The Luce Colloquium on Inclusive Excellence, April 21-22, 2022, one of several signature events of Trinity’s 125th Anniversary Celebration, highlighted student success outcomes achieved through Trinity’s inclusive excellence initiatives, which first began in the STEM disciplines with Trinity’s participation in the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Inclusive Excellence program, has expanded across the curriculum and is a key initiative of Trinity DARE: Driving Actions for Racial Equity. The program, planned by Trinity’s science faculty and sponsored by the Henry Luce Foundation, featured an outstanding keynote speaker, Nina Tandon, CEO and founder of Epibone, panels by Trinity faculty and students, student research presentations, and the presentation of the first annual Katherine Johnson Awards for excellence in math and science, established by Trinity alumna Jurate Kazickas ’64.

The Luce Colloquium presented a deep dive into the pervasive, intentional commitment to inclusive excellence at Trinity Washington University – a women’s college and the only university in the Washington, D.C., region (and one of the few nationally) that is both a Predominantly Black Institution and Hispanic Serving Institution; the impact of a 5-year $1 million grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute that focuses on inclusive excellence in STEM; and how the successes and lessons learned in STEM have been infused into other academic disciplines.

President Patricia McGuire discussed the significant impact at Trinity of federal funding from the U.S. Department of Education’s Predominantly Black Institutions program: How PBI funding has helped to build and sustain Trinity’s excellence in STEM and Nursing disciplines. Dean Sita Ramamurti discussed the many ways that Trinity is partnering with D.C. Public Schools to widen the pipeline for students to pursue, and excel in, college through an Early College Academy partnership with Coolidge High School and other partnerships.

Trinity Media Contact: Ann Pauley, pauleya@trinitydc.edu, 202-884-9725

Trinity’s Katherine Johnson Award for Excellence in Math and Science is presented to Stephanie Matamoros, Micheyla Stoney, Azucena Molina, and Katherine Dunkley by President McGuire

Welcome and Opening Remarks and Trinity’s Model of Inclusive Excellence

  • Dr. Cynthia DeBoy, Associate Professor of Biology
  • Dr. Patrice Moss, Associate Professor of Microbiology
  • Dr. Shizuka Hsieh, Associate Professor of Chemistry
  • Dr. Anette Casiano-Negroni, Clare Boothe Luce Professor of Chemistry
  • Dr. Kerry Luse, Associate Professor of Mathematics
  • Dr. Mia Ray, Associate Professor of Biology
  • Dr. Patrice Nielson, Assistant Professor of Environmental Sciences
  • Dr. Kaitlin Wellens, Clare Boothe Luce Professor of Biology
  • Dr. Zhigang Jia, Postdoc Researcher

Inclusive Excellence Presentations from Partner Colleges and Universities

  • Dr. Amanda Raimer, Teaching Postdoctoral Fellow, Radford University: “Building STEM Identity and Community through Peer Mentoring”
  • Dr. Matthew Hemm, Associate Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Assistant Director of the TU REP Program, Towson University
  • Dr. Deborah J. Good, Associate Professor, Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise, Virginia Tech

Trinity Student Panel: Outcomes of the HHMI (Howard Hughes Medical Institute) Inclusive Excellence Model

  • Melanny Lopez Coronado, Biology major, Women’s Studies minor
  • Yesica Tumax, Biochemistry minor, Bioinformatics minor
  • Emairin Cardenas Garcia, Biology major, Early Child Education minor
  • Zulma Reyes-Benitez, Biochemistry major, Mathematics minor
  • Busiku Tumelo Chungu, Biology major, Chemistry minor

Katherine Johnson Awards for Excellence in Math and Science

Presentation to Trinity students of the awards established by Jurate Kazickas ’64. Awards presented to:

  • Senior: Katherine Dunkley
  • Junior: Azucena Molina
  • Sophomore: Micheyla Stoney
  • Freshman: Stephanie Matamoros

Trinity’s Engagement with DCPS and Charter Schools

Preparing High School Students for College Success- Trinity’s Role as a Community Partner

  • Dr. Sita Ramamurti,  Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences

Panel Discussion: Dual Enrollment At Trinity

  • Dr. Hans Momplaisir, Moderator, Assistant Professor of Sociology
  • Kalecia Baity, Management Analyst, DC OSSE (Office of the State Superintendent of Education)
  • Brandon Clarke, Student, Howard University
  • Darien Gregory, Director of Partnerships, McKinley Tech High School
  • Blair Johnson, Program Manager, KIPP Schools
  • Taelah Lee, Student, Trinity Washington University
  • Sherry Richardson, Director of Biotechnology, McKinley Tech High School
  • Maria Tukeva, Founder and Principal, CHEC High School (Columbia Heights Educational Campus)
  • Diarou Bayo, Student, Trinity Early College Academy/Coolidge Senior High School
  • Andrew Ratcliff, Student, Trinity Early College Academy/Coolidge Senior High School

How the Predominantly Black Institutions (PBI) Program of the U.S. Department of Education Helped to Build and Sustain Trinity’s Excellence in STEM and Nursing Disciplines

  • President Pat McGuire
  • Shakir Davy, Program Officer, PBI Program, U.S. Department of Education
  • Bernadette Miles, Program Officer, PBI Program, U.S. Department of Education

Voices from Across Disciplines: Trinity Faculty Panel Discussing How Inclusive Excellence is Part of Their Pedagogy Across the Curriculum

  • Dr. Rewa Burnham ’05, Associate Professor of English
  • Dr. Erin Carriere-Kretschmer ’92, Visiting Assistant Professor of Political Science
  • Dr. Lynda Jackson, Assistant Professor of Business Administration
  • Dr. Kimberly Monroe, Assistant Professor of Global Affairs
  • Dr. Jamey Piland, Associate Professor of Communication
  • Ms. Sherron Washington ’03, ’05, Visiting Instructor of Communication

Trinity Student Panel: Student Outcomes in Other Disciplines

  • Humaira Ashrafi, Political Science major
  • Naomi Jones, English major, Economics minor
  • Sofia Ocampo-Morales, International Affairs major, Data Analytics minor
  • Kimberly Ortiz, Master of Public Health
  • Sholachauntel Shoda, International Affairs major, Africana Studies minor