Leer en español: http://espanol.umich.edu/noticias/2016/09/13/organizacion-estudiantil-de-hispanos-indigenas-norteamericanos-gana-reconocimiento-nacional/.
Since it launched in July 2015, the goal of the University of Michigan’s chapter of the Society for Advancement of Hispanics/Chicanos and Native Americans in Science has been to foster the advancement of underrepresented students in science, technology, engineering and math fields.
The student organization was among the best of all the 115 college chapters in the country this past year at achieving that goal. For its efforts, the U-M chapter will be recognized at the SACNAS national convention, which will be held from October 13-15, 2016, in Long Beach, California.
Specifically, the U-M chapter will receive the Outstanding Recruitment & Membership award – one of four Chapter Role Model Awards that will be given during the conference and one of seven awards overall.
For Carla Ramos, a U-M graduate student and the president of the campus chapter, the award represents the fruit of the hard work put in by all of its members.
“SACNAS is an all-inclusive organization that welcomes anybody who wants a place they can call home away from home,” Ramos says. “It provides a venue that fosters and supports underrepresented minorities in STEM. Additionally, the chapter provides a venue in which our members can give back to the community either by participating in outreach events with the local community or participating in workshops designed for professional development.”
In a statement SACNAS Executive Director Antonia O. Franco says chapter awards recognize STEM students who are emerging as leaders at SACNAS and their universities, and it also recognizes the chapters who are doing the necessary work to help foster that growth.
“With 115 SACNAS student chapters nationwide, chapter members carry out much of the grassroots work in the movement to diversify STEM in the United States. Our chapter members are changing the face of science in communities every day,” Franco says.
With more than 6,000 members at the 115 universities across the country, SACNAS serves more than 20,000 people. According to SACNAS, the organization hosts the largest “diversity in STEM conference,” attracting nearly 3,600 participants each year, and is the largest multicultural and multidisciplinary STEM diversity organization in the country.
The 2016 Chapter of the Year Awardees:
Chapter Role Model Awards
Outstanding Recruitment & Membership: University of Michigan
Outstanding Chapter Development: University of California, Los Angeles
Outstanding Professional Development: San Jose City College
Outstanding Community Outreach: Texas Tech University
Chapter of the Year Awards
Chapter of the Year, Small Chapter: San Jose City College
Chapter of the Year, Large Chapter: University of California, Los Angeles
Chapter of the Year: National Institutes of Health Professional
By Jeremy Allen
Public Affairs & Internal Communications