According to a 2015 NSF report, only 15% of recent STEM PhD earners were African Americans or Hispanics, and only 4% were women.¹ Acknowledging this deficiency, we proposed a program to engage the interests of young women and URMs in science and prepare them for successful careers. The program called Operation ICB (I Can Be) immerses rising Mississippi high school seniors into the laboratory setting via lectures in fundamental principles of chemistry and research in supramolecular chemistry. Approved by the university and financially supported by NSF, scholars are not only exposed to the lab but offered an early stage collegiate experience via college preparatory packets and networking events.

Collaborators: Dr. Elizabeth Morgan at Mississippi School of Math and Science

¹ (NSF), U. N. S. F. Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering – NCSES – US National Science Foundation (NSF). http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/2015/nsf15311/ (accessed May 23).

Recent Participants