Mechanical Engineering's Visiting Assistant Professor Tamara Reid-Bush is part of the ADAPP (Advancing Diversity through Alignment of Policies and Practices) research that is supported by a $3.98 million ADVANCE grant from the National Science Foundation. It is an Institutional Transformation grant that is part of a nationwide NSF effort involving 38 other universities to increase the representation and advancement of women in academic science and engineering careers. Initially, the project includes the Colleges of Engineering, Natural Science and Social Science. However, project activities will bridge multiple campus resources and programs, and achievements will eventually be expanded to and infused throughout the entire university community.

The overall goal of the funded research is to build the capacity of MSU to attract, retain and promote the highest quality faculty possible by aligning college goals with the university-wide values of excellence, diversity and inclusivity. A primary focus is to leverage existing programs by creating a more coordinated, systemized approach to ensuring diversity that improves the campus environment for all people. A central strategy of the project is to reduce bias in recruitment, review and promotion practices by developing objective, transparent evaluation criteria that are consistently applied.

MSU Provost Kim Wilcox serves as the PI, while the co-PI's include Drs. Tamara Reid- Bush (College of Engineering), Clare Luz (College of Human Medicine), Mark Roehling (Labor and Industrial Relations), Estelle McGroarty (Assistant VP for Research and Planning) and Associate Provost Terry Curry. This group of individuals along with Dean Karen Klomparens forms the Grant Management Team. Their roles are to work with the Deans and the Faculty Excellence Advocates in each of the three colleges to implement new practices during faculty recruitment and promotion, reappointment, and tenure processes.