The Graduate School devotes considerable effort to increasing the diverse nature of its learning environment through student recruitment and mentorship. We annually attend national conferences such as the Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS), and the American Biomedical Research Conference for Minorities in Science (ABRCMS). We recruit students into our programs from local educational institutions with diverse student populations such as DePaul University.

Our graduate students also have lead roles in mentorship and guidance of high school students under-represented in the sciences through the INSPIRE Program. Students in this program come from local high schools and spend the summer months in our research laboratories, learning about research and higher education leading to degrees in basic biomedical science and clinical practice. Our graduate students interact with these students on a daily basis, providing guidance, advice, and education in a laboratory setting.