“I’m not alone”: Lessons from the National Diversity in STEM Conference
Photo provided by Cathy Mercado
This fall, Molecular Plant Sciences (MPS) graduate student Cathy Mercado alongside other MSU students attended the 50th National Diversity in STEM Conference in Portland, Oregon. The conference is hosted annually by SACNAS, or the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science.
The conference emphasized how STEM professionals from Historically Marginalized (HM) or Underrepresented Minority (URM) groups can advocate for themselves and others.
“The big thing there was being able to bring your full self to the conference. It’s not just about your research, it’s also about you as a person,” said Cathy Mercado, a second-year graduate student in the Department of Plant Biology. Mercado studies in Robert VanBuren’s lab.
Mercado was encouraged to go to the conference by a fellow researcher, who emphasized the conference’s focus on professional development and diversity initiatives.
Photo provided by Cathy Mercado
At the conference, Mercado helped work the MPS booth, handing out materials to undergraduate students who might be interested in studying plant sciences at Michigan State. The booth was shared with MPS by Plant Cell Atlas and Water and Life Interface Institute.
When she was not working the booth, Mercado was able to attend poster sessions and presentations. Notable sessions for her included a workshop on plant biotechnology and a panel for women in STEM.
“One of the women at the end of the panel asked a question… people are emotional beings and I think STEM pushes that away. You should be very professional, no emotions attached to your work,” Mercado said. “And this older professional lady said she’ll just cry. If she needs to be emotional, she’ll be emotional. I like that because it was validating an experience that a lot of people have, especially women. You’re human, and [being emotional] doesn’t make you less of who of you are.”
Mercado sees conferences that promote diversity in STEM as important to not only learn at but make connections at. The next goal for Mercado is to help the MSU SACNAS chapter restart, so more MSU students can have these opportunities in the future.
Photo provided by Cathy Mercado
“People can come to these conferences and recharge their batteries. I learned that I have other people who look like me or identify the same as me at this conference and I’m not alone,” she said.
This trip was made possible by a three-year grant MPS received from the MSU Graduate School, the Prospective Doctoral Student Recruitment and Retention Program.
"We are very excited at the opportunity to work with the Graduate School to enhance our efforts in recruiting, retaining and supporting domestic doctoral students from underrepresented groups,” said Jianping Hu, director of the MPS program. “We hope this three-year plan will establish a sustainable framework for the recruitment and professional development of a diverse doctoral cohort within the MPS program in years to come.”
