2024 AIBS Council Meeting - The MSS IDEA - The Power of Community in Science

This year’s meeting focused on the MSS environment. Minority Serving Societies (MSS) and affinity groups have created a unique ecosystem of acceptance and inclusion for science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM) scientists. These organizations create a safe space and a community for scientists from marginalized backgrounds who may not often have peers of the same racial and ethnic backgrounds or gender identity in their professional environment. A survey of our member organizations noted interest in understanding the unique environments that minority serving societies and affinity groups have created for minority scientists. In an effort to gain a deeper understanding of this ecosystem, AIBS attended the SACNAS National Diversity in Stem (NDiSTEM) conference October 31-November 2 and convened our IDEA community to report out lessons learned on November 14, 2024.