The American Physical Society is committed to the inclusion of underrepresented minorities in physics and has spent decades working on programs to increase the recruitment and retention of African Americans, Hispanic Americans and Native Americans in the field.
APS has worked on several aspects of this issue from enhancing how science is taught in elementary, middle and high schools in order to preserve the natural curiosity of students from all backgrounds; to providing mentors and funding to minority high school students and undergraduates in order to help them navigate their physics education and careers; to providing opportunities for the professional success of underrepresented faculty, researchers, and industrial physicists.
Minorities in Physics Brochure
APS has created a brand new brochure encouraging minority students to study physics. This engaging brochure is entitled, "Explore, Understand, Succeed: Physics," and is written to inspire minority students to study physics. The brochure also provides students and their parents with information about pursuing physics careers.
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Speakers Program
The Minorities in physics Speakers List (MSL) contains the names, contact information and talk titles of minority physicists who have agreed to give colloquium and general talks to a wide variety of audiences. Search the online list by name, keyword, state, or physics subfield.
Travel Grants
Departments may apply for a small grant to bring minority colloquium speakers to their department. The program is designed to increase the opportunity for minority physicists to give colloquium talks at colleges, universities and amongst general audiences. It also recognizes the speakers’ scientific accomplishments and contributions, and allows them to serve as role models for minority undergraduates, graduate students and faculty.
Tips for Hiring and Recruiting Minorities and Women for Faculty Positions
The APS Committee on Minorities has compiled this document to assist physics department chairs, deans, and others who are in a position to hire women and minority faculty, and who are willing to take a proactive approach to ensure that a diverse pool of candidates is considered for open positions. This document is not meant to be a step by step directional manual, but rather a guide that can be used to generate ideas, to create awareness of certain issues, and, perhaps, to increase the institution's chances of attracting talented faculty. Please feel free to print out the document and share it with your colleagues. Your feedback is also welcome. Please send comments to minority@aps.org.
Committee on Minorities
The APS Committee on Minorities (COM) works to increase the number of historically under-represented minorities, notably African-Americans, Hispanic, and Native Americans, who earn degrees in physics and pursue successful careers in physics in the United States. COM conducts site visits and offers a minority scholarship for undergraduate physics majors. Other programs include the annual Edward A. Bouchet Award, travel grants, and the Roster which lists names and qualifications of over 3500 of women and minorities in Physics.
Minority Scholarship
The APS Scholarship for Minority Undergraduate Physics Majors has the goal of increasing the number of minority students who obtain a degree in physics. Any high school senior, college freshman or sophomore who is an African American, Hispanic American, or Native American US citizen or permanent legal resident is eligible to apply.
