View this email in your browser Get ready for the First2 Network fall virtual convening, "Improving STEM persistence in West Virginia: Reshaping the Narrative." Be part of the new narrative of how institutions across the state can work together to address the barriers that many rural, first-generation and other underrepresented students face in persisting in STEM. This convening is different from previous First2 conferences. It’s shorter and focused on helping colleges and universities identify successful practices in improving STEM persistence.   Register Now First2 Network Member Spotlight: Dr. Sanish Rai Meet Sanish Rai, Ph.D., assistant professor of computer science & information systems at West Virginia University Institute of Technology (WVU Tech).  Read below for a brief Question & Answer session about Dr. Rai's work with First2 and students at WVU Tech.  What is your favorite STEM course to teach? My favorite STEM course is Introduction to Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence. I like to teach Introduction to Computer Science because it is a freshman level course and I get to teach many students who are learning programming for the first time. It is amazing to teach them new concepts and a great opportunity to apply various learning techniques on teaching programming. I also love teaching Artificial Intelligence as it is my research area of interest and I always learn so many new things when teaching this course. How long have you been involved with First2 Network? I have been involved since Summer 2020 when we hosted the Summer Research Immersion site. What have you learned about first-generation and/or underrepresented STEM students through your involvement with First2? My involvement with First2 has taught me a lot of things, mainly how to be a better teacher. I have realized that it is important not only to lecture in class, but to be open to understanding student concerns as well. Working with first-generation and/or underrepresented STEM students in the Summer Research Immersion and as a campus club advisor has broadened my views on teaching philosophy. I think I have grown as a teacher, and this would not be possible without First2. I have learned that first-generation and/or underrepresented STEM students are very dedicated and motivated to learn. With proper support from the faculty and their colleagues they can achieve great success which I have observed from their research work during summer immersion. Students did an excellent job of creating independent research proposals in a group and did a high-quality presentation. I have learned that it is necessary to break the traditional formal teacher-student relation and be more open to learn about student and their background. This helps a teacher to be better prepared to teach and the learning is more effective. What ideas do you have for the First2 campus club at WVU Tech?  We hope to create a supportive community consisting of first generation and underrepresented students as well as any other interested students where a student feels that they truly belong. We hope that this group will support each other to be successful and from First2 we can provide opportunities to them. Starting this semester, we hope that we can organize student field trips to industry where students can connect with professionals and learn how the real-world works. We would want students to learn about their future profession and understand what kind of preparation they need to do from their first years to be in that position. We also want students to independently create connections with industry professionals and receive mentorship.   November 8 is National First Generation Day. What can you do on your campus to celebrate first-generation students? Share and tag us in pictures of how your campus celebrated to be featured in an upcoming newsletter. Help us spread the word!  Upcoming Events from Our Partners  Thursday, October 7: Emily Calendrelli will present to West Virginia State University students (women/non-binary students) interested in the Space Industry to tell them about her career and promote the Brooke Owens Fellowship and the Patti Grace Smith Fellowship. The application for the Brooke Owens Fellowship opened August 23 and is open to all majors. It's intended for STEM majors but also those interested in business, marketing, policy, journalism - you just have to want to work in the space industry. The application is currently live until October 8.    Why apply? Fellows have interned at over 30 host companies such as SpaceX, Blue Origin and Boeing. Each cohort also convenes for a 3-day summit in July to build connections with their class and network with top aerospace professionals. In addition to a paid internship and summit experience, fellows are matched with executive mentors— think CEOs and astronauts.  Do you know a student who is interested in majoring in a STEM field in college? If that student will be the first in their family to attend college (first-generation) and/or if they are underrepresented in STEM, encourage them to apply to do two weeks of paid summer research with the First2 Network in the summer of 2022. To learn more on the First2 Network website.  Copyright © 2021 First2Network, All rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.