Lab Matters Fall 2023 | Page 37

TRAINING AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

By Michelle Forman , manager , Media

APHL is proud to announce that the Career Pathways in Public Health Laboratory Science : an APHL-CDC Initiative received the 2023 Inspiring Programs in STEM Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine , the largest and oldest diversity and inclusion publication in higher education . The Inspiring Programs in STEM Award honors college and university programs that encourage and assist students from underrepresented groups to enter the fields of science , technology , engineering and mathematics ( STEM ). Through the Career Pathways program , current students , early career scientists and established laboratorians participate in opportunities to explore or advance their career in public health laboratory science . This includes the recently launched

Public Health Laboratory Internship and Fellowship Programs .

The APHL Career Pathways program was selected by INSIGHT Into Diversity to receive this award because of the program ’ s dedication to recruiting underrepresented students from STEM education disciplines and to building a larger highly trained public health laboratory workforce that represents the communities they serve . This commitment is in alignment with APHL ’ s core value to embrace , promote and model a culture of diversity , equity , inclusion and accessibility ( DEI ).

“ We are deeply grateful to be a recipient of this award that celebrates our engrained focus on diversity in the Career Pathways program ’ s recruitment efforts ,” said Christine Bean , PhD , MBA , MLS ( ASCP ), APHL Chief Learning Officer . “ Our program has placed hundreds of fellows and interns in public health laboratories for hands-on experiences working closely with public health scientist mentors . We feel strongly that our focus on diversity is an investment in a more representative public health laboratory workforce in the future that will serve diverse communities across the nation . Thank you to INSIGHT Into Diversity for this honor .”

Inspiring Programs in STEM Award winners were selected by the magazine based on efforts to inspire and encourage a new generation of young people to consider careers in STEM through

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