Increasing Minority Participation in Tropical Biology: Supporting activities for the OTS Advisory Committee for Academic Diversity (ACAD)

Duke University, Durham NC

Investigators

Abstract

Project Summary Intellectual Merit The Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS) a consortium of more than 60 colleges and universities requests support for its Advisory Committee for Academic Diversity (ACAD) to produce a manual of best practices that addresses identification, recruitment and retention of underrepresented minorities in the environmental and biological sciences, a critical need within the scientific community. The foundation for the manual will data and information presented at a research symposium sponsored by ACAD and OTS at Howard University last summer. ACAD is a standing committee of the OTS Board of Directors and is responsible for providing advice and council to OTS on broadening participation of underrepresented minorities at the undergraduate, graduate and professional levels. Since 1999, OTS has increased its efforts to attract minority students to the field of tropical initiatives such as ACAD and the Minority Scholars Program. Broader Impacts Creation of a manual of best practices is an important next step to increasing the number of African Americans, Hispanic, Native Americans and Pacific Islanders who pursue careers in the environmental and biological sciences. The Organization for Tropical Studies for much of its 42-year history has primarily focused on working with private, elite colleges and universities. The ACAD committee through this project will foster greater participation of state, HBCUs, Hispanic Serving, Tribal colleges and universities in the OTS consortium.