After over a year of planning, Brooklyn's NYU Tandon School of Engineering launched the 2015 Diversity in STEM Summit: Bridging Engineering and Business for the Future. This was an event that Associate Dean of Student Affairs, Anita Farrington, said is relevant to the current racial tensions across universities. Additionally, it was statistically relevant. The 2015 U.S. News/Raytheon STEM Index reported on the bare progress toward reducing racial and gender disparities for interest and aptitude in STEM. "The goal was that these conversations would deepen the sensitivity and understanding of what is needed in terms of race and inclusion at our school community," Farrington said. The opening event featured a panel discussion on why a diverse workforce is needed in STEM, in which Karen Harper moderated. Harper is the Vice President and Executive Coordinator of BEST, an organization that prioritizes diversity in STEM by increasing participation from underrepresented groups.