Gretchen Bataille

In 1972, a group of Native American and Chicano scientists traveled from their universities to a meeting in New Mexico.

They were trailblazers, often the first in their communities to receive Ph.D.s in science and the first Chicanos or Native Americans to be hired by their academic department.

Being first often meant being the only. And this group was out to change that.

From that meeting, the Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) was born to help underrepresented ethnic minority students and professionals pursue science careers. SACNAS also helps them reach for the highest levels in their educations and careers through advocacy and networking.

Today, SACNAS has more than 20,000 members, partners and affiliates throughout the U.S. and holds a centerpiece annual conference to bring together scientists and scientists-to-be.

The University of North Texas, partnering with UNT Health Science Center at Fort Worth and UNT Dallas, was proud to be a part of the tradition as the lead sponsor of the 2009 SACNAS National Conference, titled “Improving the Human Condition: Challenges for Interdisciplinary Science,” held this weekend.

This annual event, which grew from 225 participants in 1978 to 2,700 this year, gives ethnic minority students the chance to show their research, view exhibits from universities and federal agencies, network and hear from leading scientists and researchers.

The students came with common interests — science, engineering, mathematics — and left with a web of support to help them further their educations and careers.

Bringing culture to science

The SACNAS conference is likely one of the only scientific conferences that includes a powwow. This marriage of knowledge and culture speaks volumes about how SACNAS is bridging gaps.

SACNAS asks those who are part of an ethnic minority group to bring their culture and perspectives to science. And it asks schools and the scientific community to prepare for a world no longer dominated by white scientists.

Increasing the number of ethnic minority students in science and math fields is critical because their presence is so disproportionate to their population size and projected growth. Latinos, for instance, are the largest and fastest-growing ethnic minority group in the U.S., yet they account for only about 7 percent of graduate enrollment in science and engineering fields, according to National Science Foundation figures.

To ignore them is to ignore the future.

Reaching out

Supporting the conference is another way that UNT is drawing more and a greater variety of people to science, engineering and math. The research conducted through these fields leads to advances in health, agriculture, technology, the environment and so much more.

Through our partnership with Haskell Indian Nations University and the EPA, UNT is leading the way for Native American students to pursue graduate degrees in environmental sciences at UNT.

Our NSF-funded scholarship program, Fostering Outstanding Cohorts in Undergraduate Sciences (FOCUS), is aimed at getting first-year biology, biochemistry and chemistry students on track to pursuing science and graduate school. Top consideration goes to underrepresented and first-generation students.

Our Teach North Texas program is training future secondary math, science and computer science teachers because they are essential to building the pipeline, as they plant the seeds for a career.

On top of this, UNT has created more opportunities for hands-on research at the undergraduate level because we know the earlier we start, the better. We’ve changed how we fund graduate education to be more competitive in attracting the next generation of researchers. And we’ve capitalized on our reputation for interdisciplinary research with a $25 million investment in research clusters to encourage our faculty and student researchers to cross boundaries and find solutions together.

We at UNT know that we must continue to remain one of the state’s most diverse and comprehensive universities, even as we pursue our dreams of becoming a national research university.

Promoting diversity

SACNAS has excelled in its mission to bring more diversity to science. In 2004, SACNAS received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring, a program supported and administered by the National Science Foundation.

In 2002, the National Science Board Public Service Award recognized SACNAS as the “premier organization that promotes diversity in science careers.”

Since its start in 1973, SACNAS has created leaders who are also mentors. They include UNT’s own success story, Pamela Padilla, an associate professor of biology and winner of the prestigious NSF CAREER award. Since presenting her first research paper ever at a SACNAS conference in the mid-1990s, Padilla, a first-generation college student, has been an active member and advocate ever since. Just as importantly, she’s mentored some 35 students through her research laboratory.

Because of SACNAS and universities such as UNT, students from all ethnic and cultural backgrounds are getting support and opportunities to engage in research and make new discoveries that could change our world.

GRETCHEN M. BATAILLE is president of the University of North Texas.