CHRISTIAN HEIDE
The heart of STEM beats strongest when fueled by Diversity, guided by Inclusion, and upheld by Equity.
DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION COMMITMENT. I aim to inspire young people to participate in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Throughout my career, I have promoted diversity, equity, and inclusion in STEM through public outreach, inclusive mentorship, and expanding diversity in the physics department at FAU and Stanford. I prioritize building a safe and inclusive environment in my research group and across the institute so aspiring scientists can thrive regardless of their culture, race, ethnicity, gender, age, religion, language, sexual orientation, and geographic origin.
Making STEM a sustainable career path for everyone.
Universities have made significant progress in creating a diverse environment over the past decade. However, more efforts are needed to address the diversity gap in academia, particularly in STEM fields. For example, in physics during 2016 - 2020, there were only 1.6% Black and 5.1% Hispanic Ph.D. graduates, although these minorities make up 13.4% and 18.3% of the U.S. population, respectively. Likewise, women are significantly under-represented in physics at only 25%. This diversity gap is significant in some of the fastest growing and highest paying professions in STEM, which requires comprehensive efforts to address such a challenging problem.
Resources
Funding
Several universities have specialized grants for minorities. Furthermore there are external grants available. See for example: Case Western Reserve University,
Black Excel, 200 Free Scholarships
Diversity in STEM mentorship programs
Check out: STEM Mentoring Program, Women in STEM, Be a mentor
Outreach
Check out: K-12 Education, Skype a Scientist, Letters to a Pre-Scientist, Preparatory Program (PUPP)
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