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MESSAGE FROM THE CBMG DEI COMMITTEE CO-CHAIRS

The cherry trees have bloomed, spring is here, and the end of the academic year is nearly upon us. Looking back, the Department has had an active year in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), receiving much appreciated help from enthusiastic volunteers. DEI activities have included this newsletter, which advances inclusion and departmental communication. We had excellent educational and social observations of Juneteenth, Dia de los Muertos, and the Lunar New Year, and we enjoyed the welcome back, holiday, and World Cup events. This year, CBMG sent representatives to both ABRCMS and SACNAS, which were in person for the first time since the start of the pandemic. The CBMG DEI Seminar is currently underway, and we expect that it will become a regular departmental activity. Coming up is a workshop on creating opportunities and inclusion for people with disabilities in the biological sciences, and Juneteenth 2023 is just around the corner. While some parts of the national dialog have questioned the value of DEI, we have celebrated and explored its value while not shying away from acknowledging the costs and challenges of promoting it. Our objective is to create an environment where everyone, regardless of who they are, can achieve to the very best of their abilities, and do so in a safe, warm, and welcoming environment.

The DEI committee asks for your help to identify people (students, faculty, staff), who have gone above and beyond to help advance this vision of DEI, and who should be recognized with a Departmental DEI Award (nominations for DEI awards can be made HERE). As we begin to think about next academic year, we would also like to ask for volunteers, who would be interested in serving on the committee next year, in writing content for this newsletter, or helping with one or more of the DEI events (you can volunteer to get involved HERE). We will have a new DEI seminar in the fall, and everyone can participate with or without registering for it as a class.

We wish the best of luck to our graduating students as they prepare to move on to their next adventure, and we hope everyone has a wonderful summer. Rest and recharge, and we will look forward to seeing you in the fall!

Charles Delwiche and Caren Chang | CBMG DEI Committee Co-Chairs

FEATURE

PERSONAL STORIES

The CBMG Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion committee has formed this newsletter with the goal of bringing DEI issues, events, and perspectives to the forefront, where they rightly belong. We would like to use this space as an opportunity to highlight the strength of the diversity within our department. In each newsletter, we hope to publish feature articles, interviews, perspectives, or recorded oral histories from people in the department, alumni, and people associated with the department. This is one small step we can take to break down barriers and see one another as humans with different experiences and perspectives rather than as stereotypes.

LEARN MORE >> READ ALL PERSONAL STORIES>>

FACULTY & RESEARCH

AWARDS

CBMG EVENTS

BIAS INCIDENTS

The following bias incident was reported to the Office of Diversity and Inclusion Bias Incident Support Services (BISS) since the last newsletter: None

You can monitor the campus climate for yourself at BISS Dashboard. To learn more about BISS visit their webpage or watch their introductory video. Remember, to report a bias incident, you may email biassupport@umd.edu or submit a report online. You may make a report anonymously, or if you prefer you can ask any member of the DEI committee (or any other member of the campus community) to make the report on your behalf. If you see a graffito, it is best not to try to remove it yourself, but to cover it up and contact BISS. If you are comfortable doing so, you can upload a photo of the graffito as a part of the report.

WE’D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU!

We are also interested in hearing about YOUR DEI activities. If you have supported, led, or hosted an event, program, or research that promotes diversity, equity, and/or inclusion within science, our classrooms, or the community, please complete this form so that the DEI Committee can be informed of your efforts!

We are grateful to alumni and friends whose generosity supports current and future students. To learn more about how you can make a difference, please visit go.umd.edu/cbmggiving.

The CBMG Diversity Newsletter is prepared by Priyanka Vengataraman; the Personal Stories feature is developed and edited by Erin Tran.

Current DEI Committee members: Caren Chang (co-chair), Chuck Delwiche (co-chair), Grace Igbinosun, Edgar Moctezuma, Aurelie Niyongabo, Errica Philpott, Teresa Thompson