What does it take to transform participation in an entire scientific field? For Dr. Checo Colon-Gaud, it started with $900 and a simple conversation about representation.
The REU Experience: Career-Defining Moments
Checo's journey into aquatic science began not with childhood certainty, but with undergraduate discovery. Like many first-generation college students, he pursued a career in biology without fully understanding the breadth of career paths available beyond medicine or veterinary science.
The transformative moment came through a Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program. This National Science Foundation-funded summer internship took him from Puerto Rico to institutions in Washington, DC and New Mexico. This 10-week experience revealed not just that research careers existed, but that they were attainable.
"It wasn't until midway through my undergraduate degree that I started thinking about research as a career," Checo explains. "We just didn't have the exposure. We didn't know that was there."
This experience became so foundational that when Checo launched his academic career, establishing an REU program at his own institution became a primary goal. Over the past seven years, his program at Georgia Southern University has supported 61 fellows—many of whom have continued to graduate education and are nearing the completion of their doctoral degrees.
From Instars to Emerge: Building a 15-Year Program
Phase 1: The $900 Beginning (Year 1)
As a graduate student in the Society for Freshwater Science, Checo was approached by mentor Dr. Judy Lee with a deceptively simple question:
"Do you see a lot of people like you?"
When he acknowledged the lack of representation, she challenged him to make a change. The society provided $900. Checo and his collaborators brought six undergraduates to the annual conference.
The key innovation wasn't just providing travel funding—it was creating a "conference companion" model, where participants were welcomed into an existing network and introduced to faculty mentors. It guides them through navigating a professional meeting without feeling isolated or overwhelmed.
Phase 2: Doubling Down ($10,000 and Growing)
After demonstrating initial success, the team returned to the society's board with an ask for $5,000. The board doubled its request to $10,000.
💡 This moment reveals a critical lesson about sustaining diversity initiatives: demonstrate impact with limited resources, then leverage that evidence to secure expanded support. The society saw tangible results and was willing to invest more substantially.
The program gained a name—Instars, referencing the life stages of aquatic insects—and became a recognizable presence at annual conferences. By word of mouth, the program's reputation spread. Faculty began reaching out, asking how to nominate students, rather than the team having to recruit participants.
Phase 3: Federal Funding and Scaling (Emerge Program)
After years of society-funded success, Checo and colleagues partnered with a larger network to secure National Science Foundation support for what became the Emerge program. This five-year initiative expanded beyond undergraduates to support graduate students and early career professionals—representing the full "emergence" through career stages in aquatic science.
At the most recent Society for Freshwater Science conference, Emerge-supported participants accounted for over 10% of the total attendance. What began as six students with $900 had transformed the demographic makeup of an entire scientific society.
Key Lessons for Sustaining Diversity Initiatives
Exposure Opens Doors
Checo’s REU summer was the moment science became a tangible career, not just a class requirement. Working alongside researchers for 10 weeks allowed him to “see the full arc” of asking questions and conducting real science—and sparked the belief, “I could really do this.” That first authentic exposure turned curiosity into a pathway.
Mentorship Multiplies Impact
A mentor’s simple question—“Do you see a lot of people like you here?”—reframed the problem and activated Checo to build solutions. Mentors then became “conference companions,” guiding newcomers, making introductions, and expanding networks that sustain careers. One mentor’s attention can create a multiplying web of support.
Diversity Strengthens Science
Instars and Emerge didn’t just add participants; they changed who contributes ideas and leadership in the field. As cohorts grew, early participants returned as mentors and committee members, enriching the society’s problem‑solving capacity. The visible presence of diverse scientists made the community more innovative and future‑focused.
Start Small, Grow Big
With just $900, six students, and a bold follow‑up ask, Checo and colleagues proved value, then scaled—eventually reaching nearly 10% of conference attendance. Pilot first, measure impact, and ask confidently—leaders will often exceed your request when results are real. Small seeds, nurtured well, become national programs.
Conclusion: Your Role in Broadening Participation
Checo's journey from REU participant to program architect demonstrates that systemic change in scientific participation doesn't require revolutionary resources—it requires authentic commitment, strategic growth, and willingness to start with what you have.
The question Dr. Judy Lee asked Checo years ago remains relevant for all of us: "Do you see a lot of people like you? Will you be interested in changing that?
For STEM researchers seeking to expand societal impact, broadening participation isn't separate from research excellence—it's essential to it. More diverse perspectives, experiences, and approaches strengthen the scientific enterprise itself while creating pathways for talent that might otherwise remain undiscovered.
Whether you start with $900 or $900,000, the principles remain consistent: plant the seed, provide authentic support, integrate rather than isolate, document your impact, and build structures that sustain beyond individual champions.
The students you support today may become the program leaders, faculty mentors, and diversity champions of tomorrow—just as Checo's own REU experience planted seeds that have now blossomed into programs supporting hundreds of students across multiple institutions.
Resources for Implementation
The following programs and initiatives demonstrate successful models for broadening participation in STEM:
- SACNAS Leadership Programs: The Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science provides leadership development through the Linton-Poodry SACNAS Leadership Institute (LPSLI), where Checo and Vanessa connected. Learn more about LPSLI cohorts
- SFS Emerge Program: The Society for Freshwater Science's federally-funded initiative supporting graduate students and early career professionals in aquatic science. Visit the Emerge website
- SFS Instars Mentoring Program: The original conference-based program that evolved into Emerge, still supporting undergraduate participation in freshwater science. Explore the Instars program
- RESCoPE: Research Experiences in the Southeastern Coastal Plain Environment, Georgia Southern's program connecting students with coastal plain science opportunities. Learn about RESCoPE
- MROC2S: Mentoring Research Opportunities in Coastal and Computing Sciences, Georgia Southern's interdisciplinary post-baccalaureate program. Explore MROC2S-RAMP
Continue Your Impact Journey
Thank you to Dr. Checo Colon-Gaud for sharing his expertise, authenticity, and 15 years of lessons learned in building sustainable diversity initiatives in aquatic science. Your commitment to making scientific spaces more inclusive while maintaining intellectual rigor demonstrates that we can—and must—do both.
For readers who make impactful science possible: whether you're a student considering your first conference, a faculty member wondering how to start a diversity initiative, or a society leader evaluating resource allocation, the evidence is clear—small investments in broadening participation yield transformative returns across entire scientific communities.
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