Huston-Tillotson University Promotes Diversity In Austin

EAST AUSTIN, TX — Teams at Huston-Tillotson University are working to solve equity-focused issues within the community by launching a course aimed at increasing the ranks of researchers of color.

The effort is rooted in the school's Community Engaged Research course that pairs strong research curriculum with practical work experience. Currently, 16 undergraduate student researchers are partnered with five local nonprofit organizations in the initiative. The goal of the course is to highlight research methods through the lens of combating bias, increasing diversity and collaborating with the community, university officials said in a press advisory.

The course model is an outgrowth of the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Research Scholars Program at HT, which was created in 2013 to enable HT students to conduct hands-on scientific research projects in STEM with faculty mentors at HT and collaborating institutions. 90 STEM Research Scholars have participated in the program thus far, with over 1.3 million in funding awarded to HT for the Program from a variety of federal and local entities. This course likewise applies equity based research with a focus instead on nonprofit community engagement.

Huston-Tillotson University, MEASURE, and Capacity Catalyst partnered to launch the Fall 2019 course on August 28, 2019 which will conclude with a Community Pitch Event on Dec. 11, officials said.

Combating Bias in Research

Students are learning about research methods with a particular emphasis on addressing bias and conducting ethical research. Course instruction is led by HT Associate Professor of Biology and Director of the STEM Research Scholars Amanda Masino, Ph.D. with support from additional lecturers including HT Professor of Sociology Michael Hirsch, Ph.D.

Investigations of medical racism focused on Henrieta Lacks and James Marion Sims are being used as a basis for students to grip the importance of conducting ethical research. Students are examining the consequences of bias in research with cases on pharmaceutical development and machine learning algorithms.

The course is covering implicit and explicit bias in research design, data collection, and data analysis. Reyda Taylor, Ph.D. and Sarojani Mohammed, Ph.D. of Capacity Catalyst are teaching students about research from the perspective of theory of change and program evaluation. The students will put this knowledge to work when collaborating with nonprofit organizations through the semester.

Increasing Diversity in Research

The course content emphasizes diversity throughout the modules as a commitment to HT’s STEM Research Scholars Program model of “Science + Social Justice”.

MEASURE guest lecturers Meme Styles and Eric Byrd are leading conversations around the data that points to the lack of Black and Brown researchers during a special “Diversity in Research” class session. Joined by current UT PhD Candidate in Sociology Shannon Gonzalez, students are learning about navigating the research community as a people of color and are discussing Gonzalez’ professional research around violent interactions between Black girls and the police.

Students are learning how to apply MEASURE’s community mobilization process, the C.A.R.E. (Community, Advocacy, Resilience, Evidence) Model from guest lecturers Paulette Blanc and Shadeequa “Dee" Miller, Ph.D. The CARE Model empowers students to engage, plan, and implement solutions working in active partnership with communities to address complex social problems.

Theory meets Practice with Nonprofit Projects

With a grounding in scientific, sociological, and ethical research methods, students will put their learning into practice with nonprofit partners through hands-on research projects.

Student research will focus on topics ranging from educational inequality and youth empowerment to criminal justice and entrepreneurship. Groups of three students will work with one of five pre-selected nonprofit organizations: Black Women in Business, Change 1, DJ Bling Foundation, Goodwill Excel Center, and Texas Justice Initiative.

On December 11, 2019 student teams will present their research findings at a Community Pitch Event at HT, where one team will be selected to earn a $10,000 mini-grant to support their continued research through the Spring 2020 semester.

Sponsorship from Local Austin Foundations, Businesses and Public Offices

MEASURE, Capacity Catalyst, and Huston-Tillotson University were recipients of the $50,000 Good Measure Special Projects Fund for the collaborative nature of the Community Engaged Research Course and the potential it holds to impact a range of individuals and organizations in the Central Texas data ecosystem.

This course would not be possible without the additional sponsorships provided by the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health, St. David’s Foundation, Austin Revitalization Authority, Travis County District Attorney’s Office, Google Fiber, and the HT STEM Research Scholars Program funded by the National Science Foundation.

Community Collaboration for Course Creation

Huston-Tillotson University is Austin’s only Historically Black College and University. MEASURE is a community-based organization that uses data and education to empower communities to eliminate social disparities. Capacity Catalyst is a nonprofit that works to build bridges between academia, professionally applied research, and the social sector in Austin.

The Community Engaged Research Course was created by a working group formed in February 2019 comprised of Project Manager Noah Cole, Chief Research Officer Paulette Blanc, and President Meme Styles of MEASURE; Executive Director Reyda Taylor , Ph.D. and Board Member Sarojani Mohammed, Ph.D. of Capacity Catalyst; and Associate Professor of Biology Amanda Masino, Ph.D. of Huston-Tillotson University.