MagLab at the 2023 Aspire Summer Institute

Published August 11, 2023

The MagLab Mentoring Director was invited to serve as a facilitator for the 2023 Aspire Summer Institute, a workshop that trains faculty and leaders from STEM departments and professional societies across the US.

What is the Inclusive Professional Framework (IPF)?

Dr. Kawana W. Johnson, MagLab Research Faculty II & Mentoring Director, facilitated sessions at the Aspire Summer Institute. The ASI used the Inclusive Professional Framework (IPF) to engage faculty and faculty developers in the development of an equity mindset. The IPF identifies three core domains - Identity, Intercultural, and Relational - which underlie inclusive practices in higher education. During the ASI, faculty learn and practice a set of skills in the three domains that can be applied to inclusive practices across multiple faculty roles such as advising, teaching, research mentoring, collegiality, and leadership. These skills also contribute to personal health and well-being as well as a broader inclusive climate within the institution.

Why is it important?

The skills that Dr. Johnson facilitated are universal skills for MagLab faculty as well and include:

Advising students, formally or informally -- a key role that many faculty play in addition to engaging students in classroom or research settings.

Teaching: Building confidence using strategies to make your content, activities, language, and classroom logistics inclusive for all students.

Research Mentoring: Deepen understanding of how to communicate effectively across difference to set faculty and mentee(s) up for a mutually beneficial and productive mentoring relationship.

Collegiality & Leadership: Learn how to derail systems of privilege and interrupt bias, act as an ally, and advocate for excellence and diversity in professional settings as both colleague and leader.

Inclusive environments in STEM departments and at higher education institutions foster underrepresented minority faculty and student success and persistence, thereby building a more diverse and innovative STEM workforce. The MagLab can benefit from Dr. Johnson’s experience with ASI to reach their goals of building a more diverse STEM workforce.

Why did this program need the MagLab?

Dr. Johnson’s experience as a trained facilitator through the Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research (CIMAR) provides an ideal opportunity to share knowledge designed to guide program participants in developing activities and refining goals.