A Community for Minorities in STEM (CMiS) at the University of Oregon focuses on fostering a supportive and inclusive community for ethnic and cultural minorities in all disciplines of science, technology and mathematics. This mission is accomplished through professional development (member participation in national conferences, networking opportunities and informational workshops), motivational speakers, community based outreach programs and the generation of a lasting sense of community for underrepresented individuals. In addition, members provide social support and mentorship to their peers, both at the university and within the community with the aim of increasing retention of underrepresented groups in higher education. CMiS is open to all UO STEM community members and invites all who encourage and support the advancement of minorities in science to participate. CMiS at the UO is supported by the Division of Equity and Inclusion, the Graduate School and member fees. A copy of our current bylaws is here.

 

CMiS statement on the Black Lives Matter movement

The appalling violence toward Christian Cooper, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd are a stark reminder of the work yet to be done regarding racial equality and justice. A Community for Minorities in STEM wholeheartedly supports the Black Lives Matter Movement and is committed to building an inclusive and diverse community within the University of Oregon STEM departments. Our concrete efforts will focus on:

  1. Providing financial support for students from URM backgrounds to share their research and build a professional network.
  2. Supporting/facilitating STEM departments’ efforts to increase diversity and inclusion within their departments (i.e. inviting speakers from diverse backgrounds for seminars to share their research and their career path, supporting recruitment of students from URM backgrounds).
  3. Incorporating more active conversations about equity and inclusion in our lunches and events (i.e. book and movie suggestions related to the BLM movement, anti-racism, etc, how STEM departments at the UO can take action to increase diversity and inclusion.
  4. Donating money raised from our cloth mask fundraiser to Food for Lane County and CAHOOTS, two organizations that work within the Eugene/Springfield community to provide access to food and non-violent, de-escalating response to crises, respectively.
  5. Continuing to build and maintain a cohort of URM students and allies across STEM departments, providing students with social and professional support within a network of peers.

Through these efforts, we hope to increase awareness of the systemic racism integrated within our society and further take action by mitigating the injustice experienced within STEM fields at the UO. With these goals in mind, we strive to provide a welcoming and supportive space for URM students and allies to discuss important social topics. We encourage you to reach out to us if you are interested in joining our organization.