ÈÕº«ÎÞÂë

The ÈÕº«ÎÞÂë ADVANCE: Organizational Change for Gender Equity in STEM Academic Professions - Catalyst grant focuses on addressing systemic barriers that impact the retention of Women of Color Faculty (WOCF) in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) at ÈÕº«ÎÞÂë. This project is funded by the ADVANCE program at the National Science Foundation (Award Number 2438001). Read more about the grant at the .

ÈÕº«ÎÞÂë faces challenges in recruiting and retaining Women of Color Faculty (WOCF) within STEM disciplines. ÈÕº«ÎÞÂë's commitment to inclusive excellence is embedded in its core values outlined in "Our Common Ground." However, systemic barriers persist, particularly for STEM WOCF, who represent only 2.4% of faculty in NSF-designated STEM disciplines. The NSF ADVANCE initiative aims to address these challenges by fostering structural and cultural transformations that support the retention, success, and well-being of WOCF in STEM disciplines. ÈÕº«ÎÞÂë is the first institution in Vermont to receive an NSF ADVANCE Award, a significant milestone for the state.

The grant supports the development of a comprehensive five-year STEM Faculty Equity Strategic Plan aimed at reducing WOCF attrition by identifying gaps in institutional practices, collecting qualitative and intersectional data, and creating a campus-wide framework for systemic change.

This project will also establish strategic partnerships across campus, leveraging the expertise of the NSF ADVANCE Leadership Team, the ADVANCE Council, and the Faculty Fellows Program. Through these collaborations, the initiative will promote institutional transformation, align efforts with ÈÕº«ÎÞÂë’s Inclusive Excellence Action Plan, and create a model for predominantly white institutions (PWIs) and EPSCoR jurisdictions across the country.

The overarching goals of this project are to investigate the systemic barriers that lead to the attrition of Women of Color Faculty (WOCF) in STEM at ÈÕº«ÎÞÂë and to develop a five-year STEM Faculty Equity Strategic Plan. 

1. Identify gaps in campus-data infrastructure, collection, and analysis through the lens of intersectionality;
2. Collect qualitative data to accurately capture the experiences of WOCF in STEM at ÈÕº«ÎÞÂë;
3. Build strategic campus relationships through project leadership and the Faculty Fellows Program to ensure continued administration buy-in; and
4. Develop a five-year STEM Faculty Equity Strategic Plan to address the systemic policies, processes, and practices that contribute to WOCF attrition at ÈÕº«ÎÞÂë. 

Project Leadership and Management Team

• Dr. Priyantha Wijesinghe (Principal Investigator), Director of Curricular Enrichment and Senior Lecturer in Civil and Environmental Engineering 
• Dr. Jason C. Garvey (co-Principal Investigator), Executive Director for the Office of Institutional Research and Assessment and the Friedman-Hipps Green and Gold Associate Professor of Education
• Dr. Jane E. Okech (co-Principal Investigator), Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs and Professor of Counselor Education and Supervision
• Colleen Fairchild (co-Principal Investigator), Senior Analyst of the Office of Institutional Research and Assessment 

ADVANCE Council

The ADVANCE Council will provide insight into the five-year STEM Faculty Equity Strategic Plan and serve as spokespeople to disseminate the results within their departments/units. 

The ADVANCE Council includes,

• The project leadership team (see above)
• Dr. Linda S. Schadler, Acting Provost and Senior Vice President
• Dr. Tracy Arámbula Turner, Associate Professor in Higher Education and Student Administration 
• Dr. Brittany "Brit" M. Williams, Assistant Professor in Higher Education and Student Administration 
• Faculty Fellows (TBD)

ADVANCE Faculty Fellows Program

The ADVANCE Faculty Fellows (FF) Program has two main goals: (i) fostering an inclusive community among WOCF in STEM and (ii) gathering qualitative data through counterspaces. WOCF from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS), College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), College of Education and Social Services (CESS), College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences (CEMS), and Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources (RSENR) will serve as ADVANCE Faculty Fellows. We prioritized STEM WOCF because their unique perspectives are informed by their lived experiences and will significantly enrich the qualitative data we aim to collect.