The IDEAS Student Society is the perfect club for ASU Online students with an interest in STEM

There are more than 1,000 active student clubs and organizations across ASU’s four metropolitan campuses, offering opportunities for every Sun Devil to get involved. Students affiliated with ASU Online may be surprised to discover that several clubs are available to them as well! 

One of these organizations is the Inclusion, Diversity, Education and Advocacy in Science club, also known as the IDEAS Student Society at ASU. Vice President of Operations Rob McCollum said IDEAS is “a space for people to learn more about pathways open to them in STEM. We provide open and active interactions with [current and former] members that lead to better understanding of where others have gone before as a foundation stone.” 

He added, “IDEAS is almost strictly online! We have sprouted out to have some IRL meetups, however we have a dedicated, multi-platform spread to link our members together,” making it easily accessible to those attending ASU off-campus. “We keep it casual. We want people to feel welcomed and welcome to contribute. We want people to feel that we are that base they can come to, that foundation that they can grow from to help achieve goals,” McCollum said. 

IDEAS hosts OH Hour on Thursdays as a “Zoom event where people can network with other IDEAS members about research, upcoming opportunities, or just blow off steam from the pressure cooker that is academic life,” McCollum said. 

IDEAS provides students with “a foothold into a more personable, interactive and synergistic academic experience,” McCollum explained, adding that, “IDEAS is the online portal that leads to the academic experiences that make you stand out in the crowd. [They] strive to help you make online-based education work for you.”

If you’re interested in the STEM field, consider attending one of IDEAS’s OH Hours on Thursdays this semester.