SACNAS to Honor San Diego City College as Chapter of the Year at the 2020 National Diversity in STEM Virtual Conference

SANTA CRUZ, CA —

Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics & Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) will recognize San Diego City College SACNAS Chapter with the 2020 Chapter of the Year Award at 2020 SACNAS – The National Diversity in STEM Conference which will take place online for the first time in SACNAS history, from October 19 – 24, 2020. San Diego City College is the second community college chapter to win this prestigious award.

Additionally, five other chapters will be honored for outstanding achievements at the Chapter Awards Ceremony & Networking Event presented by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative on October 23, 2020.

CHAPTER ROLE MODEL AWARDS

Outstanding Chapter Development
Yale University SACNAS Chapter

Outstanding Professional Development
San Francisco State University SACNAS Chapter

Outstanding Community Outreach
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center SACNAS Chapter

Outstanding Fundraising
University of Florida SACNAS Chapter

Outstanding Recruitment & Membership Retention
University of Michigan SACNAS Chapter

“San Diego City College SACNAS is profoundly grateful to receive the honorable recognition of Chapter of the Year,” said San Diego City College Chapter President Dyani Melgarejo, “As community college students, we do not take these accolades lightly. Our members see the long road ahead and choose to pursue education with perseverance and grit. As underrepresented minorities pursuing STEM, as first-generation college students forging our path, as primary income-makers balancing the school-work-life balance, our SACNAS chapter offers us solace and provides us opportunities for empowerment. By receiving this award, we have tangible evidence that all our sacrifices, our planning, our relentless pursuit of our career goals are not only noticed, but celebrated. Our future members will know that community college students can—and will—stand out as leaders and change-makers in their field. Thank you, SACNAS, for giving us hope for our future. We are the future of STEM.”

Each SACNAS chapter develops programming on its respective campus focused on networking, professional development, scientific engagement, and community service. As part of its mission, SACNAS supports this national network largely through direct outreach and year-round contact with individual chapters. Every year SACNAS recognizes a handful of chapters at its National Diversity in STEM Conference that demonstrate outstanding achievements throughout the past twelve months. This recognition serves as a platform to share best practices across the entire network of 118 SACNAS chapters.

“The SACNAS Chapters were imagined as a partnership between the SACNAS national organization and institutions throughout the country with the goal of advancing diversity and inclusion in STEM. Each year we recognize Chapters that have made significant contributions towards the vision of achieving true diversity in STEM,” said SACNAS President Dr. Sonia Zárate. “This year, we are proud recognize the San Diego City College SACNAS Chapter as the 2020 Chapter of the Year recipient for their local and national efforts to create a more inclusive STEM environment. Thanks to SDCC and the efforts of the 118 student and professional chapters nationwide, we are able to fulfill the mission of our founders and ensure that the scientific enterprise is able to benefit from the potential that diversity holds.”