice President, BigFuture The College Board — **Tarlin Ray**
Vice President, BigFuture
*The College Board*

Speakers

Sarah EchoHawk Chief Executive Officer American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) — **Sarah EchoHawk**
Chief Executive Officer
*American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES)*

Terrone Hill Maker Fellow at Morgan State University Makers + Mentors Network, Citizen Schools — **Terrone Hill**
Maker Fellow at Morgan State University
*Citizen Schools*

Dr. Tiffany Mfume Assistant Vice President of Student Success and Retention Morgan State University And Author of The College Completion Glass―Half-Full or Half-Empty?: Exploring the Value of Postsecondary Education and What Works at Historically Bl… — **Dr. Tiffany Mfume**
Assistant Vice President of Student Success and Retention
*Morgan State University*
And Author of The College Completion Glass―Half-Full or Half-Empty?: Exploring the Value of Postsecondary Education and What Works at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs): Nine Strategies for Increasing Retention and Graduation Rates

Eloy Ortiz Oakley Chancellor California Community Colleges — **Eloy Ortiz Oakley**
Chancellor
*California Community Colleges*

Missed the event? Watch the recording here!

K-12 Educational Equity and Access

Tuesday, February 9, 2021; 9am PT/12pm ET

We’ll discuss the role of social emotional learning, culturally responsive practices and ensure student voice and choice are heard during increasingly challenging circumstances.