| Background and affiliation: Nicquet Blake, PhD, one of the nation’s leading voices on issues of equity and diversity in higher education, joined UC San Francisco as vice provost of Student Academic Affairs and dean of the Graduate Division in December 2021. In leading Student Academic Affairs and the Graduate Division at UCSF, Blake hopes to amplify her advocacy for justice, equity, diversity and inclusion among students and trainees across the University and sees an opportunity to help ensure that decisions are consistently made with students’ and trainees’ best interests as the top priority. [Background and image pulled from UCSF's website where Dr. Blake is employed]
The Interview
"Tell us a little bit about yourself"
My academic journey started in Texas. I wanted to teach and they told me if I wanted to be a teacher, I would have to teach different subjects and I just wanted to teach one subject. Therefore, I started a degree in biology and a serendipitous event happened; two and a half years into my journey a friend of mine invited me to apply for the Maximizing Access to Research Careers (MARC) program. I went and applied, and they asked what kind of lab I wanted to work in and I had no idea what a lab was. I went to look for the hardest thing of the thing that I'm most afraid of. And I'm like, that's it. It turns out that the Nernst equation in neuroscience was the hardest thing that I had ever looked at, that's why I chose neuroscience. I did my bachelor's and my master's at University of Texas (UT), San Antonio. Then I went to Washington University, St. Louis, to do my PhD. Following my PhD, I remained at Wash U for my postdoc. I decided I would just switch fields from neuroscience to biochemistry, in large part, because at the time molecular biology was in its infancy as a field.
I joined the biochemistry field; it just allowed me to ask very different questions that I had asked in my graduate career. Then, a friend recommended me for a job that was not on the market yet, that she thought would be a great fit for me. She told me about this position in UT Health in San Antonio and then I went and visited, and the rest was history. I spent 14 years there, really looking out for the student experiences. I wanted to have an impact on both the student experience and the diversity of students that was being admitted into that institution. We went from around 12% when I started to a steady state of an over 30% increase in the diversity population when I left. The big lift came during the first 5 years, and then we sustained and grew it a little bit over the last 9 years. I did some good work and once again somebody called me suggesting that I apply for the position at the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF). I was not looking for a job at all and I felt that I did not have the typical experiences of a dean, because I went directly from a Postdoctoral Fellow into an administrative position. I never ran my own lab, which is just not the typical dean you would normally see. I interviewed, and the rest is history. I have the honor of serving as Dean of the Graduate Division at UCSF.
"How do you describe what you do as the vice provost student academic affairs Dean?" As vice provost of Student Academic Affairs, I am trying to help us navigate the new world of unionization in a way that is respectful of both our students and faculty. I'm still very vested in making sure that the student experience is a memorable one within the confines of a graduate program. Also, I am trying to maintain the pedagogical authority of the faculty. It's an interesting tight rope to walk. I am vested in developing and implementing policies that will impact in very tangible, positive ways, the experiences of students on our campus. "What is your favorite thing about what you do?" We just had orientation. I got to spend the entire day with over 200 students, and that was just so much fun. I think it’s such a beautiful experience to watch students thrive: seeing their individuality and the brilliance each brings to the table, and frankly learning from them because they are so talented. "Do you consider your current job what you always wanted to do? Do you feel like you're still missing something?" I never wanted to be a dean. I think that I've always just followed my passion. I'm not one of those people who look and say ‘that's the job I want’. My basic principle is ‘the job that I want, I will eventually create’, like when I took on the assistant deanship in San Antonio. I don't think there was a single person in the Academy who had done what I did at that point. Going from a postdoc directly into a dean’s position 15 years ago was unique. I'm probably close to being the first to have that happen, and that was just a matter of me understanding who I am, what my passions were, and what I wanted to see change. Most of that change was based on my own experiences in graduate school. I would tell myself I would fix having the opportunity to be able to change how students experience the Academy. Now I'm in a position of influence, and I can do that. I came here because I saw the capacity, not just to change my own institution, but to be transformational and change the entire Academy. I don't chase titles; I follow my passion. So, if you ask me, am I missing anything now? No, I think I'm right where I should be and I'm making it as much fun as I dare. "What do you think are the most important steps you took to get to where you are now?" I'm doing something that I'm passionate about. I want to see more black and brown students participate in the STEM fields. The second thing that worked out to my advantage is that I kept my networks open. Every time I got a job It's because someone with whom I interacted with saw a position and thought I would be a good fit for it. I wasn't out there looking when I applied here, I was working with an external organization and the person apparently saw me do a few things there, and I did not know this person at all. They are the ones that put my name in the bucket for the positions, because of my interactions in a different space. I think it's also important to understand that when you work you should always do your best because you just don't know who's looking and what opportunities that might bring to you. The first step, I would say, is following your passion. The second step would be create and extend your