Speakers
Description
There is widespread acknowledgment that physics and astronomy must improve diversity, equity and inclusion overall. The University of Maryland is well suited to address this issue given the demographics of the surrounding area and the strength of its physics department. We present the design and implementation of a pilot high school summer research program aimed at students of underrepresented backgrounds (Physics Research Opportunity for Promoting Equity in Learning, or PROPEL). We will describe the process of recruiting students and mentors for the program, designing the curriculum, which included lectures and workshops from faculty and graduate students, and next steps in continuing the program next year. We will also discuss the benefits and challenges of running the program remotely, and plans for running the program in person in the future.
