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Mission

SACNAS is a society of scientists dedicated to fostering the success of Hispanic/Chicano and Native American scientists—from college students to professionals—to attain advanced degrees, careers, and positions of leadership in science.

Nearly 40 years ago, the founders of SACNAS were trailblazers. Many of them were the first people in their communities to receive PhDs in science, the first Hispanics/Chicanos and Native Americans to be hired in their departments, and the first mentors for a new generation of Hispanic/Chicano and Native American scientists. Over the years, SACNAS and its founders have flourished. Founders are now leaders at federal scientific agencies, tenured full professors, and university deans. Along with early conference attendees, former presidents, and past board members, a significant number of founding members are actively involved in the work of SACNAS today.

Legend says that SACNAS was founded in an elevator at an American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) meeting in the early '70s. At that time, there were only a handful of Native American and Chicano scientists in the U.S., and most of them had converged to attend the AAAS meeting. After attending a networking event, they all got into the elevator together. One looked around and joked, "If this elevator crashes, it will wipe out the entire population of Chicano and Native American scientists!" Since 1973, our SACNAS family has grown from the number of people who can fit into an elevator to over 25,000 SACNISTAs (members, partners, and friends).

SACNAS Founders
Goals
The Creation Story
  1. To increase the number of Hispanics/Chicanos and Native Americans with advanced degrees in science and the motivation to be leaders.
  2. To increase the number of Hispanics/Chicanos and Native Americans in science research, leadership, and teaching careers at all levels.
  3. To increase governmental commitment to advancing Hispanics/Chicanos and Native Americans in science resulting in increased resources, elimination of barriers, and greater equity.
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