The ASPBP March 2024 Webinar, IMPACT the RACE Introduction, will take place at 2 PM EDT on Wednesday, March 27, 2024. The Webinar will be led by Rakesh Patel and Loretta Jackson-Williams, both of the University of Mississippi School of Medicine.

Patel earned a master’s degree in Healthcare Administration from St. Joseph’s University, and received his bachelor’s degree from The University of Texas at Austin in Kinesiology and Biology. After completing a Management Internship at Neurology and Pain Management Associates (Lillington, NC), Patel obtained a Hospital Administration residency position at UMMC in 2015. After completion of his residency, Patel went on to work in the UMMC Strategic Planning and Business Process Improvement departments, where he provided project management and process improvement support to many of the organization’s senior executives. In 2020, Patel moved to the School of Medicine, where he currently serves as the Director of Business Operations and as Program Manager for the IMPACT the RACE grant project.

Jackson-Williams has always been an educator at heart. Her passion for education has culminated with her current position as the Vice Dean for Medical Education at the University of Mississippi School of Medicine. She began her journey in education because of her parents who were both educators in the Mississippi Delta. She grew up in Indianola, MS where she attended the public schools. In 1987 she completed her undergraduate studies at the historic Tougaloo College with a degree in chemistry. While in college she was engaged in the campus and local communities and became a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. In 1994 she completed her studies at Boston University School of Medicine located in Boston, Massachusetts and earned a doctorate in biochemistry and a medical degree. While in Boston she continued to serve in campus and local communities as she developed advocacy skills as an elected officer for local, regional and national positions with the Student National Medical Association. From Boston she moved to California to complete residency in Emergency Medicine at Highland Hospital in the Alameda County Medical Center of Oakland, CA. After completing a year at Highland Hospital as an attending physician, she and her young family returned to their home state of Mississippi where she has maintained her focus on education in the Department of Emergency Medicine and as an administrator in the SOM.

Wednesday, March 27, 2024 - "IMPACT the RACE Introduction"
Improved Primary Care for the Rural Community through Medical Education

• Developed from a Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) grant awarded to the School of Medicine in 2020, the IMPACT the RACE Rural Track Program is geared to enhance rural medical education for students, with the goal to increase primary care physicians throughout rural communities in Mississippi.
• Focused to fulfill the primary care needs of rural Mississippi, by providing students exemplary education, hands on training, and exposure to these rural communities.

Vision

• Access to primary health care throughout rural communities in Mississippi.

Mission

• IMPACT the RACE is committed to enhance the education of all medical students by exposing the gratification and challenges within primary care in medically underserved communities in rural Mississippi.

To register for the IMPACT the RACE Introduction Webinar, click here.

The ASPBP Nominating Committee is currently seeking nominations and self-nominations for Annual Conference chair as well as Western, Central, Southern, Northeastern and International Region Representatives from among the ASPBP membership. We encourage you to consider one of these positions or to nominate someone you feel would be a worthy candidate. You are encouraged to obtain consent before nominating a fellow colleague.

The General Council is the governing body that provides leadership and direction for ASPBP, and all our various programs and activities. Details on each position can be found below.

Annual Conference Chair
The Annual Conference Committee shall oversee the organization and implementation of the annual conference. The Committee will work with the Treasurer to coordinate revenue and expenditures for the meeting.

Regional Representatives
The Regional Representatives serve as Chairs for the membership groups of each listed region. A list of the states and provinces belonging to each region will be specified on the Association website. Regional Representatives will hold at least quarterly meetings of their regions, or as needed more frequently, and will inform the General Council of activities that may be of interest to the general association.

To submit your nomination or self-nomination by October 13, 2023, 11:59 PM PDT, please click here. We look forward to hearing from the membership and thank you for your continued commitment to the ASPBP mission.

If you have questions or problems with the form, please email support@aspbp.org.

