Faculty Affairs and Academic Programs
Advancing Mathematics Faculty Diversity at the University of California, Riverside
UC Riverside, 2018-2019
Project Principal Investigators
Cynthia Larive, Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor
Kathryn Uhrich, Dean, College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences
Yat Sun Poon, Chair of the Department of Mathematics
Project Abstract
This project builds on successful aspects of previous Advancing Faculty Diversity initiatives and enhances prior programs in significant ways. As a pilot unit in the first year of this initiative, UCR initiated a highly successful Provost’s Diversity in Engineering Fellows program. The current interventions build on the first year program elements of attractive, targeted advertisements; use of the Statement of Contributions to Diversity as an initial rather than later selection criterion; a boost to the candidate’s research career through an additional year of funded research training anywhere in the U.S. while having a tenure track position secured; and support and mentoring throughout from their UCR base. The Mathematics project will also use the tools afforded by applying through UC Recruit rather than MathJobs, making a significant difference to the ability to monitor and boost development of a diverse pool of applicants; host a symposium early in the Fall quarter to showcase both the diversity of the campus and the quality of the Mathematics Department to attract more applications from prospective URM faculty; and implement specific mentoring to develop skills for teaching mathematics to first generation students. There is a strong commitment by the leadership to support the project.