About the series
Please join NSF from 12 - 1:30 pm Eastern on August 10, 2023 for a Distinguished Lecture by John Matsui, PhD, titled "STEM Equity, ‘Good’ Mentoring, and the ‘Hidden Curriculum’"
The lecture is sponsored by the Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO)'s Broadening Participation Working Group.
A recording and transcript of the lecture are linked below as is a PDF of Dr. Matsui's slides.
Abstract
From his 30-years of work with UC Berkeley’s Biology Scholars Program, Dr. Matsui will share his insights about the selection and treatment of STEM talent and the role of equity programs to address underrepresentation in STEM.
About John Matsui, PhD
John Matsui is the Assistant Dean of Biology and Director and Co-Founder of the Biology Scholars Program (BSP) at UC Berkeley.
Dr. Matsui grew up in the flatlands of West Berkeley in the San Francisco Bay Area, a low-income neighborhood where few went to college. He was trained as an evolutionary biologist and science educator in the California Community College and University of California public school systems. Dr. Matsui’s dedication to making STEM more diverse, equitable, and inclusive comes from his passion for science and his personal experience growing up Japanese American in post-World War II California.
For the past 30 years, he has worked with over 4000 Cal undergraduates in the Biology Scholars Program, of which 60% have been URMs (African American, Hispanic, and American Indian), 70% women, and 60% from low-income backgrounds and/or the first in their family to attend college.
Dr. Matsui’s goal has been to ‘level the playing field’ for those who do not fit the historical profile of success, to help them become leaders in their future science-related careers.
He has served on numerous NIH, NSF, and HHMI review panels and national committees focused on STEM equity. His awards and honors include the:
- Distinguished Mentor Award - Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS)
- Mentoring Keynote Award - American Society for Cell Biology
- Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring (PAESMEM) - National Science Foundation
Dr. Matsui sees BSP as a scalable model for what an equitable STEM education might look like, one that would nurture and value the talent of individuals from all backgrounds, and not just those who fit the traditional, status quo profile of success.
