Recap of MARCH-ON Virtual STEM Summit

MARCH-ON STEM (Mid-Atlantic Initiative on Racial Equity Challenges and Opportunities for the Next Generation in STEM) is a group of faculty and professionals from four institutions (NOVA, George Mason University, Edu-Futuro and Penn State University), whose goals are to establish a STEM-Ecosystem in Northern Virginia and to create programs in STEM with a focus on at-risk, underserved and underrepresented students. Our goal is to make sure that students are supported to successfully graduate from post-secondary education and to secure well-paid jobs in STEM careers.

In July 2021, MARCH-ON STEM organized a summit, bringing together participants from two- and four-year institutions, K-12 schools, STEM private sector representatives and non-profit organizations. The summit was intended to gather stakeholders for an exchange of ideas on ways to promote racial equity in STEM, to establish key workforce competencies in STEM now and through 2025 and discuss the prospect of participating in a new STEM-Ecosystem in Northern Virginia.

The summit program was the concept of Dr. Padhu Seshaiyer, professor of mathematical sciences at GMU. The summit was opened by Dr. Seshaiyer, and by NOVA’s Dr. Abe Eftekhari, Dean of MSTB at the Annandale Campus.

Dr. Nathan Carter (NOVA’s Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer) welcomed participants on behalf of NOVA’s President Anne Kress and spoke of the importance of working toward creating equity, access and opportunities for minorities in the STEM fields. He also reminded us that behind statistics and numbers there are real lives, and that we have an opportunity to engage and reach students who sometimes “are desperately in need of more support.” Carter stressed that NOVA is committed to inclusive excellence. “One of the pillars of inclusive excellence is our partnership with four-year and private sector institutions,” he said. “The efforts of the MARCH-ON Summit are important because they represent concentrated steps to advance equity in STEM education, promote diversity and eradicate disparities that have kept so many minority and underrepresented students from succeeding in their goals of pursuing careers in STEM.”

Other summit organizers included Dr. Bob Ehrmann, managing director of the Center for Nanotechnology Education, and Dr. Osama Awadelkarim, UNESCO chair professor of engineering science and mechanics at Penn State; Jorge E. Figueredo, executive director of Edu-Futuro; and NOVA professors Mihaela Chamberlin, Kumnit Nong, Manori Nadesalingam (AN), Nina Lord (MA) and NOVA Alumna and current Georgetown University Student Judith Obregon, who was also recipient of the Jack Kent Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship while at NOVA.

Padhu Seshaiyer and Jorge Figueredo offered statistics about the high college drop-out rate, the racial and ethnic divide and students who fall into the digital divide. The numbers demonstrate the urgency and need for reaching out at many levels to help these young people.

The summit continued with group activities, discussions, video presentations, through which participants explored concepts of equity and equality, implicit bias and inclusion.

The “Notice and Wonder 4-Corner Activity” asked participants to label the pictures in the four corners as a modality to explore their own understanding of equity and justice.

Judith Obregon spoke about the importance of race, nationality, ethnicity and identity, as illustrated in the YouTube video produced by Eliana Pipes, “Race, Ethnicity, Nationality and Jellybeans.” Obregon said, “These details determine a person’s success in life…[and] everyone is judged based on these factors. It is our goal to make sure that everyone gets a fair chance at education, especially in STEM…It is our responsibility to help these students find the way to be successful and have more opportunities and support in STEM education.”   

The summit concluded with NOVA Chemistry Professor Dr. Mihaela Chamberlin leading a discussion of the definition of racial equity and the four interconnected levels of racism that need to be addressed (personal, interpersonal, institutional and cultural). Chamberlin said that to tackle racial inequity is a big and worthwhile task, and “one of the ways in which we can do this is by creating a platform for an inclusive community of equitable opportunities for all students in STEM, a human-centered structure, [with] empathy at its core, a STEM Ecosystem. This is not just about providing resources, [it is] about creating a space where all students feel included, connected and valued. It is about empowering young people.”

Other comments from Participants:

Dr. Padhu Seshaiyer: “This was the whole purpose of bringing different stakeholders together, to create the first STEM ecosystem of Northern Virginia, because everybody is doing their version of STEM, but what happens when we bring it all together, going for powerful grant opportunities, or collaborative programs? This is an opportunity for all of us to come together.”

Dr. Nathan Carter: “The MARCH-ON event was well attended and clearly had a positive impact on all of the participants. Congratulations to all those involved with MARCH-ON and to others working on similar efforts that align with NOVA’s commitment to Inclusive Excellence.”

Dr. Abe Eftekhari: “The summit offered the opportunity for the colleagues, professionals and local community to discuss important issues related to diversity, equity and inclusion and how we as individuals and educators can more effectively address these issues and combat racism and inequity… I hope for … future summits.”

For details or questions about the MARCH-ON Summit, contact march_on@googlegroups.com.

Submitted by:
Dr. Mihaela Chamberlin, AN-Chemistry, MChamberlin@nvcc.edu