Asst. Teaching Prof. Suzanne Young鈥檚 鈥楧EI in STEM鈥� Modules Draw Positive Reactions
Image by Ed Brennen
06/06/2022
By Ed Brennen
While teaching a section on waves in her Chemistry I course last semester, Asst. Teaching Prof. Suzanne Young took a moment to tell her students about someone not mentioned in their textbook: the late nuclear physicist Fred Begay. Also known as Clever Fox, he was a lasers expert of Navajo and Ute descent who went to work for the Los Alamos National Laboratories in 1971 and conducted experiments with NASA.
A few weeks later, during a discussion of enzymes and receptors in binding, Young introduced her students to a more contemporary scientist also not found in their textbook: Tanya Latty, a Black entomologist at the University of Sydney in Australia who works on the chemistry of slime mold, which uses receptors to 鈥渟ee鈥� light without eyes and 鈥渟mell鈥� food without a nose.
By creating five-minute biographies such as these on Black, brown and indigenous scientists and then weaving them into her chemistry courses throughout the semester, Young hopes to better connect students to the STEM fields by showing them just how diverse those disciplines truly are.
鈥淚n chemistry textbooks, the faces of discoverers and the names of equations and principles are all European-based. That鈥檚 the history, and that鈥檚 great. They鈥檙e cool dudes,鈥� Young says.聽聽
Image by Ed Brennen
鈥淲e have such a beautifully diverse campus,鈥� says Young, who has taught in the Kennedy College of Sciences for 12 years. 鈥淭here鈥檚 no reason not to teach this way. It鈥檚 the simplest thing to add in.鈥�
Young鈥檚 students appreciate her efforts.
鈥淲e mostly learn about people in the past who set the foundation. It鈥檚 worthwhile to learn about people in the present from different backgrounds,鈥� says Diego Goodrich, a rising sophomore chemistry major from Lowell who found the module on Clever Fox particularly interesting.
鈥淚t鈥檚 good to know about people who aren鈥檛 in the textbook, who aren鈥檛 appreciated as much,鈥� says Arshjot Kaur, a rising sophomore psychology major (pre-med track) from Westford, Massachusetts.聽聽
鈥淎s a woman, it鈥檚 nice to know that it鈥檚 not just men that have played a role in science,鈥� adds Lydia Pendleton, a rising junior exercise science major from Tewksbury, Massachusetts. 鈥淪he always finds great people to talk about, people from different ethnicities and genders. I鈥檇 never heard of most of them, so it鈥檚 nice to hear about what they鈥檝e done.鈥�
Young also created a 鈥淪cientist and Engineers Day鈥� in each course where students are asked to make a brief presentation about a STEM figure who inspires them. She says 85% percent of the students talked about 鈥渟omebody who looks like them, in gender or in race.鈥�
Image by Ed Brennen
鈥淣ow, there鈥檚 somebody who looks like them running the machine,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the smallest thing, but it humanizes it, and I think that鈥檚 what this generation is begging for.鈥�
Young has expanded the lessons to include LGBTQ scientists such as English mathematician Alan Turing, as well as scholars who faced neurodiversity challenges. She presented her DEI in STEM work at the Faculty Symposium in March and plans to share her modules with colleagues in the Chemistry Department.
In addition to aligning with the university鈥檚 recently unveiled Pillars of Inclusive Excellence, Young says the DEI lessons improve student engagement in class.
鈥淚鈥檓 surprised how powerful it turned out to be. Students who used to be quiet and shy were suddenly talking to me more,鈥� says Young, who will always remember the feedback she received from one student in particular.
鈥淗e said, 鈥楴o one has ever done this. I have never been really sure I had a place until now. Thank you,鈥欌�� Young recalls. 鈥淚 went back to my office and cried. That鈥檚 when I knew it was working.鈥�
