The University of Arizona has demonstrated its commitment to STEMM Equity through its institutional AAAS Sea Change Membership. The Office of Societal Impact is the Institutional Liaison. SEA Change is an initiative from the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) that seeks to recognize institutions for their work in support of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the STEMM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine) fields.

In June 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Michael Johnson, PhD, assistant professor of immunobiology at the College of Medicine – Tucson, wondered what he could do to lift up underrepresented minorities during such a difficult moment in the nation’s history.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded a prestigious research grant to the University of Arizona, supporting an innovative Postdoctoral Fellowship program aimed at promoting educational equity and diversity in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields. 

Students will engage with the topic at hand by learning alongside those most impacted by social justice issues through experiential activities, such as workshops and small group discussions.

CREAR STEM Learning Communities are Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) groups that are organized by societal impact areas where you can explore solutions to challenges in your communities. These groups are specially designed for students from historically excluded groups in STEM (Ex. Latinx, African-American, Native, High Financial Need, First Generation, and Community College Transfer students).

This UA program provides services to support students in graduating with a STEM major. This program focuses on promising students who are underrepresented in STEM, especially students who are first in their family to attend college, from low-income households, who transferred from a community college, and from underrepresented groups, such as women and minorities.