A message from Dr. Ben C. Flores

For more than 30 years, we have worked diligently to secure funding from the National Science Foundation LSAMP program to broaden participation in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics by engaging undergraduate and graduate students from all backgrounds and implementing high-impact practices that support them as they pursue their degrees.

As educators in these fields, we hold paramount the development of the students we serve. Our main purpose is to assist them in becoming well-informed people of character. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and think critically. Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of education.” We firmly believe in these wise words and make them central to our vocation as educators.

This is why we reach out to our students and help them build the mental and moral qualities of socially responsible scientists, technologists, engineers, and mathematicians. We support them and support each other. We learn how to have difficult conversations. We teach each other how to challenge the verbal and physical aggressions of those who would want to oppress people for the color of their skin, or because they are born beyond an ocean or a line in the sand. Finally, we commit to working together to build a plural society that treats everyone fairly and equally, with just rules and liberty for all. These are inalienable rights. Robert F. Kennedy told us “The purpose of life is to contribute in some way to make things better.” The sum of our contributions to protect and defend inalienable human rights makes things better.

Sincerely,

Benjamin C. Flores, Ph.D.
Lewis Professor of Electrical Engineering
PI, UT System LSAMP
The University of Texas at El Paso