Press Release: Announcing the Third ACCESS+ Cohort

This document is a press release announcing the formation of the third ACCESS+ cohort, adding 14 STEM professional societies to its Community of Practice. It outlines ACCESS+’s mission to foster inclusive excellence in STEM spaces where women and gender minorities can thrive, leveraging professional societies to drive systemic, nationwide DEI reform. The release emphasizes the program’s support for developing DEI competencies, identifying strengths and opportunities, creating strategic action plans, and using the Equity Environmental Scanning Tool (EEST) as a starting point. It lists all 14 participating organizations and reiterates the NSF-funded initiative’s partnership structure and WEPAN’s leadership in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in engineering and STEM professional cultures.