Building a Community of Scholars in which Diversity and Excellence thrive
C^2 focuses on creating educational spaces for the celebration of multiple cultures and varying perspectives, as well as providing education around the different obstacles and disadvantages that members of the Black, LatinX and Native American communities face in STEM. In the same spirit and in alignment with our university's mission to foster a supportive environment for all members of our community, all C^2 programming is open to all persons regardless of race, color or national origin.
E = mc^2
A key result of Einstein’s famous equation is the discovery that there is ‘extra’ energy associated with the whole that is more than the sum of its parts. Analogously, we believe that there is a special ‘extra’ energy available when groups of people come together. C^2 (pronounced C-squared) stands for Chemical Sciences Through Community and aims to leverage the extra power we create when we gather as a group to help each other all mutually excel.
why C^2
“Walking into lab one evening, it was about 7pm and I was carrying a bunch of books, some dinner, and talking to my dad on the phone…my hands were full! But as a UIUC graduate student I was used to that. However, as I walked up to the building and fumbled for my keys, a stranger approached and asked what I was doing there.”
It’s a simple story and sadly, a common one. Of course, each time it happens, its ‘no big deal’. But the mental health toll and energy that gets siphoned with each of these encounters is significant and often extends beyond interactions with strangers. C^2 was started to support and solidify the identity and belonging of all students in the chemical sciences
What We Do
Peer-to-peer mentorship alliances between PhD graduate students and undergraduate chemistry and ChBE majors are central to our aim of making explicit the many tricks of navigating academic life. We also hold monthly networking and professional development events that serve to strengthen these relationships and outcomes. Finally, we distribute paid undergraduate reserach scholarships mentorship awards, and student travel awards to participate in field-specific conferences.
C^2 events and opportunities are open to all SCS students (i.e. undergraduate students majoring in CHEM or ChBE and graduate students pursuing an advanced degree in CHEM or ChBE).
We are extremely grateful to the 3M corporation, the Research Corporation for Science Advancement, Chevron, the UIUC Office of the Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Procter & Gamble, BP , Dow, and the Ford College Network for their support!
Click the icons above to learn more about each of these organizations and what they can do for you!