
The Knight Campus Graduate Internship Program (KCGIP) hosted its 8th Annual Inclusion Symposium August 23rd. The event serves as the capstone for the student Summer Inclusion Workshop Series in which students explore a wide range of inclusion-focused topics including identity, privilege, implicit bias, decolonization and more. The symposium adds program partners and alumni to the conversation and provides a space for further learning, growth and action.
The theme of the 2024 event was “Using Your Voice – Intentional Inclusion”, so it was no surprise that a highlight of the event was a keynote address by Dr. André Isaacs, an Associate Professor of Chemistry at the College of the Holy Cross and a widely followed social media personality. Known for his engaging and fun TikTok videos that blend chemistry lessons with dance, Dr. Isaacs captivated the audience with a unique perspective on inclusivity in science.

This year’s Inclusion Leadership Panel was a powerhouse of experience. Jess Nelson, technical product support engineer at Applied Materials and KCGIP semiconductor alum, moderated Panel. Panelists included:
- David Degnan, bioinformatician and KCGIP bioinformatics alum
- Maria Dulay, senior research scientist & lab manager at Stanford University’s DeSimone Lab, and director of Stanford’s Center for STEMM Mentorship
- Midhat Farooq, senior careers program manager at the American Physical Society
- Bashar Haidar, R&D engineer at Intel and KCGIP optics alum
Panelists shared personal insights on how inclusion and diversity have shaped their lives and how they use their voices to create meaningful change. They underscored the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in creating welcoming and supportive work environments. Attendees asked thought-provoking questions of the panel, ranging from strategies for fostering inclusion in classrooms to the panelists' own experiences navigating their identities and advocating for DEI in their respective fields.