History of UTRGV’s ADVANCE Programs
UTRGV's "Attracting and Nurturing Women Faculty at a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI)" ADVANCE IT (award # ) aimed to increase the representation and advancement of women in STEM fields across faculty and leadership ranks, with a special focus on Latinas. Our program, which ran from October 2012 to September 2022, achieved success in recruitment and retention of underrepresented female faculty, including Latinas, through transforming departmental climates/cultures into psychologically healthy workplaces. Our ADVANCE program was structured around four (4) main pillars in the areas of recruitment; advancement; policy and climate; and education and empowerment. Many of these diversity initiatives are now institutionalized at UTRGV, including the Women's Faculty Network (WFN); Nursing Mother Suites; Climate Surveys; and the Dual Academic Career Program. These diversity initiatives also include expanded outreach and search pool requirements/certifications for hiring committees; enhanced onboarding processes; and mandatory training for both search/hiring and tenure and promotion committees.
Over the course of our grant, we provided leadership training to support and advance the next generation of STEM female academic leaders. For example, the ADVANCE Leadership Institute and the Administrative Fellows Program resulted in a larger pool of potential STEM women leaders, particularly Latinas, at UTRGV and beyond. The ADVANCE Associate-to-Full Program supported STEM women at the Associate Professor rank to navigate their careers to become full professors. During the grant, UTRGV hired their first STEM Latina Dean, along with several other Latina Associate Deans. The WFN (which grew out of the ADVANCE program and is open to all faculty at UTRGV) provides networking and professional development opportunities through frequent meetings, workshop/professional development sessions, mentoring, and wellness programs.
Our program contributed to a deeper and more inclusive understanding of gender equity in STEM disciplines and raised awareness about the systemic issues impacting Latinas' underrepresentation in STEM academic careers. The gender and ethnic diversification of the professoriate at UTRGV will have an impact on our students (93% of our students are Hispanic/Latino and we are the second largest Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) in the nation). An increase in Latina female STEM leaders provides role models for female students (particularly Latinas) to enter STEM disciplines. If the Latina students of today are taught by STEM Latinas, they can see themselves as the Latina STEM faculty of tomorrow.
Last updated: 01/18/2023