Changing Dynamics, Changing Needs

If you had a positive experience, go find someone else to bring up the pipeline. Patrice Yarbough The numbers of women and under-represented minorities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines have greatly improved over the past several decades, but institutional efforts to recruit, train, retain, and promote their participation in these fields are still inadequate. Being successfully mentored is particularly important for these groups. Individuals and institutions must step forward to take a leadership role in the advancement of diversity in the STEM disciplines. To include persons of color in the scientific workplace is a moral imperative, as it will increase the variety of perspectives, life experiences, and approaches, in turn, serving to enhance science. Mentoring is of particular importance to the individual person of color in parallel with institutional efforts. A number of issues germane to these particular mentoring needs are discussed below, which embody aspects with which protégés should become familiar.