Talk: Aaron A. Velasco Presents a Vision Talk for UCLA HSI STEM Faculty Director
The Search Committee would like to invite you to attend the following job talk. Each job talk will include a Q&A session. Attendance welcome in person and on Zoom.
Abstract: This talk addresses the goals for the CSRC Senior HSI STEM Faculty Director, which include 1) devising and executing a comprehensive vision for HSI STEM initiatives with a focus on undergraduate education, 2) fostering a sense of community among STEM scholars and leading staff and faculty in the pursuit and acquisition of HSI STEM grants from federal and philanthropic sources, 3) articulating a vision for nurturing an inclusive community across STEM for Latinx scholars, with an emphasis on Latinas and gender minorities in STEM-related fields, and 4) leverage UCLA’s commitment to diversify scientific research and training and to support a new generation of underrepresented minority scholars and trainees (especially from U.S. Latinx, Black, and Native American backgrounds). I propose to leverage UCLA’s expertise and scholarship to guide the university in becoming a Hispanic Serving Institution, using a collective impact approach. The collective impact approach develops a network of community members, organizations, and institutions through the framework of a common agenda, centralized support, continuous communication, mutually reinforcing activities, and shared measurement. By using this approach, leveraging its expertise, learning from other HSIs, UCLA can serve its Hispanic students, faculty, and staff and lead the way for innovative science and create an inclusive environment that will position UCLA into being a leading HSI.
Speaker Bio: Aaron A. Velasco is a Professor in the Department of Earth, Environmental, and Resource Sciences at the University of Texas – El Paso (UTEP). In addition to his roles as educator and researcher, he serves as Seismologist for the Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC). As the RRC’s seismologist, Dr. Velasco serves on the Technical Advisory Committee for the TexNet Seismic Monitoring Program run by the University of Texas – Austin’s Bureau of Economic Geology. He also works with RRC staff in reviewing disposal well permit applications in areas of historic seismicity and advises the RRC on issues and policy related to seismicity and energy production in Texas. Dr. Velasco received a B.S in applied geophysics from University of California Los Angeles in 1988, and a Ph.D. in seismology from University of California Santa Cruz in 1993. He currently serves as Chair of the U.S. National Committee for Geodesy and Geophysics for the National Academy of Sciences, a member of the Executive Council of the Faculty Senate, a board member of the for the Seismological Society of America, a member of the Scientific Earthquake Studies Advisory Committee for the U.S. Geological Survey, and a member of the nomination committee for the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science. In 2021, he was elected Fellow of the California Academy of Sciences. He has served as Principal Investigator or co-Principal Investigator on over $35M in grants, written over 120 reports and peer-reviewed papers, co-authored a seismology textbook, given keynote addresses at various events, and contributed and/or gave over 170 scientific presentations.
Zoom link | Meeting ID: 925 6693 5466 | Passcode: 352515
Co-hosted by the UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center and the UCLA College Division of Physical Sciences, Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences.
