ASPB Diversity Bank: A Powerful Tool for the Recruitment and Retention of Minority Plant Biologists

Like many other scientific organizations—and, indeed, organizations in general—ASPB has struggled to have its membership demographics reflect the broad diversity of the U.S. population at large. One need look no farther than ASPB’s annual meeting to recognize the near absence of certain racial and ethnic groups among our attendees and presenters.

Beyond ASPB, it also has been difficult for many well-funded and resourceful plant biology programs at our best institutions to identify and attract members of underrepresented minorities at all levels. The reasons most often given for the lack of participation among underrepresented minorities are that these people are not present at the institutions from which stellar plant biology programs typically recruit students and faculty and that the few who are present tend to be uninterested in plant biology.

Like many things, the true story is more complicated. There have been significant strides in the development of the training pool at the lower levels (i.e., K–12 and undergraduate) through programs that expose students to basic science research. Increasingly, a significant number of these students come from groups that traditionally have not been exposed to science and research at the levels usually required to establish robust careers in the related fields. Admittedly, these efforts have not had a marked impact on plant-related fields because many of these students (and their families) tend to equate “science” careers with professional opportunities in medicine. This problem is not limited to underrepresented minorities—young people of many ethnicities seem to favor medical training over research—and addressing it requires the plant biology community to broaden its message to potential trainees from all ethnic groups. We need to let people know that there is a wide variety of professional opportunities available to plant biologists.

Even when underrepresented minorities choose to enter the initial phases of a research career, the disparity becomes more acute as the pool of individuals shrinks at each step up the academic training and career ladder. Again, the reasons for this are complex. The lack of a “critical mass” among underrepresented minority groups poses significant challenges in convincing potential faculty and student trainees from underrepresented groups that such environs are hospitable and encouraging to their career development. Additionally, isolation through paucity of numbers amplifies the regular day-to-day struggles faced by many students and faculty. It then comes as no surprise that most students from underrepresented groups begin their education and training at majority minority institutions or that the faculties of such institutions comprise individuals from ethnic and racial groups that, for the most part, are absent from the major research institutions. Ironically, the value of building quality relationships among majority minority institutions and those that train scientists (including plant biologists) to the highest levels appears to have been forgotten by some who otherwise seek to enhance diversity among the trainees and faculty in major research universities.

A shrunken pool, however, does not mean an empty pool. If we continue to look only in those institutions from which we have typically recruited students into our programs in the past, we will preserve the status quo of underrepresentation. The main reason for this is that the talent pool at traditional research universities is one in which we are already competing vigorously with other disciplines (or, perhaps, “areas of endeavor” if you’re speaking above of research in general) —and with modest success. A significant talent pool exists at the more than 90 percent of U.S. institutions that are not research focused, and—when it comes to the underrepresented minority talent pool—especially at the very large number of minority serving institutions (MSIs) that have minority student (and oftentimes faculty) populations that outnumber the majority. But the faculty at these institutions typically have weak research support from their administrations, despite the fact that their student populations frequently are receptive to positive research experiences—just the kind of experience that in many instances can transform into a career interest.

ASPB, through its investment in resources, the strong support of its leadership, and a vigorous Minority Affairs Committee that works closely with other Society committees (e.g., the Membership Committee and the Education Committee), has developed a series of initiatives aimed at improving access to the talent pool and at matching resources (i.e., graduate programs, training opportunities, etc.) with individuals at all training levels. The ultimate goal is to broaden the appeal and accessibility of plant-related research and training among all individuals, but particularly among scholars at MSIs who might not otherwise have the opportunity to connect with the broader plant science community.

One initiative is to offer travel awards for students and faculty who would not normally attend the ASPB meeting but who have presented their plant biology research at the meetings of organizations like the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) and the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS). Both of these organizations serve to bring individuals from underrepresented minorities in the sciences together to promote science-related careers. Additionally, ASPB–MAC has designed a number of other outreach activities aimed at faculty and students at institutions having significant minority representation but sparse research-focused resources. These initiatives also seek to engage ASPB members at majority institutions and provide them with options to satisfy criterion 2, for those seeking federal research funds, and with avenues for recruitment of minority students and faculty.

The centerpiece of the outreach initiatives is the development of the ASPB Diversity Bank. It is a web-based resource to facilitate the connections needed to expose students to plant research and to foster networking among faculty at MSIs and those at other institutions. Modeled after the ASPB Job Bank and created with the assistance of ASPB’s manager of marketing and web services, Wendy Sahli, the Diversity Bank provides updated and continuous access to information about potential opportunities for engagement, interaction, and collaboration.

Diversity Bank Features

Summer Research Opportunities for Faculty and Undergraduates. Any institution or faculty member who has a summer research program or who is interested in mentoring faculty or students during the summer may list their program on the site. It is not necessary to have a comprehensive program; an individual faculty member can make an individual contribution to ASPB’s efforts. The Diversity Bank will list these summer research opportunities for either undergraduates or faculty from MSIs. Similarly, faculty and students at MSIs can register at the website, indicating their specific interests. All parties can register additionally for e-mail alerts so that new information added to the database will appear in their e-mail inboxes according to their preferences.

Research Seminars in Plant Biology. To foster networking among MSI faculty and their colleagues at other institutions—and to bring plant research into institutions at which it may not formally exist—ASPB asks its members to volunteer through the Diversity Bank to give seminars at MSIs. Minority serving institutions also can register as potential hosts for visiting seminar speakers. Such visits will not only capture the attention of many potential graduate students, but also will lead to connections and collaborations and in some cases, we hope, to initiating modest plant research programs at MSIs.

What’s Next? The success of the Diversity Bank begins with—and will continue to depend on—the active participation of ASPB’s members. Please register at the website and volunteer to host students or give a seminar. As the Diversity Bank becomes populated with plant research opportunities, the Minority Affairs Committee will be working hard with ASPB staff to bring this new resource to the attention of our colleagues at MSIs.

To access the ASPB Diversity Bank, log in as a member of ASPB and click on the Diversity Bank button or go to http://www.aspb.org/diversitybank/.

Elli Wurtzel
wurtzel@lehman.cuny.edu
Anthony DePass
adepass@liu.edu
Minority Affairs Committee