Submit Your Nominations

The ballot for the 2023 proposed Bylaws amendments closes on Saturday. Eleven amendments have been proposed by the ASPBP General Council for clarification of timelines and processes, meeting details, and other necessary changes. For a look at the current bylaws, please click here. We ask that you thoughtfully consider these proposed amendments and cast your ballot by September 23, 2023. 

Members are invited to review the full proposed bylaws revision, linked here. If you have any trouble assessing the proposed changes or any questions, please contact at support@aspbp.org.

The ASPBP bimonthly general membership meeting, originally scheduled for Friday, September 22, has been cancelled. We will pick up with the next regularly scheduled meeting on Wednesday, November 29. Another reminder and connection information for that meeting will be sent closer to the meeting date. If you have any questions, comments or concerns please reach out to support@aspbp.org.

We are just a few weeks away from the ASPBP 2023 Virtual Conference! But before you log in to connect with your peers in pathways programs, we would like to describe the types of sessions you will experience during the Conference.

2023 Virtual Conference Info

What is a "Short Communication" session?
During these live sessions, presenters will be assigned to a breakout room where conference participants can join them to discuss their work, or ask questions. Each presentation will be allotted 10 minutes to share research and 5 minutes for Q&A with the audience. Our hope is that presenters will have an interactive environment to discuss their scholarly work and answer questions.

Short Research Presentations will be presented Wednesday, October 4, from 1:00 - 1:30 PM EDT. 

Click here for Short Communications Abstracts

What are the "ASPBP Town Halls"?
The ASPBP invites you to either (or both!) of our Town Hall sessions on Wednesday, October 4 at 1:30 PM or Thursday, October 5 at 2:00 PM EDT. These town halls are open to all and are meant as an introduction to the Association. Attendees will meet various committees and have the opportunity to ask questions about our membership, opportunities, and how ASPBP can benefit you and your Pathways & Bridges Programs.

Learn more about ASPBP membership here

What is a "Breakout Session"?
The Breakout Sessions will be concurrent Mini Workshops, Roundtable Discussions, and Problem-Solving Sessions.

Mini Workshops will address topics with high-interest potential to the ASPBP community, and foster active engagement of the participants. Participants will be able to take home specific knowledge and skills. Mini Workshops will be designed with a small group in mind, without the ability to form breakout groups.

Mini Workshops will be presented during the Breakout Session blocks on Wednesday, October 4 from 2:00 - 3:00 PM EDT and Thursday, October 5 from 1:00 - 2:00 PM EDT.

Click here for Mini Workshop abstracts

Round Table Discussions are guided by a topic or case with a set of discussion triggers, while Problem-solving Sessions are an opportunity to present a problem/challenge/issue presenters have encountered in their Pathway or Bridge program, with a set of discussion triggers that can foster a collaborative effort to find a solution during the session.

Roundtable discussions will be presented during the Breakout Session blocks on Wednesday, October 4 from 2:00 - 3:00 PM EDT and Thursday, October 5 from 1:00 - 2:00 PM EDT.

Click here for Roundtable and Problem Solving Abstracts

What are "Program Descriptions"?
Program Description presenters will develop posters to share information about their program with the larger ASPBP community. The goal of the Program Descriptions session is to allow ASPBP members to exchange ideas and insight on pathway programming work. Content may include lessons learned related to the program such as innovations & best practices, target student populations, etc. As the community surrounding pathway programs and bridges continues to grow, learning what other programs are doing and finding a sense of community in the work of others is incredibly valuable.

Program Descriptions will be presented Wednesday, October 4 from 3:00 - 4:00 PM EDT and Thursday, October 5, from 2:30 - 3:00 PM EDT.

Click here for Program Description abstracts

What is the "Virtual Help Desk"?
The ASPBP Team will be holding two Virtual Help Desk sessions prior to the start of each day of programming. These sessions are an opportunity for attendees to ask questions about the program, the schedule, the presenters, and the conference platform. Even if you just want to be sure that your camera is working properly before you start your day, we will be there to help! 

