Resources for Underrepresented Physicists

Contents

On this page, you can find information about:

geared towards students from groups historically underrepresented in physics. You should also check out general resources for students as well as staff and faculty. This list is meant to be a sampling of resources and is by no means comprehensive. We expect to keep populating the list as we gather more information. Please contact us with suggestions. 

 

Physics Department Student Groups

Diverse Physics Society

This group came out of several dinners and coffee hours that Prof. Cissé and Prof. Perez hosted for students of color in the department during Spring 2018. A common thread in these gatherings was that the students wished there were more opportunities for them to meet each other. From these discussions, three main goals for the group were voiced: to give opportunities to meet and form community, to identify and advocate for any issues/resources that they would like to discuss with department leadership, and to link in to broader national groups (e.g. SACNAS, NSBP, etc.) and provide funding to attend these meetings. Please contact Kerstin Perez for more information kmperez@mit.edu.

Undergraduate Womxn in Physics (UWIP)

An organization dedicated to providing resources, advice, and a positive social atmosphere for physics majors and those interested in physics.

Graduate Womxn in Physics (GWIP)

GWIP aims to build community and support gender diversity among physics graduate students at MIT. We use the umbrella term "womxn" (pronounced: wi-muhn) to indicate that transgender women, cisgender women, non-binary people, and gender diverse physics graduate students are all welcome in GWIP. While we focus on graduate students, we also connect with women faculty, postdocs, and undergraduates in the department.

 

Campus Student Groups

Please find below a list of student groups. Additionally,

  • Please find here a comprehensive list of multicultural organizations
  • The Health and Wellness page has a list of cultural and social identity offices and campus resources.
  • The Office of Graduate Education also maintains a list of initiatives and programs for underrepresented students on its GradDiversity webpage

Graduate Student Council Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee (DEI)

GSC’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee (DEI) works to encourage diversity, achieve equity, and foster inclusion for all MIT community members regardless of their identity. The Department and Classroom Inclusion subcommittee is a peer-to-peer development initiative aimed at establishing department representatives, or Conduits, among all graduate departments and programs. The Student Life subcommittee is a community based initiative aimed at establishing Constituency Representatives, or c-reps, among underrepresented identity groups.

Academy of Courageous Minority Engineers (ACME) 

A community of support and peer mentorship for minority graduate students and young professionals at MIT. Weekly accountability groups are held to discuss and provide constructive feedback on the content of and progress toward research goals and graduate school succes.

American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) 

We are a group of students of Native descent and/or with an interest in Native culture. We have meetings every month (with food), a few MIT-wide events per term, and occasionally go on trips.

Black Students Union (BSU)

The MIT Black Students' Union was founded in 1968 to provide Black students on MIT's campus with an avenue to gather socially, affect political change on campus and abroad, and to benefit the MIT and greater Boston Black communities through various forms of service and enrichment.

Black Graduate Student Association (BGSA)

The Black Graduate Student Association at MIT was founded in 1976 with the mission of promoting the cohesiveness and success of African, African-American and Afro-Caribbean graduate students at MIT.

First Generation Program (FGP)

The First Generation Program (FGP) is committed to building a sense of community among first generation MIT students, faculty, alumni, and staff, and raising awareness of their unique experiences.

Graduate Women at MIT (GWAMIT)

GWAMIT is a student-led organization dedicated to supporting all women and women-identified persons within the MIT graduate community.

LatinX Graduate Student Association

Cross-departmental organization of Latino graduate students (email: lgsa-exec@mit.edu)

LGBTQ@MIT

Learn about groups and clubs for you to join. If you have some questions about what might be the best fit for you, feel free to reach out to the groups directly or contact the LBGTQ+ Services staff!

MIT MAES

MIT MAES Latinos in Science and Engineering is a tight-knit community that focuses on the professional development of its individual members, offering them resources and opportunities for success.

Mujeres Latinas

Our Mission: Service --- Seek social and professional advancement and cultural enrichment of Latinas in the MIT community and the Boston-Cambridge area; Knowledge --- Promote the success of individual Latinas by providing Latinas with support and guidance in their endeavors. Identity --- Raise awareness among the MIT community about the issues affecting Latinas, including but not limited to racism and sexism

 

Mentor and Mentee Opportunities 

  • GWIP-UWIP mentoring program 
    • Female physics major matched with female grad student
  • First-year buddy program for graduate students
    • First year matched with senior grad student
    • You will receive an email about this in early August
  • Graduate Women at MIT Mentoring Program 
    • Grad students matched with female professors or alumni in their field
  • Laureates and Leaders
    • For underrepresented minority students interested in pursuing a graduate degree
  • National Mentoring Community (through American Physical Society)
    • Matches African-American, Hispanic-American, and Native American undergraduate physics students with local mentors

 

Ongoing Campus Programs

  • Interphase EDGE
    • Bridge program for incoming MIT undergraduates to ease the transition. Seven-week summer session prior to freshman year plus academic-year programming.
  • Path of Professorship Workshop
    • Annual workshop for MIT women graduate students and postdocs considering a tenure-track position in academia
  • Rising Stars in Physics workshops
    • For early-career women in physics and astronomy considering academic jobs

 

Research Opportunities, Internships, and Conferences

 

National Organizations

 

Bridge Programs

 

Fellowships and scholarships