Editor's Note

The Aspire Alliance's Regional Collaboratives (RCs) are driving systemic change in STEM by cultivating geographically based partnerships between two- and four-year institutions. Together, these collaboratives expand inclusive pathways into community college STEM faculty careers and strengthen pedagogical practices to better support diverse student populations. As the RC model has grown from three to nine collaboratives nationwide, sustaining the backbone infrastructure for coordination, research, and dissemination has become increasingly vital. This special issue explores how that national framework enables regional networks to scale and sustain their collective impact. Through a range of partnerships and strategies, RCs have helped institutions co-design teaching practica, mentorship programs, and professional development experiences that prepare graduate students and other professionals for community college teaching careers. They also partner with disciplinary societies to advance equity-centered hiring and instructional practices. The authors in this issue highlight lessons learned from these collaborations, offering insights into effective coordination models that link local action with national change. Building from the experiences and outcomes of RCs across the country, this issue provides research and practitioner perspectives on diversifying the STEM faculty pipeline and strengthening community college pathways. Articles span three main themes: developing teaching practica for future faculty; understanding the influence of state and regional policy contexts; and drawing lessons from the collective RC experience to inform scalable, equity-focused change. Broken into three parts, contributors gathered colleagues to expand on their particular theme. Articles within Part I focus on developing teaching practica at community colleges to prepare future STEM faculty. Through cross-institutional collaborations, RCs created short-term teaching experiences for graduate students and industry professionals, raising awareness of career paths at two-year colleges. Insights from the RCs, particularly those in central Massachusetts, Los Angeles, and southern Wisconsin, highlight key challenges, successes, and future directions in building a diverse faculty pipeline. Part II of the issue focuses on the influence of state and regional policies on how RCs have adapted their strategies to advance diversity among STEM community college faculty. Shifting sociopolitical conditions—including the COVID-19 pandemic, a turbulent presidential election, and national calls for racial justice—shaped the direction of these efforts. This section explores how local contexts impacted RC initiatives, with particular attention to the challenges related to scaling and sustaining progress during uncertain times. The final section, Part III, highlights how the RC model supported community colleges in building diverse STEM faculty pipelines by leveraging regional strengths and addressing local needs. It demonstrates how a collective regional approach fosters cross-regional collaboration, shared goals and evaluation, while allowing each RC the flexibility to develop sustainable programs tailored to their specific context. The contributors include community college faculty, administrators, and scholars who are leading these efforts on the ground. Together, their work demonstrates how regional collaboration can catalyze inclusive excellence in STEM education—advancing faculty diversity, student success, and institutional transformation across postsecondary education.