Dr. Clifton Poodry, director of the Division of Minority Opportunities in Research at NIH, says the internationally recognized prestige of Keystone’s various research initiatives makes the organization a leader in the scientific arena. “The organization’s effort to provide opportunities and get more people into the mix, both to help them become successful in what they do but also to provide diversity, is important … not just for minority students, not just for minority faculty, (and) not just for the minority community, but for the country. … I think it is a win-win opportunity,” Poodry says.
He adds that Keystone is a partner in the larger goal of diversifying educational and training settings so that people of color have access to role models at every step of their educational and professional careers. “People often make judgments of future careers based on who they see there,” Poodry says. Officials across scientific disciplines agree that mentoring is a key component in helping to increase the number of minority students who pursue scientific research careers.
Still, the shortage of minority scientists is particularly troubling for Butts, the single mother of a teenage son, who encourages other practitioners and minority students to overcome their feelings of isolation in professional and social settings. The benefits of pursuing a career in research, she says, outweigh the sacrifices.
“I want students to know that it is possible,” she adds. “It is critical that we understand our environment because if we don’t understand the dynamics of how the system works then we are unfortunately at a disadvantage.”
