TxMI Speaker Series March 2022 - Dr. Keivan Stassun

Texas Mindset Initiative Speaker Series
Dr. Keivan Stassun (Vanderbilt University)
March 9, 2022

A Model for Dramatically Increasing Diversity at the PhD Level in Science and Engineering

Stassun will draw on his experiences as a nationally leading voice for diversity in STEM, including as a member of the National Science Foundation's Committee on Equal Opportunity in Science and Engineering, and as a member of multiple National Academies studies on Effective Mentoring in STEM and Promising Practices for Addressing Underrepresentation in STEM. He will also discuss how partnerships with minority-serving institutions, such as the Fisk-Vanderbilt Masters-to-PhD Bridge Program which he co-directed for more than 10 years, can help to achieve the goal of increasing STEM diversity at the doctoral level.

During the discussion, Stassun will summarize three core strategies: (1) replacing traditional metrics in PhD admissions with indicators that are more predictive of long-term success; (2) partnering with minority-serving institutions for student training through collaborative research; and (3) using research-based mentoring models to support students to degree completion and beyond. These models and tools support the success of all PhD students.


The TxMI Speaker Series brings cutting-edge social science and education research to the UT community to spark discussions around representation and equity in teaching and hiring practices. The invited speakers are faculty, higher education researchers, and administrators from leading universities across the country, who all share a passion for educational equity and research that helps to improve the cultural inclusivity in classrooms for students and faculty alike.