SACNAS - Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science

The mission of SACNAS (Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science) is to encourage Chicano/Latino and Native American students to pursue graduate education and obtain the advanced degrees necessary for science research, leadership, and teaching careers at all levels.

For 35 years, SACNAS has provided strong national leadership in improving and expanding opportunities for minorities in the scientific workforce and academia; mentoring college students within science, mathematics, and engineering; as well as, supporting quality precollege (K-12) science education. SACNAS' annual national conference and precollege teacher training workshops, chapters program, postdoc and leadership initiatives, and online internship and job placement resources are tools that help a diverse community of undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, professors, administrators, and precollege educators achieve expertise within their disciplines.

View a 30 second Public Service Announcement about the upcoming SACNAS Conference (October 9-12. 2008 in Salt Lake City, Utah). Please feel free to share this PSA with your community, colleagues, and friends. (PSA independently produced by Colleen Casto.)

NOTE: If you need assistance with your travel scholarship, please contact Nick Mucha, program director, at (toll free) 1-877-SACNAS-1, ext. 224. If you require assistance with an student research presentation, please contact Nancy Rocha, program assistant, at (toll free) 1-877-SACNAS-1, ext. 222.

As part of its anniversary celebration, SACNAS joins researchers from around the globe in focusing on climate change, especially in the Arctic and Antarctic. Through its International Polar Year participation, SACNAS will engage the underrepresented minority scientific community in addressing the impact of global ecosystems change on the polar regions, the planet, and the health and well-being of all Earth’s inhabitants. Additional information on SACNAS IPY activities at the annual national conference is available on our Highlights website. For more details on IPY, see our IPY Resources (PDF).

Looking for Internships and Summer Research Opportunities for undergraduates in Life Sciences? SACNAS Board Member Dr. Lino Gonzalez compiled the following booklet of research opportunities. Click here to download the Research Opportunity PDF.

For the 6^th straight year, over 2,000 attendees have come together for a unique blend of science and education; where student attendees are met with nearly a 1 to 1 ratio of professionals, exhibitors, mentors, judges, and role models that serve as the gateway to possibility and opportunities for their futures.  Look what people had to say about the 2007 SACNAS National Conference:

“Thank you for giving me such a wonderful experience…I will be looking forward to presenting my own research at next year’s conference.”
     First-year SACNAS student, California State University, Fullerton

“I continue to be amazed at what a terrific job SACNAS continues to do. The students are amazing. The faculty truly cares about the future and well-being of these young people. Thank you for your good work.”
     Linda Burhansstipanov, Executive Director, Native American Cancer Research, Corp.
     Professional attendee and SACNAS member since 1997

To download a pdf of the 2007 SACNAS National Conference statistics, please click here.  We look forward to seeing you in Salt Lake City, Utah, October 9th - 12th, for the 35th anniversary of SACNAS!

We are eager to share the 2006 annual report with the SACNAS community. In 2006, SACNAS implemented across the board cost saving measures to maximize both human and economic resources. These new initiatives, combined with sweeping budgetary savings, put SACNAS in a secure position to seek out new funding and resources. View the entire report and reports for previous years online at: http://www.sacnas.org/annualReports.cfm.

SACNAS students and board members traveled to Antarctica!

Aaron Velasco, SACNAS President, and Normal Neely, SACNAS Board Member, joined two dozen students and five precollege educators in exciting, hands-on polar research as part of International Polar Year - Research and Educational Opportunities in Antarctica for Minorities (www.ipyroam.org).

The group's journey and participation in IPY-ROAM is just one way in which SACNAS is supporting this year’s 2008 SACNAS National Conference theme, “International Polar Year: Global Change in Our Communities.” Learn about the group’s adventures through the frigid Antarctic Ocean and the documentation of their discoveries:

Check out their blogs and podcasts at: http://sel.utep.edu/IPY-ROAM/outreach.html.
View pictures of the group and follow links to media coverage of their activities at: http://sel.utep.edu/IPY-ROAM/media.html.
For additional IPY information and resources see: http://www.sacnas.org/pdfs/IPYresources.pdf