The Importance of Diversity and Inclusiveness in Physics

The Importance of Diversity and Inclusiveness in Physics Departments Presented at the SPIN-UP Southern Regional Workshop At North Carolina State University Raleigh, NC Willie S. Rockward, Ph. D. Associate Professor of Physics and Director of the Micro/Nano Optics Research & Engineering (M. O. R. E. ) Laboratory September 12, 2009

Outline • Overview of Morehouse College • Perspective on Diversity and Inclusiveness • The National Problem and Local Challenges • Tools, Tips, and Techniques on Mentoring Minorities • Reflecting Thoughts • References / Contributions / Acknowledgements

Overview of Morehouse College • The College (founded 1867) – Private, fully-accredited, 4 -year liberal arts, all-male, historicallyblack college (Atlanta, GA) – Cooperative member of the Atlanta University Center (AUC) – Approx. 2, 850 students and 190 faculty (15: 1 student-faculty ratio) – Top 50 feeder C&Us for graduate and professional programs • Division of Math & Sciences – Strong programs in Biology, Chemistry, Math, & Physics – Boast the Nation’s most productive Dual Degree (3/2) Program in Engineering – Over 98% faculty with Ph. D. – Strong teaching & service – Faculty load distribution Faculty Average: T-60/S-20/R-20 Physics Dept. : T-80/S-20/R-10 Dr. Rockward: T-60/S-20/R-40

Perspective on Diversity & Inclusiveness • Physics = the science of describing natural phenomenon that can be verified through experiment. • Diversity = a system composed of persons from different genders and cultures (race, national, ethnic). • Inclusiveness = a system that intimately and dynamically operates with a diverse set. – Not social integration but social combination

Perspective on Diversity & Inclusiveness • PHYSICS uses EVERYONE because EVERYONE uses PHYSICS. • There is more than enough PHYSICS for EVERYONE. • A RECESSION in PHYSICS is an UNIVERSAL catastrophe!

The National Problem & Local Challenges As a community, Physics failed in its former ability to create economy -changing knowledge and technology-driven society. Physics is the foundation of the current recession!!

The National Problem & Local Challenges Physics stands out among the sciences for its inability to attract enough women or minorities that their representation in physics will, in the foreseeable future, be commensurate with their proportions in the general population. Shirley Malcom, Director of Education and Human Resources Programs American Association for the Advancement of Science in Washington, DC. - Physics Today and AIP 75 th Anniversary Meeting, July 2006

Diversity in Physics Compared to Other STEM fields Historical Trends 1985 -2005 % of BS Degrees awarded to African Americans % of BS Degrees Awarded to African Americans by field Physics hovering around 5% As degrees awarded to African Americans increased from 1985 -2005, physics has not have not benefited from this increase

Degrees granted to US citizens by minority/ethnic group (2006 Data) These numbers have been increasing lately but these are slowly varying phenomena

Only 185 of 4500 physics baccalaureates are awarded to African Americans Greater than 50% of those degrees are awarded by 36 HBCU programs Many of the nation’s 780 physics programs have never graduated an African American physics major. Many never will.

Hispanic students tend to be more broadly distributed

Foundation of Tips, Tools, and Techniques Diversity Pyramid Copyright. Frank Hall

Tips, Tools, and Techniques • Cultural – Share personal heritage – Seek to understand ethnic factors • Community – Family (local and long distance – NCBPS, Summer intern, etc. ) – Friendships (non-disposable) – Critical mass recruitment (ex. GT Black Hole) • Coaching – Personal motivation (ex. Prof. Flannery) – Focus & direct – Career follow-up & contact • Collaboration – Group dynamics – Truthful Reinforcement

Tips, Tools, and Techniques ● Build an integrated support system A successful physics department should have tutoring (academic services) and social outlet services integrated with sense of community in the department, paying particular attention to cultural differences in the social outlet, and culturally different perceptions of academic services. ● Build an inclusive curriculum How does this play out in physics? ◊ Compare the images in Halliday & Resnick vice Giancolli. In Halliday & Resnick the diagrams (pictures of people, cartoons or depictions of people, e. g. , demonstrating the right hand rule, riding a bike, sliding down a giant slide, often show diverse races and genders. Not so in Giancolli. The message in H&R, if you are not male and not Caucasian physics relates to you; the message in Giancolli…? ? ◊ Do you have seminars and colloquia? Who do you invite? From what institutions?

