Diversity

Critical to fulfilling our scientific mission, the CCMR works closely with Cornell University and funding agencies to ensure a welcoming environment for staff, students, researchers, and faculty. Making higher education and scientific research accessible to all people is not just morally correct; increasing evidence shows that enhancing diversity, equity and inclusion in science leads to better scientific outcomes. Cornell faculty and staff welcome diverse perspectives and view them as important to enabling new scientific approaches and discoveries.

Compared to the overall population, many science and engineering fields are still not diverse. An important part of the CCMR mission is to enhance participation of groups traditionally underrepresented in science. The Center accomplishes this with a variety of programs, at the K-12, undergraduate, and graduate levels. These are summarized below. Please contact the members of the CCMR DEIA Committee if you have any questions.

CCMR DEIA Committee

• Prof. Lynden Archer, CBE Faculty and Dean, College of Engineering
• Prof. Nicole Benedek, MSE Faculty
• Ms. Anitra Douglas-McCarthy Director of Graduate School Recruiting Office
• Dr. Kelly Luo Postdoctoral Associate
• Prof. Atieh Moridi, MAE Faculty

NSF-funded PREM (Partnership for Research and Education in Materials Research).

Titled “Collaborative Research and Education in Energy Materials (CREEM),” this partnership with researchers at North Carolina A&T will develop low-dimensional titanium oxynitride-based materials capable of supporting energy conversion reactions. The CREEM team will focus on broadening the participation of underrepresented African American students in graduate education leading to terminal degrees, by engaging students in innovative materials research, education, and outreach programs. High-school, undergraduate, and graduate students are participating in this program.

 

CCMR Analytical Facilities

The CCMR Shared Instrument facility houses a wide array of world-class instruments such as electron microscopes, spectrometers, diffractometers, and more. Importantly our facilities provide collaborative space for many researchers which include researchers from industry, national labs and academia outside of Cornell and range from undergraduates to industry scientists. The CCMR facility staff are a diverse group of expert staff who promote research by teaching researchers how to safely use instruments and how to utilize instrumentation to get the best possible analyses. Our mission is to make analytical resources available to all researchers and our staff are able to offer in-person hands-on training, written instructions and in some cases, video/remote training. We welcome the opportunity to work with any researcher. CCMR knows that everyone brings unique capabilities and valued perspectives to research and education.  Our goal is to promote accessibility and inclusion in an intentional and forward-thinking way.  We are determined to continually break down any and every accessibility barrier that students may encounter so that everyone has an opportunity to succeed.

 

K-12 Educational Programs: Raising the quality of K-12 science education through our K-12 student and teacher programs. See K-12 Student Programs and Teacher Programs.
The CCMR impacts diverse groups of teachers, students, and community members in a wide range of urban and rural settings. These collaborative efforts include:

• Community programs increase the exposure of the community to scientific concepts and new technological achievements.
• Families Learning Science Together (FLST) is a hands-on science program for children ages 5 and up and their parents or caregivers. This program is co-sponsored with the Tompkins County Public Library (TCPL) in downtown Ithaca, NY.
• The CCMR has worked with the Ithaca Youth Bureau (IYB) since 2004. Ongoing collaborations have included several of the Youth Bureau’s programs such as the IYB Summer Camp, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and the Afterschool Program, which provide science lessons for underserved communities in the Ithaca area.
  

  Cornell graduate student Omar Padilla Velez in Puerto Rico

• CCMR scientists also work with community groups such as the Greater Ithaca Activities Center to provide programs for a primarily African-American and Hispanic audience.
• Faculty, postdoctoral associates, graduate students, undergraduates, and staff bring hands-on science programs to schools in upstate New York, New York City, Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico.

 

 

Graduate and Undergraduate Programs: Raising the quality of graduate and undergraduate science education.

Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program

An amazing summer internship program for undergraduates. Students have the opportunity to work directly with faculty on interdisciplinary materials research projects involving chemistry, physics, materials science, and engineering disciplines. Students also participate in an organized program of lectures, laboratory visits and teambuilding activities. The 10-week program takes place on Cornell’s Ithaca campus and includes a stipend, housing in a University dormitory, and travel funds. Further information for REU 2022.

 

 

 

Career Advancement Program for Engineers and Scientists (CAPES) 

This program is designed to improve the competitiveness of Cornell graduate students and postdoctoral scholars entering the workforce, in part by providing training in the important “real-world” skills that have been overlooked in traditional graduate programs, such as public speaking, proposal writing, and effective interviewing techniques. The CAPES program also gives students a realistic and unbiased view of academic and non-academic career opportunities.