USC sponsors annual Sacnas Conference
USC is sponsoring the Society for Advancement of Hispanics/Chicanos and Native Americans in Science’s annual national conference, “Creativity, Vision, & Drive: Toward Full Representation in STEM,” from Oct. 16-18 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
SACNAS is a national organization comprised of scientists who are committed to the academic success of Hispanic, Chicano and Native American students, postdoctoral researchers and professionals in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
“At the beginning of each school year, we give all new incoming Hispanic students a planner of resources, and SACNAS is one of those resources,” said William N. Vela, director of El Centro Chicano. “The number of Latinos and Native Americans [in science] are underrepresented and programs like SACNAS give them more resources, role models and exposure to those fields.”
Since its founding in 1973, SACNAS has become a network of 25,000 members, partners and friends, according to its website. USC is home to one of two independent chapters in the Los Angeles community.
“SACNAS is the largest national organization that promotes STEM careers for underrepresented groups,” said Alexis Moreno, assistant vice dean of diversity and strategic initiatives at USC. “It started two years ago with the idea of getting students, from undergraduate to graduate to postdoctoral, and connecting them to national networks.”
According to Moreno, the university’s sponsorship of the event will enable undergraduates participating in the convention to meet USC faculty, students and administrators, as well as tour university science facilities such as the Center for Dark Energy Biosphere Investigations and the USC Wrigley Marine Science Center on Catalina Island.
“It should be exciting,” Moreno said. “Thursday night there’ll be a welcome concert by [LA-based Chicano rock band] Quetzal and Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences Dean Steve Kay will be making remarks at Friday’s lunch.”
Beatriz “Abril” Lopez-Bermudez, a senior majoring in chemistry who hails from Mexico City, is a member of USC’s SACNAS chapter.
“SACNAS has been an important source of information,” she said. “I’ve become more knowledgeable about the resources offered to students in STEM majors.”
Her principal investigator, chemistry professor Brent Melot, introduced her to the organization.
“He explained that it would be a great idea for me to be part of it and participate in their conference this year,” Lopez-Bermudez said.
Lopez-Bermudez plans to present a paper that she and her mentors worked on entitled “Dependence of the Li-Ion Conductivity and Activation Energies on the Crystal Structure and Ionic Radii in Li6MLa2Ta2O12.”
“Since this is my very first conference, I am really looking forward to meeting people in the field of chemistry and energy, as well as to present what we’ve been working on in lab,” Lopez-Bermudez said. “I want to make both my mentors and my school proud.”
Vela believes USC’s involvement in SACNAS offers a promising future for its minority students.
“I think it’s a great thing that USC has decided to take the lead on this,” Vela said. “In addition to the groups like Latinos and Native Americans, there are some groups within those groups that are even smaller in number, like Latina women, and I would think that to have any national organization geared specifically towards them really brings pride to those students and gives them a sense of belonging.”