Tips, Tools, and Techniques ● Make your classrooms interactive Shift the culture from competitive to interactive, or make the competition not between students, or between students and the teacher, but between knowing and not knowing. Make the process of learning part of the reward. Is the grade a measure of the students’ ability to learn, or the instructors ability to teach? Take advantage of peer mentoring and collaboration, work these into the grading system (group assignments and group grades on those assignments). The students in the NSBP project often described peers as the “saving grace” and many said that they would not “make it” if it were not for them. Lessons from High Achieving Minorities in Physics Fries-Britt, Younger & Hall, (2008)

Tips, Tools, and Techniques ● Understand the psycho-social positions of underrepresented students Different perceptions of support services Minority students will often wonder “where is this coming from? ” vis academic support services. Research suggests that some students view support systems, especially students of color, as remedial and inappropriate. Berkeley students were sent letters that stated “Dear Minority Student: Congratulations on your admission to Berkeley is a difficult institution. You are going to need a lot of help and we are here to help you…. ” Students typically ignored the letters. Many viewed them as insulting or inappropriate as they were often academic leaders in their high schools. The a priori assumption of low academic abilities affected the students self-esteem and confidence. Treisman, 1992

Tips, Tools, and Techniques ● Understand the psycho-social positions of underrepresented students The National Society of Black Physicists supported a study of 100+ African American and Hispanic American physics students. Finding #1 The proving process: Does it ever end? Students often reported feeling like they had to prove themselves in the classroom no matter how long they persisted in physics. Each semester they had to start over with a new professor, or even the same professor (but in a different class) proving that they could handle the work. They also expressed frustration with having to prove to people that they deserved to be admitted into top programs; and if they attended lesser known schools that they were just as capable as other students in more competitive programs. This same sentiment was expressed by some of the graduate students especially those who completed their undergraduate degrees at HBCUs. Many of these students shared examples of how their enrollment in graduate level physics programs at PWIs was questioned because of their previous institutional affiliation. This is psychologically exhausting. Lessons from High Achieving Minorities in Physics Fries-Britt, Younger & Hall, (2008)

Tips, Tools, and Techniques ● Realize what faculty say, and convey, matters Finding # 2. What faculty said to students and how they conveyed confidence, or lack of confidence, in students’ abilities matter. Participants talked about the “tone” that faculty used to speak with them and how their body language communicated an openness to work with them. These interactions were perceived by students as conveying directly or indirectly what a professor thought of their work and ability to do science. In some instances, students’ perceptions were that these interactions had to do with their race. Students gave vivid examples of how professors were positive and negative in what they communicated. A fairly common experience was professors who tried to discourage them from science by either blatantly recommending that they find another major or by shutting them down in the classroom. Lessons from High Achieving Minorities in Physics Fries-Britt, Younger & Hall, (2008)

Tips, Tools, and Techniques ● Understand the psycho-social positions of underrepresented students Finding #3 The process of getting a college education can be particularly stressful and off-putting for underrepresented minorities • Financial aid worries • Overall campus climate • Dating opportunities • Feeling of isolation • Stereotype threat Lessons from High Achieving Minorities in Physics Fries-Britt, Younger & Hall, (2008)

Tips, Tools, and Techniques Are role models for underrepresented students on your faculty? · The profile of new faculty hired by physics departments at primarily undergraduate institutions is very different from those hired by research departments. Most of the new faculty hired by bachelors-granting departments are young physicists who earned their Ph. Ds in the U. S. · By contrast, only 35% of the new faculty hired by Ph. D-granting departments in 1999 were young physicists from the U. S. Almost as many of the new hires were physicists who had earned their Ph. Ds abroad, most of whom had strong international reputations and were in mid career. Similarly, a significant number of new hires were mid-career physicists from industry and government labs. · The profile of new faculty hired by Ph. D-granting physics departments in 2000 was very different from that of 10 -20 years ago. For example, during the decade of the 1980's, only 16% of the new faculty hires were physicists who had earned their Ph. Ds abroad.

Tips, Tools, and Techniques Roles of Professional Societies Set the parameters in which people practice the profession Control certification and accreditation processes Stewards of communication channels and archives of the profession Mechanisms where people gain recognition in the profession Standards for ethical professional practice Advocates for the profession in government and with various other venues Institute change in the profession Provide forums for marketing, intellectual pollination, and career networking Provide personal and professional services.