Check out the conference FAQ

By registering for the virtual conference you will gain access to your choice of breakout sessions, virtual poster sessions, short communication sessions, panels, plenary and more! Some events, like the poster and oral presentations, will be presented on demand and available for 60 days after the meeting. Please note that you will need to register and be signed in to view any conference events or presentations.

For more information, and to register, visit www.ASPBPconference.org.

Let Your Voice Be Heard! Don't forget to cast your ballot in the ASPBP Bylaws Amendment vote The ballot for the 2023 proposed Bylaws amendments vote is still open. Eleven amendments have been proposed by the ASPBP General Council for clarification of timelines and processes, meeting details, and other necessary changes. For a look at the current bylaws, please click here. We ask that you thoughtfully consider these proposed amendments and cast your ballot by September 23, 2023.  Members are invited to review the full proposed bylaws revision, linked here. If you have any trouble assessing the proposed changes or any questions, please contact at support@aspbp.org. ASPBP Bylaws Amendment Voting

A resource for ASPBP members, by ASPBP members One of the many ASPBP membership benefits is free access to the new Grant Opportunities page on the members' website. Here, our members will find a curated listing of the latest STEMM pathway and bridge grant opportunities, both public and privately funded. This listing is supported by members like you who wish to share these opportunities with others in the association. To submit a grant opportunity (or several!) simply email support@aspbp.org with all the pertinent information. Opportunities are listed in order of submission deadline for ease of filtering and planning. For more information on submitting grant opportunities, or for any general questions, please reach out support@aspbp.org.

View the Latest Grant Opportunities

We'd like to get the word out about Pathway and Bridge Programs and about ASPBP. To do this, we need your help!

Will you be attending any virtual, in-person or hybrid educational events this year? If you are, please let us know! You can send this information to us via email at support@aspbp.org.

We'd like to broaden our network and reach our fellow colleagues and educators. If you would like to share information about ASPBP while at one of these events we would be happy to provide you withes promotional materials to share while you are there! If you have any additional questions or concerns, please just let us know at support@aspbp.org.

In observance of the Labor Day holiday, the ASPBP admin offices will be closed on Monday, September 4. We will resume normal hours on Tuesday, September 5.

The Association of STEMM Pathway and Bridge Programs (ASPBP) believes that justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion are essential for STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, and Medicine) to be successful, and strategies to increase these principles should be rooted in evidence-driven practices. ASPBP values cooperation and teamwork as crucial to solving complex problems. If these principles apply to your teaching we invite you to apply for membership in our blossoming association.

Membership in ASPBP provides:

• Opportunities to network and collaborate with colleagues from a range of backgrounds and programs
• Free access to monthly webinar series and the annual conference
• Publish in Association publications
• Invitation to the bi-monthly General Membership Meeting and Sharing Sessions
• Opportunities to serve on working committees including External Communications & Advocacy, Finance, JEDI, Membership & Internal Communications, Research & Scholarship and Regional Committees
• Ability to apply for grant funding

Become Part of the Future of STEMM Education

ASPBP Mission
As a vibrant and supportive community of practice, we will develop best practices needed to achieve inclusivity and equity across the continuum of education. We will provide mentorship and support to develop and implement pathway programs and bridges for students to succeed in STEMM careers. Consistent with our values and vision, we will advocate for systemic change that espouses justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in all learning spaces and institutions. We will act in solidarity with professional organizations and other communities of practice to advance and lead evidence-based objectives to transform the biomedical workforce for the benefit of the human condition.

If you would like to continue to be part of this mission, or if you would like to join, please select one of the following member types:

• Individual member - 1 year
• Individual member - 2 years
• Institutional member - 1 year
• Student member - 1 year

If you have any questions regarding membership please feel free to reach out to support@aspbp.org.

Join or Renew Your Membership Today