CICS Dean Laura Haas to Participate in Statewide Research-Practice Partnership Designed to Increase Diversity in STEM

UMass Amherst College of Information and Computer Sciences (CICS) Dean Laura Haas will participate in the leadership team for the newly formed Research, Educator and Business Leaders’ network (REBL), a statewide research-practice partnership program developed by UMass Institute of Diversity Sciences (IDS) Director Nilanjana Dasgupta. 

Funded by a three-year, $500,000 grant from the National Science Foundation and IDS affiliates, the partnership will connect educators who provide out-of-class support, outreach organizations offering out-of-school learning opportunities, and industry partners who hire and develop talent in technology and engineering. The REBL leadership team will work with 100 other stakeholders from diverse backgrounds, including high schools and community colleges, the MIT Office of Engineering Outreach Programs, Boston Museum of Science, and Girls, Inc. of the Valley.

The program will focus on identifying effective solutions that help students transition from high school to higher education in technology or engineering, or from higher education to the workforce in these fields. Students will be provided with mentoring opportunities to help develop professional networks, get career advice, and develop ideas for independent projects, master’s theses, or dissertations.

Dasgupta hopes this statewide network project can serve as a model for states across the nation. “Our goal is to create an open and vibrant network that brings us out of our silos. We welcome new people into our network who are passionate about increasing access and opportunity for underrepresented students in computer science and engineering fields. If this describes you, come join us.”

For more information about the program, contact IDS program manager Leyla Keough at ljkeough [at] umass.edu.