Teacher Sacrifices No Substitute for Broadening STEMM Education Access

By Willie E. May, Vice President of Research and Economic Development at Morgan State University

Today is National STEM Day, a day celebrating educational opportunities and encouraging students to pursue futures in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. We reflect on the need for systemic changes to ensure all students have the same opportunities to thrive in STEMM fields (SOA and others use the acronym “STEMM” — the second M is for medicine). When more students have better opportunities, our scientific enterprise is stronger.  

Growing up in segregated Birmingham, a career in STEMM was not that obvious. My father hoped that my athletic interests and talents would be my ticket to a better life, but my mother pushed me toward college — and she was right. 

My love for chemistry was inspired by the passion and work of a high school teacher who took summer refresher courses at a nearby university, then came back and taught his coursework to students who would otherwise not have had access to that level of education.  

We need a cross-sector, systemic approach to removing barriers in the STEMM ecosystem so that under resourced students do not have to rely on individual teachers’ sacrifices to get the same level of education as others. And we need to ensure that the institutes designed to serve students of color have the adequate funding and support to launch their careers. 

At Morgan State University, we have set the goal of becoming a top tier Doctoral Research University (R1) by the end of the decade, as determined by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. This classification translates directly into demonstrated increases in research funding, doctorate degrees and postdoc researchers — critical to the future of our institution. To achieve this goal, we have recently created seven new research centers, three this year alone, and established an endowed research professorship.  

Strengthening Morgan State’s ability to support cutting edge research projects is critical to producing the next generation of innovators and supporting students from all backgrounds. Achieving our goals will have significant impacts on individual lives and communities, because STEMM occupations are some of the fastest-growing and highest-paying. 

Initiatives like those at Morgan State are also vital for the scientific enterprise as a whole. When talented students have the opportunities they need to succeed, they are more likely to excel in STEMM majors and have fruitful careers. They can help to solve societal challenges while representing their communities’ perspectives and voices. That will ensure scientific advances have the broadest possible impact.  

This is one of the reasons we are so excited to support the vital work of the STEMM Opportunity Alliance. This movement recognizes that equity and excellence are inextricably linked and that achieving equity in STEMM is the only way we can trust that scientific innovations address the challenges in our world and make improvements in the quality of life for all communities.   

It is only by centering equity that we can and will strengthen the scientific enterprise and ensure that science is advanced “for the benefit of all,” as the AAAS mission directs. Achieving equity in STEMM once and for all is a great responsibility, but it is also an honor. I am proud to be a part of the SOA movement.

Dr. Willie E. May is Vice President of Research and Economic Development at Morgan State University, and President-elect of AAAS.