Speaker
Description
Modern large-scale experiments depend on sustained, international collaboration across decades. While detector innovation and analytical advances drive discovery, long-term scientific success also relies on robust human infrastructure: retention, leadership development, and research environments that enable scientists to thrive across career stages. Persistent disparities in visibility, advancement, and retention—particularly affecting women in science—underscore the need for intentional structural interventions within scientific communities.
We present Shining Lights, a cohort-based professional development and mentorship initiative launched in the Division of Mathematical and Physical Sciences at the University of California, Berkeley and closely connected to its national laboratory research ecosystem. The central goal of the program is to strengthen the retention and advancement of women in science by fostering confidence, leadership identity, and durable peer networks, while remaining open to participants of all genders.
Shining Lights integrates structured mentorship, leadership skill development, community-building, and formal recognition mechanisms designed to help participants grow not only as technical contributors, but as confident scientists and visible leaders. By supporting identity formation and strengthening community ties, the program aims to enhance retention, broaden participation, and reinforce the long-term vitality of collaborative research environments.
We describe the design principles, implementation strategies, and lessons learned from this initiative, and discuss its relevance as a scalable and transferable model for supporting sustainable scientific communities.