Background Reading

This selection of articles published in JOM: The Magazine, the member journal of TMS, provides some background on the Society’s progress on diversity issues, as well as interesting profiles on both current and historical pioneers in the field.

JOM: The Magazine 2022 Black History Month Special Series

JOM: The Magazine celebrated Black History Month with a special article series from the TMS Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee that highlights four African American pioneers in materials science and engineering.

• "A Celebration of History, Scientific Progress, and Pioneers Who Revolutionized Materials Science" by Jonathan D. Madison

• "R.H. Bragg: An African American Pioneer in X-Ray Crystallography, X-Ray Diffraction, and Materials Characterization" by Olivia D. Underwood Jackson and Cyril L. Williams

• "The Knox Brothers: Blackness, Brotherhood, and Scientific Achievement at the Turn of the 20th Century" by Jonathan D. Madison and Sharniece Holland

• "Bettye Washington Greene: An Industrial Chemist and Inventor Who Lit a Path for Innovation" by Clinique Brundidge and Valentino R. Cooper

TMS Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity Committee 2021 JOM Series

In its third year, this thematic group of articles from the TMS Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee focused on best practices and creates awareness around areas of diversity that can often remain hidden. The five articles, published in September 2021, are:

• "Highlighting Best Practices in Promoting Diversity, Inclusion, and Civility in STEM: Part II" by Jenifer S. (Warner) Locke

• "Recommendations to Mitigate and Reduce Perceived Implicit Bias at TMS" by Megan J. Cordill

• "Stairway to STEM: Providing Resources for Autistic Students/Students on the Autism Spectrum" by Natasha Vermaak and Mary Ellen Gardiner

• "Materials Goals Towards Equity Along the STEM and LGBTQIA+ Spectra" by Ben Britton, Jennifer Carter, Matthew Korey, and Liz Roccoforte

• "Reflections from a Male Engineering Student Ally, His Professor, and His Advisor" by Jenifer (Warner) Locke, Jackson Pope, and Lisa M. Abrams

TMS Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity Committee 2020 JOM Series

This second thematic group of articles from the TMS Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee was published in September 2020 and highlighted data and best practices on efforts to improve representation and retention of minorities in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) community. The five articles are:

• "Highlighting Best Practices in Promoting Diversity, Inclusion, and Civility in STEM" by Jennifer S. (Warner) Locke

• "Towards Civility: Efforts to Address Harassing Behaviors in Engineering" by Teri K. Reed, Teri J. Murphy, Cijy Elizabeth Sunny, Whitney Gaskins, and Ashley Paz y Puente

• "Lessons from Liberia: Building Global Partnerships Through Materials Science Outreach" by Aeriel D. Murphy-Leonard

• "REACH for Commercialization: Narrowing the Gender Gap in Technology Transfer" by Mary C. Juhas and Caroline E. Crisafulli

• "STEMulating a New K–12 Pathway" by Whitney Gaskins, Delano White, Karen Bankston, and Ashley Paz y Puente

TMS Diversity Committee 2019 JOM Series

This first thematic group of articles from the TMS Diversity Committee was published in July 2019 and provided a preview of key issues and potential solutions that can be implemented within the TMS community and materials science and engineering professions. The five articles are:

• "Perspectives on Diversity" by Megan J. Cordill

• "Mitigating Implicit Bias as a Leader" by Blythe G. Clarke and Olivia D. Underwood

• "What’s the T, Cis? Discussing Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation" by Matthew Korey

• "The Elephant in the Room: Where is the Empathy in Science?" by Jennifer L.W. Carter and Laura S. Bruckman

• "Promoting Positive Outcomes in K–12 Outreach through Design" by Jessica Krogstad, Kaitlin Tyler, Nicole Johnson-Glauch, and Leon Dean

TMS Education Committee 2021 JOM Series

• “The COVID-19 Pandemic and Materials Science and Engineering Education,” by Amber Genau
• “A TMS Education Committee Report: Survey of Changes in Education Due to COVID-19,” by Alison K. Polasik and Kester Clarke
• “Initiating Mental Health Conversations in Academia,” by Assel Aitkaliyeva, Jaime Jasser-Stone, Amanda Lawson-Ross, Jonathan Ishoy, Janelle Wharry, and Simona E. Hunyadi Murph

This series of three articles from the TMS Education Committee, published in August 2021, explores how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected materials science and engineering students and faculty over the academic year.

TMS Education Committee 2020 JOM Series

• “Perspectives on the Pipeline: Progress through Internships and Research Programs,” by Amber Genau
• “National Laboratories’ Research Experience Opportunities for Diverse Scholars,” by Simona E. Hunyadi Murph and Vivian Holloway
• “Materials Research Experiences for Community College Students at Purdue University,” by Janelle P. Wharry, Timothy Pownell, Esteban Bautista, and Tanya Faltens
• “Research as Equalizer: University Research Opportunities for Underserved Students,” by Amber Genau and J. Michael Wyss

This series of four articles from the TMS Education Committee, published in August 2020, addresses STEM education issues at critical transition points in students’ careers, with a focus on underrepresented minorities.

Additional Articles

These JOM articles on diversity, equity, and inclusion topics include features on TMS members who are recognized pioneers and role models as well as reports on TMS progress and activities.

View Articles