The Center for Evaluation and Research for STEM Equity based in the Department of Sociology at the University of Washington creates opportunities for fields and programs including research to become more accessible for those that have historically been excluded. Through program evaluation rooted in an equitable lens, CERSE offers evidence-based insights to improve programs and practices to become more inclusive and participatory, cultivating meaningful relationships with the communities they work with. With social equity as their driving force, they are currently expanding their work to reach other disciplines beyond STEM as they head into the new year with renewed vitality.

As a self-sustaining Center of the UW, Dr. Elizabeth Litzler, CERSE Director and an affiliate professor of Sociology shared about how CERSE partners with interested programs and the benefits of their center. Interested collaborators can reach out for a brief consultation, determine their program and research goals, and get an idea of how to improve their practices. On the impact of CERSE’s work, Dr. Litzler shared— “One of the things I’m proud of with the work that we have done is I feel like we have had an impact on improving programs. Just because people have an idea for a program doesn’t mean it’s going to be a success. You have to measure your progress to improve.” The applied nature of their work allows them to determine common pitfalls and missteps that can happen when working in environments lacking representation. For CERSE, storytelling is an important way of helping clients explain their work to truly resonate with the public and their intended audiences. “There have been very few people who we’ve worked with who haven’t wanted to work with us again. We build those relationships. We’re not there to audit them, we’re there to help,” shared Dr. Litzler.

Dr. Rae Jing Han is a research scientist on the CERSE team and a UW alum. They discussed how they have had opportunities to work with students in their role at CERSE and how this has enhanced their work— “Something that I really love about CERSE as a community is the students that we get to work with, both undergrad and grad students, who join to support with different projects, sometimes multiple projects.” Dr. Han’s work spans nationally across the U.S., learning from and partnering with researchers and scholars in various spaces, all with the throughline of ensuring all can thrive in their academic and professional pursuits.

CERSE also has existing partnerships at UW Medicine, collaborating with the Office of Healthcare Equity and the Workforce Inclusion Health System Equity (WIHSE) program that supports liberating all our communities’ brilliant potential to be future healthcare leaders. The intersectional nature of the work has deep value to CERSE, as WIHSE emphasizes experiential education and building meaningful connections within UW Seattle campus and in the broader healthcare community. Dr. Han, who spearheads the relationship with WIHSE shared that, “I think for WIHSE, one thing that I love about it is that it’s so local and grounded in Seattle while also serving the broader region. There is this ecosystem of support for students, at different stages of their academic and professional journeys, but all clearly focused on equitable healthcare workforce systems. Supporting those career journeys has been really, really cool, and valuable.”

Dr. Litzler also shared that students interested in getting involved in research, but are not sure where to start or the resources available, can find paid positions through opportunities called REU’s which are Research Experiences for Undergraduates offered through the National Science Foundation (NSF). These REUs, another example of the types of programs CERSE supports, are often looking for students with diverse backgrounds to fill positions for a chance to learn in spaces they may not have otherwise been aware of. On the power of research and importance for students to get involved, Dr. Han shared— “Thinking generally about scientific, social, and all types of research, one way it can be really powerful is for students to see how the academic world can be connected with their personal and community lives.”

CERSE is currently available to be a thought partner for anyone on strategic planning, evaluating projects or grants, project management, as a social science research partner or simply help with igniting your research ideas. You can learn more and connect with the CERSE team by reaching out to cerse@uw.edu.