Universities rely
heavily on summary statistics as proxies for student
achievement (GPA, GRE, MCAT, etc.), but in many cases
these measures fail to capture actual talent and
capacity for success. Moreover, they are strongly
biased by socioeconomic status and identity. The
effect is a profound and systematic barrier to many
underrepresented populations within the STEM
disciplines. Universities need to re-evaluate the
way that traditional undergraduate education
determines who can and should do science.
We are actively working on changing the way
undergraduate education is delivered at Dalhousie
University in order to improve retention and success
of historically underrepresented students in STEM.
Our efforts focus on recognizing UR students having
a strong interest in science and math trajectories
but who have only limited incoming cultural
resources and support systems for science. We
are developing new academic programming and
resources to diversify and expand success in STEM by
identifying and supporting underrepresented
talent. These efforts include:
1. Dalhousie
Science Scholars and Leaders Program (DSSLP)
2. Becoming
a Scientist I and II (BIOL2111 and BIOL2112)
3. First year
interest group (FIGS0004): A toolkit for
diverse STEM students
4. Academic
work and publications
5. Collaborators:
Diversity of Nature
Dalhousie Science Scholars and Leaders
Program: DSSLP
is a co-curricular academic program (launched in Fall
2022) housed within the Department of Biology, but open
to all STEM majors. The program is focused on
UR students (UR = BIPOC, first generation, people with
disabilities, LGBTQ2SIA+ etc.) having a strong interest in
science but who face profound and systematic barriers
within the STEM disciplines. These students join an
academic program that will affirm and support the
development of their individual science identities. This
will be achieved by building a student community that
promotes the active participation of its members in
support of each other’s success in science. Community
development is complemented by two terms of formal
credit-based coursework that mentors them in the implicit
“rules of the science game”, encourages their
direct engagement with undergraduate research
opportunities at Dalhousie, supports the early development
of their professional science skills, and provides them
with tools to increase their own happiness as a science
student while building productive academic habits.
Students are provided with the resources they need to
translate their passion for science into a successful
career within a science field. The ethos of this
program is to change the way that traditional
undergraduate education determines who can and should do
science. Click
this link to go to the DSSLP website.
BIOL2111/2112 (SCIE2111/1112) Becoming a
Scientist I and II: These courses examine the general culture of
academia, and that of science majors at Dalhousie
University. Students learn about the many facets of
science as a process. Through scholarly studies &
activities, and by interacting with people who put science
into practice, the course will de-mystify the language and
practice of science. Students develop science
communication skills and learn practical information that
will help them to plan and progress towards a
science-related career. The course also explores the
translation of science to society, and the importance of
community outreach activities. This course promotes
the active participation of students in support of each
other’s success. Click this link for
a copy of the syllabus.
FIGS(0021): A toolkit for diverse STEM
students: The objective if the FIG is to affirm and
support historically excluded and underrepresented
students in STEM. If you are a student that has
a passion for science but you are bewildered by the
many unwritten rules of science, we can help!
Are you wondering how to plan your STEM degree? Are
you interested in becoming part of a more inclusive
science community? Are you uncertain about how to
access all the tools you can use to succeed in
STEM? Do you want to know where to find support?
We will help you with these and other
challenges. We will work as a group to address
these topics and learn how to support each other’s
success. There will be group work, hands-on
activities, and guest speakers. This is a winter-term
learning module offered as part of the Dalhousie
Science Scholars and Leaders Program. Click this link
for a copy of the syllabus.
Co-requisites/Prerequisites: This is an interactive
group open to all students with a passion for science
and a desire to make a difference in the world through
a STEM career.
Academic work and publications
Massey D.B.M., Arif S., Embuldeniya S., Nanglu K.,
Bielawski J.P. 2022. Ten Simple Rules
for Succeeding as an Underrepresented STEM
Undergraduate. PLoS Computational Biology.
Jun 9;18(6):e1010101. doi: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1010101.
[Click
this link for the PDF.]
Massey D.B.M., Arif S.,
Bielawski J.P., Meynell L. 2022. Cultivating a
Healthy Cognitive Ecology. In preparation.
Funding: NSERC New Frontiers in Research Fund
(Exploration 2019): Testing “It’s the song,
not the singer(s)”: microbiomes to Gaia.