Ravenn Gethers – RUA Coordinator, Stanford University
Ravenn Gethers, Assistant Director of Training and Diversity, Stanford University
RUA Affiliation: Coordinator of the Stanford RUA National Science Foundation (NSF) AGEP grant
What is your field of study and why did you choose it?
My field is higher education administration. I enjoyed my undergraduate and graduate school experiences. I always knew that I wanted to spend the rest of my life on a college campus. My mentors and advisors were critical in my personal and professional development and I wanted to serve in that capacity for other students.
Why did you choose to participate in RUA activities?
DEIB is one of my passions.
What do you find most beneficial about your participation in RUA?
The potential to diversify the postdoc/professoriate populations in STEM.
What is a highlight of your RUA participation?
My favorite aspect of RUA has been the RUA Conference held at Caltech in September 2022. It was wonderful having the opportunity to build community among colleagues and scholars in-person.
What advice do you have for graduate students or postdocs?
Cultivate a cadre of multiple mentors.
What’s one thing that you think everyone should read?
One article that helped guide me in this work is an article written by colleagues at UC Berkeley. The authors share how clear expectations in a highly structured program can promote equity in STEM graduate education. The article is entitled: Structure and belonging: Pathways to success for underrepresented minority and women PhD students in STEM fields. It can be accessed at this link.
