Symposium exposes diverse pool of doctoral students to life at ECU
Visiting scholar Dr. Soloman Gisemba presents his research to faculty in ECU’s chemistry department. (Photos by Rhett Butler)
East Carolina University’s Office for Equity and Diversity held the first Emerging Scholars Symposium March 12-14. The symposium introduced advanced doctoral students and post-doctoral scholars to opportunities available for faculty at ECU and took them on tours of campus and Greenville.
The objective of the initiative is to diversify ECU’s faculty pipeline with an emphasis on groups underrepresented in their field, according to Amy Waters, ECU’s affirmative action program manager. The symposium gave participants and ECU faculty and administrators the opportunity to engage with one another, learn about faculty life at ECU and showcase their research.
“The symposium has the potential to diversify our faculty even more than it is now,” said Dr. Grant Hayes, dean of the ECU College of Education. “To be really successful at recruiting underrepresented faculty members, we have to go to where they are and expose them to what we have to offer at ECU. This program does this.”
Scholar Dr. Alex Kingston participates in the presentation portion of the symposium.
Symposium participant Dr. Soloman Gisemba is completing his post-doctoral work at the University of Florida and presented his research to faculty in ECU’s chemistry department. He said this was the first time he had participated in an opportunity like the Emerging Scholars Symposium and that he had learned a lot about the mission of the university.
In addition to campus tours and showcasing their research to their host departments, the scholars participated in workshops and panel discussions about faculty careers at ECU and networking activities with administrators and faculty.
To learn more about the Emerging Scholars Symposium and other initiatives at ECU that encourage advancing a diverse and inclusive environment, visit The Office for Equity and Inclusion’s website.
-by Jamie Smith, ECU News Services