Indara Suarez receives inaugural CAS I.D.E.A.L. award
We are so proud of our very own Indara Suarez for the exceptional work she has done to earn one of three inaugural I.D.E.A.L. (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Access, Leadership) awards. These awards celebrate the impactful efforts of individuals and groups whose contributions exemplify recognizing and responding to inequity, exclusion, and marginalization through thoughtful and innovative approaches.
Nominators wrote “her deep commitment to increasing diversity here at BU, as well as her increasingly powerful voice at the National and International level in conversations about DEI and STEM.” Her nominators recognized her contributions to undergraduate research, recruiting and supporting underrepresented students, mentoring students, and advancing equity and advocacy in the field.
She was first noted for advancing the Physics Department’s NSF-funded BU-PRO Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program which was recognized as an important opportunity to bring STEM students into the Physics community from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences.
Second, Professor Suarez’s leadership has also been “crucial in recruiting a diverse set of students” utilizing her contacts at multiple institutions and professional organizations resourcefully. She was also pivotal in helping develop a program that showed participants paths to success while building skills and developing camaraderie.
Third, in her research group, Indara is recognized as “playing a leading role as mentor to an unusually large number of undergraduate researchers.”
Finally, her active community engagement was noted including co-organizing and speaking during a day of reflection at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in support of Black Lives Matter events; serving as a panelist at Globalminded, an international network promoting inclusive success for all students; and active involvement with Graduate Women in Science and Engineering BU Day of Diversity in STEM@Boston University, the BU Artemis program, and the 2023 Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics.