I'm sure it does. I am one of those people who come from the majority group, so I have no shortage of role models and examples of people who look just like me who've also been very successful.
When there are examples of people who are diverse, in the sense of being very different from me, I'm sure that it can create inspiration for others to believe that they, too, can pursue a career in that direction. If that talent proves itself in the academy, that's wonderful. I think those people should therefore always be welcomed, but also welcomed as individuals given their personal backgrounds, rather than in some sort of cookie-cutter way.
There's just no litmus test here. We're looking for excellence, and we're trying to foster the creation of more of it.
Thank you.