About the Initiative
The Hidden Science Superstars initiative began in the fall of 2017, when the staff of the Timken Science Library extended an invitation to the College of Wooster campus to nominate individuals from historically underrepresented groups in STEM who deserved to be honored with a new, permanent display in the library. From a total of 65 submissions, 44 unique nominations were identified, then narrowed down to a list of 12 finalists. An open vote among the college community identified an initial group of 4 honorees.
Along the way, the College of Wooster Libraries were able to secure a federal Institute of Museum and Library Services LSTA grant awarded by the State Library of Ohio. This grant supported the program by funding the creation of two custom sculptural busts and one museum-quality framed portrait, as well as enhancing the library's collection of materials related to topics of diversity, equity, and inclusion in STEM.
During the spring semester of 2018, library faculty facilitated a panel discussion on the topic of representation and recognition in STEM during the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration. In April, the results of the voting were revealed to the community for the first time. Video of the full event is available here.
The results reveal event prompted two new donors to offer funding for additional busts, one of was dedicated in honor of Donna Jacobs, the College of Wooster’s first science librarian, bringing the total number of displays to six.
The official unveiling was held on October 17, 2018, after which our two new portraits and four new busts were moved to their permanent locations inside the science library. Watch the unveiling event in full here.
The full list of finalists and video biographies of the honorees are also archived here.
Publications & Press
Hidden science superstars: Making diversity visible to increase inclusion
Published in College & Research Libraries News, vol. 79, no. 7, July/August 2018
Hidden Science Superstars Poster
Presented at the American Library Association's annual conference, June 23, 2018
Grant adding busts, portraits to COW Timken Science Library
The Daily Record (Wooster, OH), Feburary 9, 2018
New ‘faces’ — COW unveils Hidden Superstars of Science
The Daily Record (Wooster, OH), October 19, 2018
The Hidden Science Superstars program was funded in part through a federal Institute of Museum and Library Services LSTA grant awarded by the State Library of Ohio.