networking. Then the third step will be to understand every position that I've been in and evolved in that position. For example, when I started in San Antonio, I'd never written a grant and when I left, we had 4 active NIH grants. Because I saw a need and I recognized that to fill that need I needed money. Therefore, I went on, wrote the grant to get the money. I did not enjoy writing those grants, but I learned to do it relatively well. I understood that if I was going to fund the vision, that's what I needed. It's also understood that as a human being you should grow in your position. I had amazing mentors and sponsors who helped and guided me with grant writing, when I needed guidance with a ‘policy thing’, other mentors came along, even my own mentor, my own dean at UT Health, was really a huge advocate, and he elevated the work we were doing. Because of that elevation I probably wouldn't have gotten to where I’m at on one site. I’ll salute my mentors and sponsors because those were important and then, I'm a person with deep roots in faith, and I believe that my faith is also a big part of my success. "How much of an influence do you have in scientific research or academia?" I think the story at UCSF is still developing. Concerning my story at San Antonio, even before I started there, I was surprised at the small number (12%) of underrepresented students that were enrolled in the graduate school, especially in light of the approximately 60% Hispanic population in the city. As a scientist your curiosity leads you to ask: why? The answer from the faculty at that time was: “we just choose the best”. I'm sitting there thinking I'm among the best too, and I don't look like y’all. We went about a process that included engaging with faculty to identify allies, having great sponsors — a very strong dean who allowed me to engage in the things that I thought would change the dynamics. We were getting rid of GRE scores back in 2007, before everyone was doing it. I had a dean who fully supported the concept of just looking at testing normally and in among GRE, and we notice that there's a population of students that consistently do not do well on it. We were gauging their entire academic history on one result. We got the Dean to agree to look more holistically at the student applications, and we took some risk. Those risks paid off and we were a better institution because of it. Going from 12% to more than 30% constitutes a transformation, and we were a better institution because of it. "What was the greatest challenge you had to overcome during your career and how did you do it?" My greatest challenge has always been the naysayers. Every time you go into a new place, there are people who will tell you that you don’t know what you’re doing, that you don’t belong. Some people say it behind your back and others say it to your face. They tell you that you're just going to ruin this place. It's very easy to succumb to that mindset. In addition, there are people who actively deploy tactics to try to ensure that you fail. There have been occasions when I walk into a room with institutional leaders and put out my hand to say, thank you, and that leader refuses to shake my hand. However, you must go back and work with this leader, because to reach your goals you need that leader to be invested. I've been fortunate to have a lot of support that counteracts those negative attitudes. Every place I go, I try to identify my coalition of the willing. I’m a visionary, and generally, people don’t immediately see what I see. They don’t see what could be different. But I put my blinders on, work my heart out and eventually we get to the point where we prove they naysayers wrong. There’s nothing more rewarding than getting someone who told you it could not be done, to see the vision and jump onto the train. To achieve all of that it takes time, energy, and persistence, it never stops and it has the potential to derail. If you are properly centered, you can be successful despite those obstacles. "In your opinion, what challenges remain for achieving gender equity in academia?" I think the biggest challenge is promotion and tenure or just hiring systems that do not account for the fact that the burden of child and elder care is squarely on the shoulders of women and that burden often does not coexist well with the measures of success in the Academy. So, a woman would have a child and she probably must stay home longer than the male. But she is still being held to the exact same tenure clock that a male would have. I would also add that women are often caring for their elderly parents as well as raising children. It’s a big challenge and too often a significant hurdle to timely success. They're feeling that pressure and while at some institutions like at UCSF, we've done a fantastic job trying to honor that, it is not a universal policy. The NIH has done a little bit here or there, like given childcare grants. There's some things that they're doing, but it's not universal across the Academy. There is still an appreciation that there are different ways to contribute to the Academy instead of looking purely along the lines of grants and publications. For example, mentorship is a big part of the Academy, but how are we rewarding, or recognizing that in our tenure and promotion systems? Same for teaching: is teaching really critical to the education mission and if so, how is teaching valued/rewarded in our tenure and promotion systems? These are societal factors that we just have not yet aligned with the fact that there are more women participating in the workforce. Until that happens truly, universally we are going to have challenges with maintaining women in the scientific workforce. "What advice do you have for aspiring scientists in your field, particularly women in science?" I would say four things: - Follow your passion. It's not worth it if you're not passionate about it.
- Take risks: Women tend to be risk averse. We're not as inclined to take as many risks as the male counterparts, so take the risk.
- Don't forget to treat yourself well.
- Identify good mentors and sponsors.
Finally, it wouldn't be my talk if I didn't say: ‘don't let anybody tell you what you can and can't do’. That is important for all students, but especially so for those who identify as women and from underrepresented backgrounds.
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