(73e) The Minority Faculty Forum: A Vehicle for Increased Diversity in Chemical Engineering

The link between diverse faculty in the classroom and a diverse student body is well documented. Yet, racial/ethnic minorities remain underrepresented among chemical engineering faculty and their alarmingly low numbers is a threat to training a diverse chemical engineering workforce. AIChE as a professional society is uniquely positioned to provide an infrastructure to support networking, mentoring, and other opportunities to attract and enhance the career development of minority faculty. To that end, the Minority Faculty Forum (MFF) of the Minority Affairs Committee (MAC) serves as a vehicle to engage and enhance the careers of existing and aspiring minority faculty. MFF was formed in 1995 as an outgrowth of informal gatherings of underrepresented minority faculty at annual meetings. It has evolved over time to become institutionalized as a subcommittee of MAC with regular activities to include networking events and the Janice Lumpkin Travel Grant. MFF plays a critical role in the mentoring and socialization of minority chemical engineering faculty and in advancing the mission and goals of AIChE as a diversity leader in linking academia, industry and the broader community.