CaSAS (Community and Science Advancements in Spanish) is a STEM research seminar series at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) whose goal is to promote science dissemination in Spanish for the UCSD and the San Diego / Baja California scientific community at large.
As an emerging Hispanic serving institution, UCSD has over 23% undergraduate full-time LatinX students as well as numerous LatinX members at all levels. Many of these individuals grew up in Spanish-English bilingual households, yet high level scientific knowledge and interactions occur almost exclusively in English. Likewise, UCSD has a large population of international students who come from Spanish-speaking countries where most of their education took place in Spanish but once arriving to the US, scientific dissemination takes place in English. Building and maintaining trust between scientists and underserved communities is a critical component of ensuring that the public benefits from research improving healthcare outcomes.
CaSAS was formed to serve as a scientific and networking space where Spanish speakers will be able to have high level scientific conversations in Spanish. The goal is to create a sense of community within the School of Biological Science and greater scientific community as we foster a sense of belonging and inclusion for our Spanish-speaking community members. This will help to break down barriers and stigma surrounding science and research by making it more accessible and relatable to individuals who would otherwise never gain access due to the language barrier.