This presentation will examine the obstacles and challenges faced by marginalized communities in accessing STEM and medicine fields and explore strategies for creating more equitable pathways to success. Through an examination of current research, we will delve into the ways in which structural barriers can limit access and opportunities for underrepresented groups. To illustrate these points, the presentation will feature examples of successful outreach programs at the University of Houston College of Medicine and City University of New York School of Medicine. These programs aim to increase the participation of underrepresented groups in STEM and medicine fields by providing research opportunities, mentorship, financial support, and other resources. Overall, this presentation aims to provide understanding of the complex issues surrounding equity in STEM and Medicine, and to inspire attendees to take meaningful steps towards creating a more just and equitable future at their institutions.
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Presenter Bios
Dr. Ekoba’s research focus is culturally responsive and antiracist STEM instruction. She is a teacher
educator for a secondary STEM program, and has developed coursework for implementing culturally responsive and antiracist approaches to teaching, and is looking into how it prepares future teachers to be inclusive in their approach to teaching and learning. Additionally, she is a co-PI on a STEMM multilayered mentor-based research laboratory project for high schoolers, STEM undergraduates and medical school students, who she trains with her colleagues on culturally responsive mentorship, instruction and now approaches to medicine.
educator for a secondary STEM program, and has developed coursework for implementing culturally responsive and antiracist approaches to teaching, and is looking into how it prepares future teachers to be inclusive in their approach to teaching and learning. Additionally, she is a co-PI on a STEMM multilayered mentor-based research laboratory project for high schoolers, STEM undergraduates and medical school students, who she trains with her colleagues on culturally responsive mentorship, instruction and now approaches to medicine.Dr. Lam is a medical student advisor at the CUNY School of Medicine, a family medicine physician, and
a graduate of the Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center family medicine residency program. She earned her medical degree from the New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine.
a graduate of the Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center family medicine residency program. She earned her medical degree from the New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine.Dr. Lam is dedicated to empathy, sensitivity, and diversity in the healthcare environment. She worked in many underserved areas, which led her to value cultural competency and inclusion, resulting in her involvement in the Health Professions Mentorship Program at the CUNY School of Medicine.
In her spare time, she enjoys running and traveling, and occasionally combines the two by entering races across the country/world.
Mariam Manuel, Ph.D., is an Clinical Assistant Professor/Master Teacher for teachHOUSTON, a
secondary STEM teacher preparation program in the Department of Mathematics at University of Houston. Dr. Manuel has authored courses for undergraduates and graduate students on topics of Physics Education, Engineering Design, and Culturally Responsive Pedagogy. She is also part of two NSF projects that prepare teacher leaders and provide informal STEM learning experiences for students from underrepresented minority populations. She is the Director of Professional Development for the LEAD Houston Fellowship and has previously directed the UH Noyce Summer Professional Development Institute. In the face of the pandemic, she co-directed a virtual summer program, tH STEM Interactive, which served 3,000 participants worldwide. For her mentorship efforts, she received the 2018 Million Women Mentors Stand Up for STEM Award and the 2019 Association of Women in Mathematics Certificate of Service to the Field for Mentorship of Girls and Young Women in STEM. Most recently, she was awarded the 2020 UTeach STEM Educators’ Association Award for Outstanding Contributions to STEM Education.
secondary STEM teacher preparation program in the Department of Mathematics at University of Houston. Dr. Manuel has authored courses for undergraduates and graduate students on topics of Physics Education, Engineering Design, and Culturally Responsive Pedagogy. She is also part of two NSF projects that prepare teacher leaders and provide informal STEM learning experiences for students from underrepresented minority populations. She is the Director of Professional Development for the LEAD Houston Fellowship and has previously directed the UH Noyce Summer Professional Development Institute. In the face of the pandemic, she co-directed a virtual summer program, tH STEM Interactive, which served 3,000 participants worldwide. For her mentorship efforts, she received the 2018 Million Women Mentors Stand Up for STEM Award and the 2019 Association of Women in Mathematics Certificate of Service to the Field for Mentorship of Girls and Young Women in STEM. Most recently, she was awarded the 2020 UTeach STEM Educators’ Association Award for Outstanding Contributions to STEM Education.Dr. Thomas Thesen is an Associate Professor of Medical Education at the Geisel School of Medicine at
Dartmouth, an Adjunct Associate Professor of Computer Science at Dartmouth College, an Affiliate Faculty member at the Center for Technology & Behavioral Health, and a Visiting Scientist at the Brain & Mind Institute at Aga Khan University in Kenya. He earned his Ph.D. in Cognitive Neuroscience from Oxford University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in psychophysiology and brain imaging at the University of California, San Diego. Dr. Thesen led a brain imaging lab at the New York University School of Medicine and later contributed to the establishment of a new mission-driven medical school at the University of Houston, Texas.
Dr. Thesen directs the Neuroscience-Informed Learning & Education (NILE) Lab at Dartmouth, where he leads research focused on optimizing learning conditions for healthcare trainees through innovative technologies. His work emphasizes the importance of individual variability in learners, applying a precision approach to medical education that caters to the unique needs of each student. Dr. Thesen’s current research explores the use of Generative AI and digital health to develop personalized learning and wellness strategies in medicine, with the goal of enhancing educational outcomes and supporting trainee well-being.
Dartmouth, an Adjunct Associate Professor of Computer Science at Dartmouth College, an Affiliate Faculty member at the Center for Technology & Behavioral Health, and a Visiting Scientist at the Brain & Mind Institute at Aga Khan University in Kenya. He earned his Ph.D. in Cognitive Neuroscience from Oxford University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in psychophysiology and brain imaging at the University of California, San Diego. Dr. Thesen led a brain imaging lab at the New York University School of Medicine and later contributed to the establishment of a new mission-driven medical school at the University of Houston, Texas.Dr. Thesen directs the Neuroscience-Informed Learning & Education (NILE) Lab at Dartmouth, where he leads research focused on optimizing learning conditions for healthcare trainees through innovative technologies. His work emphasizes the importance of individual variability in learners, applying a precision approach to medical education that caters to the unique needs of each student. Dr. Thesen’s current research explores the use of Generative AI and digital health to develop personalized learning and wellness strategies in medicine, with the goal of enhancing educational outcomes and supporting trainee well-being.
Dr. Thesen’s research has been funded by the NIH, NSF, Wellcome Trust, American Medical Association, IAMSE, and other nonprofit and philanthropic organizations. At Geisel, Dr. Thesen directs the Neuroscience & Neurology course and the Medical Learning Sciences course in the MD program. A dedicated educator, he has received several teaching awards, including the Distinguished Lecturer Award at Geisel, a Teaching Innovation Award from the University of Houston, and the A.B. Baker Teacher Recognition Award from the American Academy of Neurology.