Tips, Tools, and Techniques Roles of Professional Societies (continued) Student involvement is professional societies is positively associated with retention in the profession. Student professional organizations are a primary source of information and mentoring (peer and faculty mentoring). Student professional organizations are an important mechanism to recognize student achievement, advance professional competency, and break down psycho-social barriers. Make sure your underrepresented minority students are members of SPS, NSBP, NSHP, APS, AAPT, AVS, ASA, AAS, OSA, MRS, SPIE and every professional society in the field.

Tips, Tools, and Techniques Roles of Professional Societies (NSBP and NSHP) Ethnic associations provide a sense of community and networking for their members. When a leader of a prominent ethnic professional association was asked why he joined the organization, he said: “I found a group of people who were fighting the same battles and had the same goals and aspirations for themselves and the profession as I did”. All the available research results suggest that the larger professional societies should not view ethnic associations as competitors, because membership in ethnic groups is primarily motivated very pragmatic career concerns and community-building sensibilities. African Americans are actually more likely to be members of multiple professional societies because they are members of the ethnic professional society, which aims to keep them in the profession, and no less likely to be in any other professional society.

Tools, Tips, and Techniques on Mentoring Minorities Methodology & Pedagogy for Undergraduate Research/Teaching Assistants: # of hours per week Scholarly Mentoring in Lecture/Laboratory Experiences (SMi. LE) 20 18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 Mentoring / Coaching Freshman Advanced Freshman Sophomore Lecture / Laboratory Junior Student classification Senior Advance Senior

SMi. LE: Undergraduate Research/Teaching Mentoring • Networth = What you know? – – • Knowledge of fundamentals Work ethic Research skills Career aspirations SMi. LE Concepts Network = Who you know? – Research experiences – Group interactions & dynamics – Organization & intrapersonal skills • Netweaving = Who knows you? – Conferences & presentations – REU mentor, faculty & participants – Relational assessment & follow-up Networth Network Netweaving

SMi. LE: Undergraduate Research/Teaching Mentoring • Mentoring – – • Professional (Faculty-to-Student) Peer (Student-to-Student) Parental (Father-to-Son/Daughter) Proverbial (Reverse roles) SMi. LE Faculty Advisement – Guidance (Direction not Demand) – Informative (Options not Laws) – Timely (Scheduled appointments) • Research – Diverse (Variety of related projects) – Resourceful (Adequate funding) – Respectable (Hard but fair) Mentoring Advisement Research

SMi. LE: Undergraduate Research/Teaching Mentoring • Personal – – Work ethic Patience Collaboration Eternal learning SMi. LE Skills • Practical – – – Laboratory safety & decorum Research techniques Equipment & supplies acquisition Data collection & analysis Computational design & programming Publication & proposal writing • Professional – – – GRE prep & Graduate school tours Conferences & Workshops REUs & Internships Faculty, Researchers, & Administrators Future Colleagues & Employers Personal Practical Professional

Graduate School Tours NCSU, UNC, & Duke 2007 Mississippi State Univ. 2004

Reflecting Thoughts … • PHYSICS uses EVERYONE because EVERYONE uses PHYSICS. • There is more than enough PHYSICS for EVERYONE. • Apply “critical mass” recruitment and “one-on-one” coaching. • Keep working on “Can we do it better? ” • Diversity and Inclusiveness is the KEY to SURVIVING and THRIVING.

References & Contributions – – APS Committee on Minorities Report, AIP (2003). AAAS News & Notes, Science, 324, 480 (2009). AIP Statistical Research Center Noteworthy Discussions & Contributions • • Quinton Williams, Dept. of Physics & Atmospheric, Jackson State U. Lawrence Norris, Exec. Director, National Society of Black Physicists Zelda Gills Sheppard, Lockheed-Martin, Marietta, GA Anthony Johnson, Director of CASPR, Dept. of Physics, UMBC Michael Williams, Dept. of Physics, Clark Atlanta University Donnell Walton, Corning Incorporate, Painted Post, NY Aakhut E. Bak, Dept. of Physics, Morehouse College

Acknowledgements Special Thanks to: • Dr. Ruth Howes and the SPIN-UP National Task Force Team • Dr. John Blodin and NCSU SPIN-UP Program Committee • Physics students: Ronald Clary, Alandis Jackson, Dewayne Booker, Brandon Luckett, and Carlton Mc. Gee • Dr. Jim Stith • Many other colleagues, students, friends, family, etc. Questions and/or Comments? ?