Dear Bio Sci Community,
Hope your summer is off to a great start as we ease into our return to campus and ramp up our research operations. Over the past few weeks, the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion has had some exciting developments I would like to share with you.
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 First, I am delighted to welcome Dr. Raven Baxter to the Bio Sci ODEI family! Dr. Baxter has a background in molecular biology, science education, and science communication. She is joining us as of July 1, 2021, as the new Director of Diversity initiatives, and will focus on building strong communities to enhance and support innovative and diverse science learning, teaching, and working environments within the school. Dr. Baxter is an enthusiastic biology educator and works with faculty and staff to translate engagement and a sense of belonging (and some fun!) into classroom experiences. You may recognize Dr. Baxter (a.k.a. Raven the Science Maven) from her impactful science education music videos, science communication programming and active social media presence (http://www.scimaven.com). I look forward to partnering with her on initiatives related to School and campus climate, promoting inclusion in our student experiences, as well as developing innovative DEI training and activities for our faculty, staff, and students. Please join me in welcoming Dr. Baxter to our community!
I am also very pleased to announce the winners for our Inclusive Excellence Leadership Awards this year. We received many highly competitive proposals for this opportunity. The six winning proposals represent the creativity and diversity of our community, and both Dr. Baxter and I are excited to work with the awarded teams to support and manage their new programs. You’ll find out more about these programs as they launch in the coming weeks. Please join me in congratulating the winners of these awards!
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Inclusive Excellence Leadership Awards
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- UCI Leadership, Empowerment and Development (L.E.D.) Program
Romàn Ariel Meza Jr., Sandra del Carmen Sandria, Jharrayne McKnight
- Queer, Trans, and Allies in Biological Sciences (QTABS)
Jose Moran, Stephanie Salazar, Sydney Prange
- BioEYES SoCal – Evidence-Based Outreach Program to Improve Science Education
Michael Parsons and Marvin Maldonado
- Data-driven Approach to Address Achievement Gaps in the Neurobiology Major
Audrey Chen Lew
- Bridging First-Generation Students and Their Families
Pavan Kadandale and Alejandra Gutierrez
- A Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity Speaker Series Targeting Graduate Teaching Assistant and Undergraduate Learning Assistant Professional Development
Andrea Nicholas
I also would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to UCI Bio Sci alumni Drs. Nita and Devu Tewari for co-sponsoring the student-led L.E.D. Program. We are deeply grateful for their generosity and commitment to supporting Bio Sci’s students.
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Diversity Postdoctoral Fellowship
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Finally, a huge congratulations to Dr. Brittni Bertolet and her postdoctoral advisor Dr. Steve Allison (Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology) for being awarded a Diversity Postdoctoral Fellowship in Bio Sci! Dr. Bertolet joined the Bio Sci community this year and we look forward to channeling her passion and commitment to inclusive excellence to implement new programs and initiatives in the ODEI.
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Calamities like the pandemic have a way of testing our resolve, but they can also bring out the best in us. It has been a tough year, but I would like to take a moment to recognize the incredible resilience of our students, faculty, and staff in the face of adversity and uncertainty. I am especially proud of our first-year students who had to transition to college remotely, without stepping foot on UCI’s beautiful campus. You made it work and thrived in your first year despite the setbacks. We cannot wait to officially welcome you to campus this fall!
As we open our doors again, I look forward to seeing and meeting you all in person. Both Dr. Baxter and I will post our office hours soon so you can feel free to come and chat with us. Please check http://inclusion.bio.uci.edu regularly for updates and for office hours’ time and location.
Sincerely,
Michael A. Yassa, PhD
Associate Dean of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
School of Biological Sciences
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