Provost Austin Agho announced on July 12 that the grant received by ODU will help promote the recruitment, hiring, promotion, and tenure of women STEM faculty, particularly women of color. The project, “Re-envisioning Inclusive and Sustainable Excellence: Advancing Women in STEM at Old Dominion University,” aims to improve the departmental climate to make it more inclusive. Agho added that the grant is positive news for ODU and its efforts in diversifying faculty.
The U.S. National Science Foundation has awarded Old Dominion University a three-year, $1 million grant to address the lack of female faculty in science and engineering.
Provost Austin Agho announced on July 12 that the grant received by ODU will help promote the recruitment, hiring, promotion, and tenure of women STEM faculty, particularly women of color. The project, “Re-envisioning Inclusive and Sustainable Excellence: Advancing Women in STEM at Old Dominion University,” aims to improve the departmental climate to make it more inclusive. Agho added that the grant is positive news for ODU and its efforts in diversifying faculty.
Dean of the College of Sciences Gail Dodge expressed her excitement for receiving an NSF ADVANCE grant. She is looking forward to working with the ADVANCE team and taking concrete steps to ensure a welcoming environment for women faculty in STEM.
Kenneth Fridley, dean of the Batten College of Engineering and Technology, said both NSF and ODU are committed to increasing the representation of women in science and engineering academia.
The ADVANCE grant awarded to ODU will help the institution reach its goal of having faculty that reflect its community. Fridley added, “The Batten College of Engineering and Technology is committed to achieving the goals of the grant and creating an academic culture that fully supports women, particularly women of color faculty.”
Agho is the principal investigator for the grant beginning August 1 that will be co-led by Annette Finley-Croswhite, Professor of History and Director of the Center for Faculty Development; Shanda Jenkins, Faculty Diversity and Retention Coordinator; Vukica Jovanovic, professor and Chair of Engineering Technology; and Stacie Ringleb, Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and Assistant Dean of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Access for the Batten College.
Mona Danner, retiring chair of sociology and criminal justice at ODU, drove the effort to win the university its latest diversity award. “It is thrilling,” she said, “as it will further ODU’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.” As a member of the University Women’s Caucus for her entire career, Danner has helped advance women at ODU.
ODU’s RISE project, which will enhance opportunities for women, people of color, and international students in STEM fields to work with diverse faculty, is expected to have a tangible benefit, according to Agho. The initiative is part of the university’s effort to support minoritized students in STEM.
Agho lauded Danner and Finley-Croswhite, her other co-PIs, and other participants in the grant.
ODU’s grant from the NSF’s ADVANCE Adaptation program builds on prior research addressing disparities in higher education based on gender, race, and ethnicity. It was adapted from projects at seven other institutions including Columbia University, the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Case Western Reserve, the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Kansas State University, the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of California, Irvine.
