“Science and technology alone do not create inclusive futures. People do,” Holy Family University President Dr. Anne Prisco said last month in a speech before the United Nations.
Dr. Prisco addressed the 11th International Day of Women & Girls in Science Assembly in February. The invited sector experts, government officials, private-sector representatives, and a contingent of students from Holy Family University were gathered to discuss how to foster economic prosperity, social justice, and environmental integrity. The theme of the conference was the role of AI, social science, STEM, and finance in shaping sustainable futures for women and girls.
Speaking in the United Nations Economic and Social Council Chamber, Dr. Prisco, who is a first-generation college student and holds a Ph.D. in economics and education, focused on what social science can do to turn the opportunity into lasting economic security.
“The bridge between innovation and impact is social science,” she said.
Social science research can help institutions design systems that ensure that groups underrepresented in the sciences have both access and equity. She cited, for instance, evidence that early integration, structured support, and a sense of belonging significantly improve persistence among college students, especially for women and first-generation students.
Holy Family has put those insights into action by embedding advising, tutoring, mental health support, and internship and career counseling into the university’s curriculum.
“Since implementing these supports, we’ve seen retention and graduation rise,” Dr. Prisco said.
Ninety-four percent of Holy Family graduates move right into a career or graduate school. These outcomes are an important guide, Prisco said.
“Emerging technologies like artificial intelligence are reshaping education, labor markets, and opportunity faster than our norms, policies, or ethics can keep up,” Dr. Prisco told the assembly. “And too often, we are repeating old mistakes — using new tools to reinforce old inequities. Sustainability demands that we choose differently. And social science shows us that we can — if we are willing to design for the future we claim to want.”
View Dr. Prisco’s full speech below:
