Photo by Jesse Hausknecht-Brown ’25
The annual STEMPOC mixer was held in Clapp this year, celebrating the building’s 100 years.
by Jo Elliott ’28
Staff Writer
The annual STEMPOC mixer, run by the student organization STEMPOC, took place on Friday, Oct. 18, with their theme “100 years of Clapp.” The event celebrated alums within the science, technology, engineering and math fields, appreciating their academic involvement and achievements in the field of STEM.
Various stands were created by faculty showcasing courses, research and items from their respective fields, including physics, computer science, geology, geography, biology, chemistry and mathematics.
STEMPOC — people of color in STEM — is a student-led organization that seeks to address issues regarding the retention of diverse populations in those fields. Their mission is to provide mentorship, professional development, community support, networking opportunities and accountability for students of color in STEM, according to the group’s Embark page. They are a group that welcomes all that are passionate about these issues of access and equity.
The event ran from 4:45 to 6 p.m., with various activities provided such as a Kahoot! and a group session in which staff and students discussed various STEM-related topics with faculty members. At the end, refreshments and Lebanese food were provided to students and staff that participated.
“[The event is] an informal way for students to get to know their faculty members and know the major offerings,” Khushi Panchal ’25, department representative of STEMPOC, said before the event. “The overall layout of the event is the same but we try to focus on different things each year.”
“We changed the theme and discussion questions, this year we are celebrating 100 years of Clapp and celebrating the alums that walked through the doors of Clapp,” Habiba Abouelatta ’26, the international liaison for STEMPOC, said.
Another upcoming event being run by STEMPOC is the Studyathon, happening right before reading days. As Panchal explained, this is an “all day event where we basically serve breakfast, lunch [and] dinner and people can come in and study.” The Studyathon will also include de-stressing activities and games located in various open study rooms.
Some other events STEMPOC runs are trivia nights and alumni meetings. Their trivia nights invite students from all majors to test their knowledge of basic STEM concepts and the contributions of people of color in STEM fields. The organization also leads an alum panel offering alums who have graduated from various STEM majors an opportunity to talk about their academic experiences, career paths and post-graduation advice.
Xhalya Strickland ’27 and Kaylee Clarke ’26 both described the event as warm and welcoming. “Whenever I do stop by it’s a very warm environment, I love everyone here,” Clarke said.
“It’s actually kind of nice, I like how welcoming it is and I like the free stuff,” Xhalya Strickland ‘27 said.
“I think everyone should come, especially POCs. There’s not a lot of areas [where] we are getting spotlighted,” Clarke said. “I think this is a great place for all of us to come together… instead of just going through classes and seeing a majority white [group] … it’s nice to see your people.”
The book “Black, Brown, Bruised: How Racialized STEM Education Stifles Information” breaks down this idea. “The culture of STEM is a racial hierarchy where whites and some Asians are at the top and Black and Indigenous [people] are at the bottom. It’s such a normalized system that we don’t question it or interrogate it,” Ebony McGee, the author, wrote.
According to the Pew Research Center, “Black adults earn only 7 percent of STEM bachelor’s degrees and only 6 percent of research doctorates in a nation that is nearly 14 percent Black … Latinx adults earn just 12 percent of STEM bachelor’s degrees and 6 percent of research doctorates in a nation that is nearly 19 percent Latinx.”
Both students and faculty gave advice for underclassmen or those who wish to pursue a career in STEM-related fields. “Do what you love because it’s a hard path sometimes, and if you care about it and you want it and it’s part of where you want to be in the world, then it's a lot easier to make that happen,” Michelle Markley, department chair of geology and geography and professor of geology, said.
“If it’s not exciting you, then maybe that’s not the right thing,” Claire Pless, visiting professor and geoscience technician, said.
“The biggest thing is talking to people and talking … to faculty … talking to upperclassmen really helps. I really think the biggest part of it is the community you build,” Aboulatta said.
“You’re not gonna finish that quiz anyway, so might as well get out here and meet some friends,” Strickland said.
Leah Dutcher ’28 contributed fact-checking.