A Message from the ADVANCE PI
"The academic culture at Stevens is enriched by an exchange of ideas from people with diverse backgrounds in the broadest sense. Diversity drives research and innovation and enhances the educational experience of our students. As we move toward Stevens’ future as a premier, student-centric, technological research university, it is essential to provide our leadership and community with the knowledge and tools needed to create a culture of inclusion, enabling ALL faculty to contribute to the enterprise."
—Susan Metz, Executive Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; Senior Research Associate
NSF ADVANCE
The National Science Foundation's ADVANCE Program seeks to establish systemic approaches to increase the representation and advancement of women in academic science, technology, engineering and mathematics careers, thereby contributing to the development of a more diverse science and engineering workforce; providing a richer educational experience for students and a more intellectually stimulating environment for faculty and administrators. NSF ADVANCE is not about preferential treatment for women or lowering quality and standards. It is about eliminating bias, primarily unintended bias, present in the minds of men and women and embedded within policies and practices of organizations that result in unnecessary hardship for women to succeed in academia.
In 2013, Stevens Institute of Technology received an NSF ADVANCE grant. The mission of ADVANCE Stevens is to create a sustainable culture that facilitates recruitment, retention and advancement of women faculty with a focus on academic STEM careers. Research reveals that the strategies, practices and policies implemented through this effort benefit men as well as women faculty. Given the complexity of leveling the academic playing field for everyone, ADVANCE Stevens engages ALL faculty and academic leaders in developing and implementing creative strategies to realize these goals.
The material on this webpage is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under Grant No. 1311792. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
Overview: Initiatives
Programs and activities led and/or supported by ADVANCE Stevens are focused in two areas: Academic Culture and Hiring, Retention and Faculty Advancement. These initiatives introduce thought leadership and best practices across these areas to Stevens faculty members and administrators and engage them in critical discussion, action planning, and professional development to enhance the culture for all faculty at Stevens. A sampling of initiatives within each of the two focus areas is listed below:
