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When Alma Torres-Nguyen, Community Outreach Coordinator for Kaweah Delta Health Care District (KDHCD), heard there was a potential research project involving rural Latinas she didn’t just get excited, she participated in securing the funding.

The research project, called New Dawn, conducted in coordination with the University of California San Francisco (UCSF), was a three-year study that sought to improve the quality of life among Spanish-speaking women with breast cancer in rural communities. READ MORE AT VALLEY VOICE

One of the best ways to recruit, engage and retain employees is to create an inclusive workplace culture. Most organizations are already on the diversity and inclusion bandwagon, but small- and midsize companies may be considering how to build it into their programming or expand an initiative already in place.

While there is no one way, the following eight steps are sure to provide a powerful start and keep you on track. READ MORE AT FORBES

It’s been months into your job search and you’re just about ready to pull your hair out. You’ve changed your approach 11 times. You’ve lost count of how many positions you’ve applied to, at this point.

But, before you throw in the towel, here are three surprising reasons your job search still isn’t landing you interviews and dream job offers. READ MORE AT FORBES

Introverts are those who tend to spend a lot of time focused inward rather than seeking out constant input from others. This personality trait is very well suited for certain types of business opportunities. However, networking with others doesn’t always come naturally.

If you’re an introverted entrepreneur or are thinking about jumping into the business world, here are some networking tips specifically for this type of personality. READ MORE AT SMALL BUSINESS TRENDS

The Latinx population’s purchasing power is expected to top $1.9 trillion by 2023, which is higher than the gross domestic product of countries such as Australia, Spain and Mexico, according to Nielsen.

The growth comes at a time when Latinx consumers, who are part of the nation’s youngest minority group with a median age of 28 — compared to 38 in the general population —quickly approach their peak earning years — accounting for 75 percent of all U.S. labor force growth over the last 6 years.

About 60 million Hispanics are living in the U.S. and Census projects that the nation’s Latinx population will increase to 109 million in the next 40 years. READ MORE AT NBC NEWS

While diversity and inclusion are important issues to consider when recruiting new board members, they’re becoming important metrics when gauging CEO performance and determining compensation.

A study from Corporate Board Member and Compensation Advisory Partners found that 52% of directors believe diversity and inclusion metrics should be a factor in determining compensation for their top executives. READ MORE AT CREDIT UNION NATIONAL ASSOCIATION

While Latinxs are oftentimes encourage to go into more traditional careers, the women below redirected their careers from potential STEM careers and careers in government once they were exposed not only to what a career in communication could entail, but they could also marry it with their passion to help elevate diverse stories. READ MORE AT FORBES

Over the last several years employers have become more aware of the need for greater diversity and inclusion in the workplace. But the means of getting there are still unclear. Too often, employers tend to stick to traditional programs and promotion guidelines that may not work for today’s employees. READ MORE AT EBN

While there may be more job openings than qualified applicants, that doesn’t mean finding the right opportunity is easy. In fact, searching for a job is hard work! And, like any task, it requires some “best practices” to get good results. Here are some tips to help you make the most of your job search.

Broaden your scope.

Instead of simply looking at specific job titles, take the time to look at the skills the company is seeking in a candidate. Job titles can differ among industries and organizations, so why limit yourself to a title. Matching your skill set to those required for a position can ensure a better fit and provide more options including some that you may not have considered. READ MORE AT COLLEGE RECRUITER

As a professional, it’s important to keep current on the trends and information in your field. Attending networking events, industry seminars and product presentations are all great ways to enhance your real-world knowledge. However, simply attending these events isn’t enough: You need a plan to put that knowledge into action. READ MORE AT FORBES

In California, climate change is a personal issue. We seem to be experiencing its earliest effects much more dramatically than the rest of the country.

But Latinos are truly on the front lines. Construction, farming and manufacturing all draw heavily on Latino workers, and they are at greater risk when they must work in extreme weather conditions. Many of these workers develop health issues.

In the context of changing climate, this pronounced inequality in health care has wrought terrible consequences on Latino families. Hispanic children suffer from asthma at similar rates as non-Hispanics, but they are 70% more likely to be admitted to the hospital and twice as likely to die from asthma. READ MORE AT SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE

Miguel Hernandez spoke neither Spanish nor English when he arrived in California from a small Mexican mountain village four years ago.

Like many indigenous residents of remote towns in the state of Oaxaca, Hernandez grew up speaking a Zapotecan dialect rather than Spanish. That meant he had to overcome even more obstacles than other Mexican immigrants, unable to communicate with most of his classmates and teachers at North Hollywood High School.

“I wanted to cry,” said Hernandez, 18. But he learned Spanish and then English, staying after school for tutoring and moving on to honors and Advanced Placement classes.

Now he is about to become the first person in his family to go to college. READ MORE AT THE HECHINGER REPORT

Read biographies of discussion panelists for the 2019 STEM Networking Forum being held Thursday, August 08 at the rooftop lounge of the Lakeshore Sports & Fitness Club Millennium Park. 

Carmen Valverde-Paniagua, Technology Consultant Manager, Accenture

Carmen is a Technology Consultant in Accenture’s Technology Advisory group. As a part of the Technology Advisory group she works with her team in developing and executing technology strategies as well as determining the right combination of technologies for our clients—from tech that exists today to the emerging tech of tomorrow. In particular Carmen has experience and expertise in New IT solutions like Cloud, Multi-speed (Agile), and Internet of Things (IoT). Within the IoT space Carmen has worked on connected medical as well as connected vehicle solutions using distributed and scale agile models.

Additionally, Carmen is the Market Pillar Lead & Metrics and the Compliance Co-Lead for Accenture's Chicago Hispanic American ERG. She works with current client, potential clients, and local inclusion and diversity organizations in order to better service our clients and create ties within our Hispanic/Latino community. Carmen also serves on the National Hispanic American ERG team as co-lead for Midwest recruiting and works to promote Accenture programs, job opportunities, and identify Hispanic/Latino talent.

Peter D. Rios, Ph.D, Associate Scientific Director, CellTrans, President – SHPE Chicago Chapter

Dr. Peter Rios completed his PhD in Biomedical Engineering at Northwestern University. His dissertation focused on encapsulation technologies for type 1 diabetes and fertility preservation. Currently, he is the Associate Scientific Director of CellTrans, Inc., a biotech start-up seeking to develop a functional cure for diabetes. At CellTrans, he is responsible for planning, coordinating, and managing the activities of bioengineering projects in the Research Department, which involve rodent and monkey models. He undertakes short-term and long-term planning and supervision of preclinical and clinical-focused projects aimed towards a sustainable treatments for diabetes.

Prior to his graduate studies, Dr. Rios earned his Bachelor’s of Science in Biomedical Engineering (BME) from the University of Virginia (UVA) in 2009. Upon graduation from UVA, Peter began working for Booz Allen Hamilton as a Consultant for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in Washington, DC. At DHS, he provided programmatic support for the Bioterrorism Risk Assessment (BTRA), a resource used by government agencies to prioritize their budgets for terrorism countermeasures.

He is an active Lifetime Member who has been involved in Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) for over 10 years. He has served on their Board of Directors and is the current SHPE Chicago Professional Chapter President.

Lori Dawson, Senior Director of Services Engineering, U.S. Cellular

Lori Dawson has been with U.S. Cellular for 16 years. Her responsibilities include leading a team of engineers and leaders who design and deploy new wireless functionality into U.S. Cellular’s national network. Lori holds her bachelor’s degree from University of Iowa and her Master’s in Leadership from Bellevue University.

Jesse “Chuy” Chavez, Senior Software Engineer & Manager, Google

Jessie ‘Chuy’ Chavez is a Software Engineer on the Data Liberation team in Chicago which systematically provides users control of their data in Google products, and he recently celebrated 10 years at Google. Chuy was named to the Crain's 2015 Tech50 list of people to know in Chicago's technology community.

Apart from his main job, Chuy spends his 20% time coordinating education outreach and participating in diversity efforts in the Chicago office such as the Code.org/CS4All initiative in Chicago Public Schools, the Google.org sponsored Robot Revolution, the Chicago Public Library robot and hotspot checkout program, and many other intiaitves with local educational and community partners. He has also spoken to tens of thousands of students to help inspire the next generation to pursue careers in Computer Science.

Chuy is a founding member of the Chicago office’s Mosaic diversity group and local Latino Googler chapter as well as volunteers on initiatives with other employee resource groups.

Born and raised in Chicago to Mexican immigrant parents from Michoacan and Monterrey, Chuy’s first language was Spanish and he attended Chicago Public School's bilingual program until the fourth grade. As the oldest in his family, Chuy became the first in his family to graduate from elementary school, high school, and college. He graduated with a degree in Math from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign as well as coordinated campus initiatives to help Latino/a recruitment, retention, and equality, including the famous 1992 Latina/o student protest.

Prior to Google, Chuy worked as a software engineer at FeedBurner (acquired by Google in 2007) as well as HSBC bank US and Mexico, Best Buy, and even as a teacher in Chicago. Chuy extends his technical expertise to many community and social justice causes in Chicago and Latin America, including serving as a human rights monitor in Honduras and a media volunteer for #Caravana43 from Ayotzinapa, Mexico.

Juan M. Garcia, Senior Program Manager, Groupon

Juan is a passionate leader who empowers technical teams to develop their full potential. Born in Colombia, with a background in Electronics and Telecommunications Engineering, he's performed multiple management roles in the aviation, software, and banking industries in Latin America and currently manages the Global Engineering PMO organization at Groupon Chicago, leading the team that executes the company's strategic initiatives and promotes best practices for technical project management.

Juan is also an advocate of inclusion and diversity at the workplace, he's the co-chair of the "Groupon For Latinos & Allies" Business Resource Group, a team of enthusiastic employees executing the company's DNI strategies, focused on strengthening the presence of Latinx merchants in the platform, increasing Groupon brand's outreach to Latinx customers, and recruiting and retaining Latinx talent.

Amaris Alanis-Ribeiro, Environment STEM Leader, Center Director - North Park Village Nature Center

Amaris Alanis Ribeiro has fifteen years of experience in STEM in museums, nonprofits, and outdoor settings. She has led girl’s online programs, forensics mock scenes in collaboration with the FBI, and has taken teens on nature explorations across the country. She believes that nature is an entryway to STEM and that diversity is key to solving environmental problems.

Amaris is currently the Center Director of the North Park Village Nature Center at the Chicago Park District, the largest municipal park system in the U.S. There she directs the operation of a public facility with 46 acres of a nature preserve open 7-days a week, providing year-round programs and major special events throughout the year for over 50,000 visitors.

Amaris has participated in numerous fellowships including the Association of Science and Technology Centers Diversity and Leadership Fellowship, ee360 Community EE Fellow, and One Sky Institute Research and Practice Collaboratory. Amaris also currently serves on the National Science Teachers Association Informal Science Education Committee and the Advisory Board for Environmentalists of Color. In 2017, Amaris received the Chicago Wilderness Force of Nature Award.

Amaris has a bachelor in science degree in Ecology, Ethology, Evolution from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign and is completing a master’s degree in Science Education from the Illinois Institute of Technology.

Julio Santiago Haag, Infrastructure Services Manager, Accenture

Santiago Haag is a Manager in Accenture’s Infrastructure Services organization. He manages operations for the Global Digital Workplace portfolio focusing on IoT, Video-collaboration and Broadcast applications. He oversees global support for state-of-the-art collaboration solutions like, Surface Hubs, Cisco Videoconferencing and immersive technologies. In the IoT space, he manages the global digital signage and room signage service for the company.

As a committed leader he wants to make an impact in the community and has been a part of Inclusion and Diversity efforts at Accenture since joining. He led the Chicago Hispanic American Employee Resource Group and is constantly focusing on retention and development of diverse talent at work and in the community.

Santi is originally from the Patagonia region of Argentina, but today he lives in a Chicago suburb with his wife, Bonnie, and his three small children. He believes that trust is the foundation for any effective relationship and focuses on remaining trustworthy with his teams, his customers and his family. Four guidelines drive his work and life: Know who you are, know who you work with, know who you work for, and be happy.

Time is running out to register. The 2019 STEM Networking Forum is tomorrow! 

In an effort to boost their income level Opens a New Window. as well as pursue their passions, research shows millions of Americans are turning to "side hustles." Opens a New Window.

A study of 2,000 full-time employees showed 27 percent of them turned their hobby into a side business, while 55 percent of them said they dreamed of finding a side hustle themselves. READ MORE AT FOX BUSINESS

The Latino community in California has grown tremendously, becoming the state’s largest ethnic group just five years ago. But despite this growth, the state’s Hispanic population isn’t faring as well as their fellow Californians economically.

A report from the California Latino Economic Institute (CLEI) (pdf) sheds light on this subject, showing that despite the growing economy, Latino residents struggle to keep up with Asian Americans and whites. READ MORE AT EPOCH TIMES

Both subtle and significant differences in food habits, cultural mores and lifestyles exist among Cubans, Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, and Central and South Americans.

These subsets of Hispanic populations reside in the United States but tend to be lumped under the larger umbrella of Hispanics who are often referred to as Latinos, the largest and fastest growing minority group in the US. READ MORE AT Onco'Zine

The American Society for Engineering Education, or ASEE, has listed the Michigan State University College of Engineering among the nation’s leaders in inclusive excellence. The designation earns MSU a Bronze Award– the highest level of recognition presented by the ASEE Diversity Recognition Program. READ MORE AT MSUTODAY

The U.S. Hispanic population reached a record 59.9 million in 2018, up 1.2 million over the previous year and up from 47.8 million in 2008, according to newly released U.S. Census Bureau population estimates. Over the past decade, however, population growth among Hispanics has slowed as the annual number of births to Hispanic women has declined and immigration has decreased, particularly from Mexico.

Even so, Latinos remain an important part of the nation’s overall demographic story. READ MORE AT PEW RESEARCH CENTER

It’s no secret that diversity is good for business. Organizations recognize the value of diversity and inclusion (D&I) practices, procedures and programs and have implemented a number of these into the workplace. When implementing, it is important to recognize which of these D&I policies employees actually want, which may increase their effectiveness. READ MORE AT FORBES

Found your dream job? Don’t be so confident that you’ll get hired: It’s very likely that there are several other qualified candidates competing for that same position.

That’s where the cover letter comes in. Including a cover letter to complement your resume can be an effective way to impress hiring managers: It displays your strong writing skills, sets you apart from other applicants and shows that you went the extra mile. READ MORE AT CNBC