Fostering Diversity in a Faculty Development Organization

Since 1994, the Professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education (POD) has articulated a goal of becoming a more multicultural organization. In support of this goal, POD sponsors two key initiatives: travel and internship grants. This chapter offers an historical overview of the first nine years of these programs, selected perspectives from participants on the individual and organizational benefits of these initiatives, and a context within which to explore how POD is evolving as a multicultural organization and how it may benefit from increased attention to diversity related issues in the future

Copepod feeding response to varying Alexandrium spp. cellular toxicity and cell concentration among natural plankton samples

We challenged four species of copepod grazers (Acartia hudsonica, Centropages hamatus, Eurytemora herdmani, Calanus finmarchicus) with natural water samples containing non-toxic algae mixed with one of three clones of Alexandrium spp.-A. tamarense GTCN16 (non-toxic), A. fundyense GTCA28 (moderate toxicity), and A. fundyense BC1 (higher toxicity), each at relatively high (105 cells L-1) and low (104 cells L-1) concentrations. Within any one copepod species, significant differences existed in copepod clearance rates and total food ingested between high and low Alexandrium cell concentrations, and between levels of toxicity, but feeding response did not follow a predictable relationship proportional to toxin levels-rather, the presence or absence of toxin was more important than the level of toxicity. C. finmarchicus behaved differently from the smaller coastal copepods, showing less selectivity and greater concentration dependence. In low Alexandrium concentration treatments, copepod clearance rates on Alexandrium were usually higher, and electivity indices for Alexandrium less negative (indicating less avoidance), compared to high concentration treatments. In high toxicity (BC1) treatments of all copepod species (except C. finmarchicus), total food consumption was consistently less at high Alexandrium concentrations compared to low concentrations, suggesting that high toxicity and concentration suppress overall feeding, while in non-toxic (GTCN 16) treatments total consumption was always higher at high Alexandrium concentrations. Copepod grazers do not follow predictable feeding rules throughout a continuum of conditions, but become more predictable at extremes of concentration and toxicity of prey, consistent with the conclusion that both factors are important. Results support the hypothesis that grazer deterrence imparted by toxicity is only effective at high cell concentrations, but even then will not protect against all grazers. © 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Exposure to multiple career pathways by biomedical doctoral students at a public research university

<div><p>The Broadening Experiences in Scientific Experiences (BEST) program at Wayne State University was designed to increase doctoral students’ awareness of multiple employment sectors beyond academia, improve their knowledge of transferable skills required to succeed in any career path, provide opportunities to explore diverse career paths, and gain in-depth knowledge about those paths using experiential learning opportunities. We devised a three-phase program that ranged from providing students with a broad introduction to multiple career opportunities to immersive experiential learning in a specific career sector. Importantly, program content was developed and delivered by alumni and industry experts in five employment sectors–business/industry, communication, government, law/regulatory affairs, and undergraduate/PUI teaching–in partnership with WSU faculty. This article provides data on two notable outcomes: doctoral students participate equally in BEST activities regardless of gender, race, and citizenship status, and student participation in BEST activities did not correlate with lower GRE ratings, lower GPA, or increased time-to-degree. Further, a “halo” effect of the program is evidenced by participation of students from all disciplines, not just the biomedical sciences. Centralizing BEST activities within the Graduate School will allow faculty and individual programs to save resources and time.</p></div

Demographics of doctoral students participating in BEST events.

<p>The number of events attended by unique participants from 2014–17 (total N = 223) are displayed by (A) gender, (B) ethnicity, and (C) U.S citizenship status.</p

Academic performance of students participating in BEST activities.

<p>(A) The average GRE percentile scores for incoming students. Note: some programs do not require GRE scores for admission, so not all BEST participants are included. (B) Cumulative GPAs from 2014–17. Non-BEST students did not participate in any BEST events; BEST students are those who participated in one or more BEST events. (C) Time-to-degree completion for BEST participants who graduated 2014–17. The events include Phases I, II, and III, and GPPD seminars. The duration of each event varied from one hour for GPPDs and Phase I to an average of 160 hours for Phase III participation. In three years, 125 of the unique participants completed their doctoral degrees.</p

Survey results of doctoral students in BEST target departments.

<p>(A) Phase I survey (Years 1–3) (N = 227 surveys), (B) Phase II survey (Years 2–3) (N = 70) results are shown. The scale for both surveys ranges from 1 (nothing/not at all) to 5 (a great deal).</p

Participation of doctoral students from biomedical departments in BEST events.

<p>Pre-BEST vs. BEST participation (unique participants) 2013–17. The striped bars represent participants from 2013–14, the "pre-BEST" period. The solid bars represent BEST participants from 2014–17.</p