Intended to introduce students to Dean Wesley Stites and Associate Dean Anna Mummert while conversing over Dunkin’ donuts and coffee, the Student Government Association collaborated with First2 Network on Thursday, Feb. 15, to host the College of Science’s “Donuts With the Deans” event.

Student Body Vice President Callia Yang organized the event, and First2 Network provided the refreshments. First2 Network which helps first-generation, underrepresented and rural students in STEM by providing resources and stipends for research.

Yang said the motivation for the event came after a town hall meeting in the College of Science, where they realized many students were intimidated by the new dean.

“When you think of the dean, you think of, ‘Oh, you’re in trouble,’ or something like that,” Yang said. “Our goal is really just to break that boundary and help students connect with faculty, associate deans and deans.”

Stites became the dean of the College of Science on April 11, 2023, and he assumed his post on July 3, 2023. He previously came from the University of Arkansas, where he served as associate vice chancellor for research and innovation.

“He’s a really, really nice guy, and he’s very passionate about helping students,” she said. “But, you know, he’s new, so nobody knows what he looks like.”

Yang is also the co-chair for First2 Network and said Donuts With the Deans was its first event expanding outside of the established members.

“Last semester, we did a faculty network dinner,” Yang said. “Our First2 students sat down with some faculty in the College of Science and the dean and the College of Engineering dean. We all had dinner and had a lot of fun, and the conversations were just flowing. Everyone was surprised about how nice and how open the faculty and the deans were, so I thought, ‘Let’s expand this and have everyone in the College of Science come.’”

More events from First2 will be planned for the future, Yang said, but no details are set for them yet.