SACNAS at Baylor Receives National Honor as Outstanding Chapter for Celebrating Culture
Young chapter has made significant strides in fostering a vibrant and inclusive community
Students and faculty with SACNAS at Baylor received the national Outstanding Chapter Award for Celebrating Culture during the NDiSTEM conference in Phoenix.
Baylor University’s student chapter of the Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics & Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) has been honored by the national organization with an Outstanding Chapter award in the category of Celebrating Culture. Students and faculty representing SACNAS at Baylor received the award Oct. 31 while attending the National Diversity in STEM (NDiSTEM) conference in Phoenix.
On a national level, SACNAS fosters the success of Chicano/Hispanics and Native Americans, from college students to professionals, in attaining advanced degrees, careers and positions of leadership within STEM. SACNAS at Baylor offers opportunities for students from all cultural backgrounds for professional development and community engagement and increase diversity, equity and inclusion throughout STEM departments at Baylor.
The Baylor chapter was recognized with the Outstanding Chapter award for its intercultural events that built community and promoted cultural awareness during the 2023-2024 academic year. The events included a multinational Independence Day celebration during Hispanic Heritage Month, an event highlighting Native American culture duringNative American Heritage Month, a celebration of Afro-Latinx culture during Black History Month and Asian-Latinx/Hispanic cultural celebration during Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
"As one of only six SACNAS chapters nationwide to be recognized, it is an incredible honor to achieve this recognition for celebrating culture because it reflects our mission to celebrate everyone and embrace the unique cultural intersections that shape our campus community,” said Julianna M. Canas, a junior cell and molecular biology major and vice president of SACNAS at Baylor. “At Baylor, we want everyone to feel seen, represented and celebrated for who they are and the cultural experiences they bring. Our chapter is committed to creating a welcoming space where people can be unapologetically themselves, while also fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation of each other’s heritage."
In addition to its cultural events, Baylor’s SACNAS chapter offers a diverse and impactful array of activities, including successfully collaborating with professors across campus, partnering with the McNair Scholars Program and Adelante mentorship initiative and providing essential professional development opportunities for first-generation, minority and other students. These collaborations have empowered members – through workshops, graduate-undergraduate mentorship, financial support and networking with professors – to advance their academic, professional and social goals within Baylor’s SACNAS community.
The chapter also focuses on community service and partners with various campus programs and organizations such as the Hispanic Student Association, Latinx Coalition, Multicultural Affairs, and Minorities in Medicine.
“In only its second year as a recognized student organization, SACNAS at Baylor has grown to dozens of members and an amazing board who together work to create spaces and opportunities to connect people from many cultural backgrounds and academic disciplines, creating a community where every student can come together, be recognized, share experiences, grow and experience a sense of belonging,” said Karine Gil, Ph.D., lecturer in biology and human physiology and SACNAS faculty advisor.
“This 2024 SACNAS national award reflects that Baylor University is a very multicultural campus that actively celebrates and appreciates all heritages including intersectional cultural identities. We hope to continue partnering with the University and other groups to advance this vision of inclusion and equity while amplifying the voices of our students, faculty and staff from all backgrounds,” she said.
SACNAS at Baylor students and faculty who attended NDiSTEM included Alexsa Benedito (SACNAS president), Malcolm Macleod (former SACNAS president), Julianna Canas (SACNAS vice president), Conrad Barrozo (SACNAS treasurer), Joaquin Lugo, Ph.D., professor of psychology and neuroscience (SACNAS member), Jordyn Hernandez (former secretary), Felise Bressler (SACNAS member), Karine Gil, Ph.D. (Faculty Advisor), Chris Lopez, Ph.D., lecturer in biology (Faculty Advisor), Mariana Giassetti, Ph.D., assistant professor of biology (Faculty Advisor), Tosha Hendrickson, M.S.Ed. (Graduate School admissions and recruitment director), Dwayne Simmons, Ph.D., The Cornelia Marschall Smith Endowed Professor and senior director of STEM Initiatives (SACNAS member) and John Scales (SACNAS member/sponsor).
ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked Research 1 institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 20,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 100 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions. Learn more about Baylor University at www.baylor.edu.