The School of Medicine at the University of California, Riverside, has received the 2022 Inspiring Programs in STEM Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the largest and oldest diversity and inclusion publication in higher education.
The award honors colleges and universities that encourage and assist students from underrepresented groups to enter the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, or STEM. UC Riverside will be featured, along with 78 other recipients, in the September 2022 issue of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine.
“I’m so incredibly proud of our Pathway Programs office for their exceptional leadership and management,” said Dr. Deborah Deas, vice chancellor for health sciences and the Mark and Pam Rubin Dean of the School of Medicine. “This recognition is excellent news and serves as a great example of how our school and local community can go far together.”
The medical school was recognized by the magazine with the award for its Medical Leaders of Tomorrow program, a weeklong program for high school students from educationally and socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds. The program’s goals include motivating students to excel in math and science in preparation for higher education and health careers.
With the onset of the COVID-19 global pandemic, Medical Leaders of Tomorrow was successfully adapted to a virtual program and expanded enrollment from 65 participants in 2019, to 79 participants in 2020, and 93 participants in 2021. Participants represent diverse and underrepresented groups, including 42% who identified as Latinx/Hispanic and 10% who identified as African American/Black. More than half of the participants are first-generation college students, with 78% identifying as female.
“We want to honor the schools and organizations that have created programs that inspire and encourage young people who may currently be in or are interested in a future career in STEM,” said Lenore Pearlstein, owner and publisher of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. “We are proud to honor these programs as role models to other institutions of higher education and beyond.”