Thomas Franco

Senior Managing Director & Head of Retail Sales, VIRTUS INVESTMENT PTNRS INC

Search every verified Thomas Franco interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. In a 2016 SPARC scholarship speech, Thomas Franco discussed his experiences as a first-generation, low-income, Latino, and LGBT minority student pursuing a STEM education. He described what he called a "push out culture" in STEM, attributing to systemic barriers such as educational inequity and implicit bias from peers, educators, and administrators. Franco stated that minority students often lack role models in STEM fields and are more likely to believe in "natural ability theory," which he contrasted with the "malleable ability theory" he attributed to white counterparts. Franco argued that these challenges continue through undergraduate education, citing reports that minority students are more likely to switch from STEM majors and that only 30 percent of minority STEM degree holders work in the field. He said that many companies do not implement effective diversity initiatives. Franco called for institutions to provide outreach programs like weekend science projects and summer boot camps for K-12 minority students.