"Training graduate students of the 21st century through enhanced professional development and mentoring experiences"
The STEM enterprise of the U.S. continuously strives to remain competitive globally. As such, there have been dramatic advances over the past decades in the breadth of knowledge, innovations and technologies, and training of students that have collectively contributed to the growth of the U.S. economy, national security, and the health and well-being of its citizens. However, the U.S. continues to face challenges due to the inequities of advanced STEM degrees obtained by women and students from racial and ethnic underrepresented minority groups; a shift in the availability and nature of STEM careers; and the rapid scientific and technological discoveries and advances that require STEM expertise. These factors, among others, have motivated stakeholders of graduate education systems to evaluate the practices and policies that prepare students for the STEM workforce. Guided by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Consensus Study Report, Graduate STEM Education for the 21st Century, this presentation will discuss the suggested recommendations and strategies, particularly the roles that professional development, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), and mentoring and advising have in the production of an “ideal” graduate education in STEM.
