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Promoting diversity and inclusiveness in the STEM academic workforce remains a key challenge and national priority. Scientific societies can play a significant role in this process through the creation and implementation of programs to foster STEM academic workforce diversification, and by providing mentoring and skills development training that empower scientists from under-represented minority (URM) backgrounds to succeed in their communities of practice. In this article, we provide examples of challenges met by scientific societies in these areas and present data from the American Society for Cell Biology, highlighting the benefits received by trainees through long-term engagement with its programs. The success of these initiatives illustrates the impact of discipline-specific programming by scientific societies in supporting the development of URM scientists and an increasingly diverse and inclusive academic STEM community.

Today, more minority students are entering undergraduate programs than ever before, but they earn only 6% of all science or engineering PhDs awarded in the United States. Many studies suggest that hands-on research activities enhance students' interest in pursuing a research career. In this paper, we present a model for the implementation of laboratory research in the undergraduate teaching laboratory using a culturally relevant approach to engage students. Laboratory modules were implemented in upper-division genetics and cell biology courses using cassava as the central theme. Students were asked to bring cassava samples from their respective towns, which allowed them to compare their field-collected samples against known lineages from agricultural stations at the end of the implementation. Assessment of content and learning perceptions revealed that our novel approach allowed students to learn while engaged in characterizing Puerto Rican cassava. In two semesters, based on the percentage of students who answered correctly in the premodule assessment for content knowledge, there was an overall improvement of 66% and 55% at the end in the genetics course and 24% and 15% in the cell biology course. Our proposed pedagogical model enhances students' professional competitiveness by providing students with valuable research skills as they work on a problem to which they can relate. (Contains 3 figures.)

The University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez (UPRM) serves approximately 12,800 students. Of these students, nearly 100% qualify as underrepresented minorities by U.S. federal standards. In line with a nationally recognized need to increase students from ethnic minority groups to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and math, the UPRM hosted a series of academic and applied neuroscience activities as part of the Dana Foundation's Brain Awareness Week (BAW) in March of 2009. The present study explores the impact of the BAW events as a vehicle for advancing interest in and understanding of the brain, as well as furthering exposure to the professional options related to neuroscience for a sample of Hispanic undergraduates from diverse majors. Participants responded to a series of Likert-scale and open-ended survey items subsequent to each BAW activity, the results of which were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. Findings indicate that, overall, BAW successfully achieved the goal of enhancing awareness of the brain and raising interest in learning more about opportunities in the field of neuroscience. (Contains 4 figures and 1 table.)

In this interview, Cuban psychologist and scholar Franklin Martinez discusses the importance of early childhood education to the development of intelligence. Education affects child development, but it is the knowledge of child learning and development that makes education effective, not material resources. Cuba has invested heavily in preschool education and has one of the most educated populations in the world. (TD)

An editorial is presented the challenges faced by scientists forced into exile due to conflicts, political repression, and other crises, emphasizing their contributions to global scientific communities and the need for international support. Topics include the hardships of their journeys, efforts to provide safe havens and support systems, and the strategic importance of retaining their expertise for future rebuilding and development in their home countries.