
Robert Scott is the Director of Diversity Initiatives at Michigan Engineering and Co-Implementation Lead for the College of Engineering’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee. CAARMS stands for Conference for African-American Researchers in Mathematics, an annual event features current research talks by African-Americans throughout the country.
Professor Edray Goins from Purdue University said, “CAARMS is unlike any other conference in the mathematical sciences.” I enthusiastically agree with Professor Goins, and I believe the more than 90 students and researchers in attendance for CAARMS23 would, too.
It was encouraging to see undergraduates and graduate students (future researchers, perhaps) attending expert workshops side-by-side with outstanding faculty and industry professionals from around the country.
DEI Strategic Plan

Developing talented, diverse college and departmental leadership, and instructional and research faculty is one of the strategic goals of Michigan Engineering's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Strategic Plan. Learn more about the plan and how you can get involved.
This year’s theme was “Data Science” and the thought leaders who presented included distinguished Michigan Engineering alumni like Dr. Kyla McMullen. McMullen was the first African-American woman to receive a Ph.D. in computer science from the University of Michigan. In the keynote address, titled “Hidden Figures: Bringing Math, Physics, History & Race to Hollywood,” Rudy L. Horne of Morehouse College gave a chronicle of his role as the main mathematics consultant for the movie Hidden Figures.
It was an honor to host this one-of-a-kind experience at the University of Michigan, bringing some of the best minds to campus. You can read more about it from the first-person perspective of Purdue University Professor Edray Goins in this collection of posts.