When I first talked about wanting to write about the Coalition for the BSR, the first thing I was told was "go talk to Anne." Anne MacLachlan, a faculty member in the Center for Studies in Higher Education housed on campus in Evans Hall, gives the Coalition a bird's eye view. She is immersed in the trends and successes in the education and support of under-represented groups in the STEM fields. She brings relevant research to the table to inform the Coalition programs and carries out information about what the Coalition is doing to the broader world. Put simply, she provides the context--the extra-cellular matrix within which the Coalition programs live.