STEMulating Conversations with Dr. Q

Season 6 of STEMulating Conversations with Dr. Q

The HR Twins, Camille and Carla, have utilize their combined 30 plus years of HR experience to help style your career.  They established The Career Salon to be a place where people can go to receive unfiltered and honest career advice from their unique and authentic perspectives.   Both are passionate about their respective HR specialty area and offer behind the scenes views of recruiting and human resources functions to help clients achieve that next great opportunity, with style. Follow the HR Twins on social media platforms @thecareersalon Be sure to check out their YouTube discussion on The Miseducation of Corporate America   The HR Twins: Camille Tate and Carla Patton

Dr. Beronda Montgomery is a plant scientist by training, and leverages her technical expertise to advance a professional development area that she is truly passionate.  She masterfully uses the analogy of plant care and maintenance to illustrate the importance that a nurturing environment plays in mentoring. She has written extensively on the topic of mentoring, particularly within the STEM community and has been recognized for her work in this area. Follow her on Twitter @BerondaM for STEMulating and thoughtful tips on mentoring. Articles written by Dr. Montgomery about mentoring: Montgomery, BL. (2017). Mapping a Mentoring Roadmap and Developing a Supportive Network for Strategic Career Advancement. SAGE Open 7(2), http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2158244017710288 Montgomery, BL (2017). Three Sisters and Integrative Faculty Development. Plant Science Bulletin, 63(3): 78–85, https://issuu.com/botanicalsocietyofamerica/docs/webpsb63_2_2017/25 Montgomery, BL (2017). Growing from adviser to mentor. MSUToday, http://msutoday.msu.edu/360/2017/beronda-montgomery-growing-from-adviser-to-mentor/ Montgomery, BL, Colon-Carmona, A (2016). Cultivating Evidenced-Based Mentoring and Training to Enhance Diversity in STEM, ASPB News, 43(2): 5. Montgomery, BL (2016). Evidence-based Training and Mentoring Practices: Practical Implications for Improving Diversity in STEM Education and Training, ASBMB Today, 15(2): 31. Whittaker, JA, Montgomery, BL, Martinez Acosta, VG. (2015). Retention of Underrepresented Minority Faculty: Strategic Initiatives for Institutional Value Proposition Based on Perspectives from a Range of Academic Institutions. The Journal of Undergraduate Neuroscience Education 13(3), https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4521729/ Montgomery, BL, Dodson, JE, Johnson, SM. (2014). Guiding the Way: Mentoring Graduate Students and Junior Faculty for Sustainable Academic Careers. SAGE Open 4(4), http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2158244014558043 Whittaker, JA, Montgomery, BL (2014). Cultivating Institutional Transformation and Sustainable STEM Diversity in Higher Education through Integrative Faculty Development. Innovative Higher Education, 39(4), https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10755-013-9277-9 Whittaker, JA, Montgomery, BL (2012). Cultivating Diversity and Competency in STEM: Challenges and Remedies for Removing Virtual Barriers to Constructing Diverse Higher Education Communities of Success. The Journal of Undergraduate Neuroscience Education, 11(1), https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3592737/ Dodson, JE, Montgomery, BL, Brown LJ (2009). 'Take the Fifth': Mentoring Students Whose Cultural Communities Were Not Historically Structured Into U.S. Higher Education. Innovative Higher Education 34(3), https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10755-009-9099-y Additional mentoring resources: Mentoring Resources via Becky Packard (@BeckyPackard) – https://commons.mtholyoke.edu/beckypackard/resources/ National Research Mentoring Network (NRMN) – https://nrmnet.net/ MentorNet (@MentorNetTweet) – http://mentornet.org/ Mentoring & Tutoring: Partnership in Learning (journal) – http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/cmet20/current

In this episode of STEMulating Conversations, we sit down with Darryl Scriven, PhD author of The Black College Blueprint, for a candid and forward-looking conversation about the evolving role of HBCUs in today's challenging higher-education landscape.  If you care about the sustainability, relevance, and transformative power of Black colleges, this episode is required listening. Dr. Scriven unpacks the historical foundation and enduring mission of Historically Black Colleges and Universities while calling for a necessary paradigm shift—one that moves beyond survival toward strategic reinvention and long-term sustainability. Together, we explore how HBCUs must balance legacy with innovation, identity with competitiveness, and mission with modern market realities. This episode challenges alumni, students, faculty, staff, college presidents, trustees, and foundation leaders to think differently about: Institutional positioning and value proposition Strategic partnerships and philanthropic alignment Leadership courage in times of political and financial uncertainty Investment models that move from transactional giving to transformational impact As we navigate a tough and rapidly shifting climate, this STEMulating conversation is both a blueprint and a call to action. The future of HBCUs will require bold leadership, collaborative ecosystems, and a willingness to embrace change without compromising mission.  

In this episode, we welcome back a familiar voice from our very first season—Dr. Dale Wesson. Known for his insightful and candid perspectives, Dr. Wesson joins us for a thought-provoking (and perhaps a bit controversial) discussion on the coveted R-1 designation in higher education. Drawing from his recent opinion piece in Inside Higher Ed, Dr. Wesson unpacks the implications of the updated criteria for the Carnegie Classification and what "R-1" should truly signify for colleges and universities. We explore how this redefinition could reshape institutional priorities, impact funding and prestige, and influence the broader mission of higher education. Whether you're in academia, policy, or simply curious about how these classifications drive competition and change, this conversation challenges assumptions and invites you to think critically about the future of research universities