Minority Affairs Committee
The nine members of the committee are appointed by Council on staggered three-year terms. The committee is responsible for generating and developing programs that ensure equal treatment of all professional immunologists on the basis of merit.
Stream the from Virtual IMMMUNOLOGY2021™
MAC Panel Discussion Session: Minority Scientists' Experience - Challenging and Overcoming Barriers to Enhancing Diversity and Career Advancement
(Sponsored by the AAI Minority Affairs Committee; presented at Virtual IMMUNOLOGY2021™)
Click the speaker's talk title to watch:
- Tonya J. Webb, Univ. of Maryland Sch. of Med., AAI MAC Chair,
- Cheri茅 L. Butts, Biogen,
- Mireia Guerau-de-Arellano, The Ohio State Univ.,
- Harlan P. Jones, Univ. of North Texas Hlth. Sci. Ctr.,
- Luis J. Montaner, Wistar Inst.,
- Luis A. Sanchez-Perez, Tune Therapeutics,
- Q&A
COMMITTEE PURPOSE
The mission of the Minority Affairs Committee (MAC) is to generate and develop programs that promote equal treatment of all professional immunologists on the basis of merit. The MAC focuses on activities that enhance opportunities for the career development of scientists and trainees who are members of populations that have been reported by the to be underrepresented in the U.S. biomedical, clinical, behavioral and social sciences research enterprise.
To help advance its mission, the MAC maintains a voluntary List of AAI Underrepresented Scientist Members, comprising AAI regular members in good standing who self-report as belonging to an underrepresented group. In addition to fostering a networking and mentoring community, the list serves as a resource for immunologists and scientists in other disciplines when considering individuals for selection as speakers at meetings and seminars, to serve on review panels and editorial boards, and to participate in other professional service activities. Given the importance of successful role models and networking in attracting and sustaining participation in immunology, the MAC invites all eligible AAI members to consider adding their names to the list. Please contact Jill Treby, Director of Membership (members@aai.org) if you would like to be included on it.
The MAC also maintains the AAI Minority Affairs Committee Career Resources page, featuring links to immunology-related training programs, funding, and support for trainees and early-career investigators. The page also features links to career-development programs and resources provided by current and past MAC members, MAC Roundtable table leaders, and others, and includes opportunities offered by AAI, NIH, and other organizations.
Participation of Underrepresented Scientists at the AAI Annual Meeting
To enhance underrepresented scientists’ and trainees’ participation and career development in immunology, AAI offers the following activities in conjunction with the AAI annual meeting:
- AAI Diversity Travel Awards provide travel support to eligible underrepresented scientists, including trainees and early career faculty members.
- attendees engage in small-group discussions led by established immunologists addressing a variety of early career challenges, including those unique to groups traditionally under-represented in biomedical research. The session incorporates informal networking time and a structured “speed networking” exercise affording participants personalized feedback on communicating their scientific interests/objectives most effectively. All meeting attendees are welcome.
- The AAI Vanguard Award Lecture was established by the MAC in 2003 to feature an AAI member who is an underrepresented investigator noted for scientific achievement and exemplary career success. This scientific lecture is intended to inspire meeting participants of every career stage and background, and all meeting attendees are welcome to attend.
- Dedicated Mentoring of Underrepresented Travel Awardees takes place in conjunction with the annual meeting. MAC members engage in one-on-one mentoring of designated diversity travel awardees to assist them in optimizing their meeting experience to best serve their scientific interests and career objectives. Specific mentoring activities are carried out in conjunction with awardees’ required attendance at the Opening Night Reception, MAC Careers Roundtable and Speed Networking Session, and AAI Vanguard Award Lecture. Additionally, awardee poster presentations are attended by MAC members, who provide specific feedback on the awardees’ research and presentation.
Considering that the issue of diverse representation in science is of paramount importance and reaches across all disciplines, the MAC is dedicated to liaising with other AAI committees, as well as other societies to develop programs aimed at ameliorating the persistent underrepresentation in the biomedical sciences of scientists and trainees from underrepresented groups. The MAC establishes subcommittees as needed to develop goals and to select potential minority guest speakers at AAI meetings.
COMMITTEE MEMBERS