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Department of Biostatistics Launches "BEST" Program to Increase Diversity Among Students
While earning degrees from the Mailman School's Department of Biostatistics, graduate students Emma Benn, Gary Yu, and Helena Chang wondered why few students of color chose to enter the field. They concluded that the lack of diversity is a direct result of under-exposure to biostatistics among disadvantaged groups.
The three graduates set about to address the issue. With the support of Bruce Levin, PhD, professor and chair of the Department of Biostatistics, and in collaboration with the Mathematics Department at CCNY-CUNY, the Department launched a new pilot program entitled, "The Biostatistics Enrichment Summer Training Diversity Program," or, "The BEST Diversity Program." The month-long summer program exposes under-represented minority, low-income, and first generation college students to biostatistics and its applications in public health.
During the month of June, the first seven BEST summer fellows took two courses-Introduction to Biostatistics, taught by Mr. Yu and Ms. Chang, and Statistical Computing with SAS, taught by Ms. Benn. The students also participated in daily seminars in which they were exposed to the diverse research interests of faculty from various departments at the Mailman School.
The program provided additional support to the fellows. The Mailman School's Office of Admissions and Career Services performed various workshops and fellows also received free GRE preparation from Kaplan Test Prep. Each student worked with a faculty mentor on various research topics over the four-week period. At the end of the program, the students gained valuable public speaking experience when they presented their research at a symposium.
According to Dr. Levin, "The BEST program has transformed the way in which we approach the topic of diversity among students and faculty. The imagination of Ms. Benn, Mr. Yu, and Ms. Chang seeded an invaluable and innovative program."
To learn more about the BEST Diversity Program, please email Ms. Carolyn Kaufman, ck2329@columbia.edu.
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