For Your Information | April 1, 2021

Download a printable version of this week's newsletter

Dear Friends, 

DEI asks you to continue to take care of yourselves. Fear due to hate crimes against the Asian and Pacific Islander community, trauma connected to the Chauvin trial, grief from losses due to the pandemic, and other issues become harder to manage when services are limited or not yet available in person. If students are impacted by these issues or in crisis, they can speak to a counselor by calling 530-752-0871 and pressing 0. Students can ask to speak to a Crisis Counselor. 

In partnership with Student Health and Counseling Services (SHCS) and Healthy Davis Together, and in response to issues that have been exascerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic,  Emergency Mental Health Grants offer assistance for students who may be struggling with mental health issues and need support with transportation costs, copays for therapy, prescription medication, psychoeducational testing, basic hygiene supplies and more. Please review the application to learn more or contact Emilia George at emiliageorge@ucdavis.edu for any questions. The application period closes on Friday, April 9th at 4PM PST. Also offered are Movies for Mental Health, a 2-hour virtual workshop that uses the power of film to unite folks in community, connection, and conversation. The workshop is planned for Wednesday, April 14th at 5:30PM in partnership with the UC Davis Mental Health Initiative and Art with Impact. This interactive, online experience will feature an anonymous, chat-based discussion on mental health, a live screening of three award-winning short films and a UC Davis student, staff and community panel sharing of lived-experiences and mental health resources. Space is limited so please register today! All of this information can be found on SHCS’ #ThisIsUCDavis page.

Good news --- UC Davis “Development and Alumni Relations (DEVAR) has shared challenges for Give Day to raise funds for DEI initiatives! So many alumni, friends of the university, community members, faculty, and staff are stepping up to raise funds for UC Davis, and they have considered a DEI lens! Take a look below, and please consider engaging and sharing this list with friends, family, and colleagues, as we raise funds for our extraordinary students! Many thanks to Sam Alavi and the DEI Committee of DEVAR, along with VC Shaun Keister and DEVAR as a whole for putting great work into this effort. Some of the descriptions have been abbreviated for space here, but clicking the links will provide detailed information. The key to Give Day “Challenges” is that all are encouraged to donate, and then a certain number of gifts of varying amounts can “unlock” the amount given by the donor. 

• Arturo González Chicanx/Latinx Scholarship Challenge
   The Chicanx Latinx Alumni Association Scholarship (CLAA) Fund is a vital resource for our most promising students who have the greatest financial need. Once 30 gifts are received, $10,000 from Arturo and Rosa Gonzalez will be activated for the CLAA Scholarship Fund!
• Student Disability Center Support Fund Challenge
  The Student Disability Center at UC Davis, provides accommodation, service, and support for students with disabilities to create equitable access to the university's educational programs. Join Dr. Maud Hinchee in supporting the Student Disability Resource Center on Give Day! 10 gifts will unlock $5,000 for the Student Disability Center.
• Outdoor Adventures Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Challenge
  Your gift supports the mission of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion within nationally recognized Outdoor Adventures (OA), providing equitable access to training and programs. OA is creating a $50,000 endowment to perpetually fund support for underrepresented communities. OA alumnus Kevin Schwartz has provided the first $10,000.
• First Generation Initiative Challenge: Opening Doors!
  Join Aggie parents and donors Steve McAdams and Hilarie Koplow-McAdams as they issue a challenge to build momentum for the First Generation Initiative. 
• Biology Undergraduate Scholars Program
  The Biology Undergraduate Scholars Program (BUSP) is an enrichment program aimed at promoting diversity in the life sciences. Sponsored by the College of Biological Sciences, BUSP offers undergraduate students, who are underrepresented, economically and socially disadvantaged or disabled) the academic support, lab skills courses, and faculty-mentored research experience.
• Imagining America’s Social Justice Student Podcasting Fellows
  Imagining America: Artists and Scholars in Public Life, a national consortium hosted at UC Davis, brings together scholars, artists, and organizers to imagine, study, and enact a more just and liberatory world. Your gift will support an undergraduate student podcasting fellowship to produce and host conversations on social, political, racial, and environmental justice issues with artists, organizers, and public scholars from the Sacramento Valley region and Imagining America's diverse national network. 10 gifts will unlock this challenge!
• Young Scholar Program Challenge
  Support equitable opportunities for promising high school students from underserved backgrounds. Every 5 gifts will activate $5,000 from the Boroditsky Family, up to $25,000!
• Transformative Justice in Education Center
  The Transformative Justice in Education Center (TJE) is a visionary space that supports a vibrant community of researchers, designers, and futurists engaged in equity-oriented, justice-seeking education projects. Guided by the 5 pedagogical stances—History Matters, Race Matters, Justice Matters, Language Matters, and Futures Matter—that enable practitioners to shift paradigms toward pursuits and outcomes of justice. All gifts make a difference in supporting undergraduate and research fellowships, practitioners in residence and a speaker series. Every 25 gifts will activate $6,000, up to $12,000 for this challenge.
• Behavioral Health for Special Populations Challenge
  There is a rising need for behavioral health for individuals within the LGBTQ+ community and other special populations that are discriminated against because of their lifestyle or disability. 7 gifts to any Department of Psychiatry fund will unlock this challenge.
• Dr. Morris K. Pleasant Memorial Scholarship
  Your support of this scholarship will honor the memory of UC Davis School of Medicine Alumni Dr. Morris K. Pleasant. A beloved psychiatrist who practiced in the Sacramento area for over 40 years, Dr. Pleasant’s memorial scholarship will support medical students and/or residents pursuing a career in psychiatry or mental health with a preference for students who have overcome obstacles consistently faced by African American male students and/or students of color. Our goal is to reach $50,000 by December 2023, establishing an endowment to provide support in perpetuity. Just 20 gifts will unlock a generous gift of $2,500 from Sharon, Shakira, and Kelly Pleasant.
• Human Rights Studies Challenge
  Join us and support Human Rights Studies which seeks to build a  favorable climate for rights on our campus, advance an agenda of diversity/equity/inclusion, and provide opportunities and resources for excellence in human rights teaching and learning, disciplinary research, and research in the public good. 10 gifts will unlock this challenge
• C.N. Gorman Museum Challenge
  The C.N. Gorman Museum was founded in 1973 by the Department of Native American Studies in honor of retired faculty member, Carl Nelson Gorman, Navajo artist, WWII code-talker, cultural historian, and advocate for Native peoples. The C.N. Gorman Museum is dedicated to the creative expressions and contemporary art of Native American artists and artists of diverse cultures and histories.
• ASUCD Equity and Inclusion Award Support Fund in honor of Chancellor Gary S. May 
  Your generous gift to the ASUCD Equity and Inclusion Award support fund in honor of Chancellor Gary S. May, strengthens our commitment to inclusivity and educating the great and diverse minds of tomorrow while propelling the development of our cutting-edge research and innovative programs that continue to be globally recognized.

These are wonderful challenges, and it is a win for all of us to have so many opportunities to raise funds for social justice and DEI causes. Thank you DEVAR, and thank you donors! Let’s unlock these gifts for our students!

Warmest Regards,
Renetta

Library Resources for Understanding: Addressing Racism Against Asian Americans

The UC Davis Library offers a list of resources that address Anti-Asian American racism as a catalyst for positive social change and conversation, to aid not only those who seek to better understand the social causes of this problem, but to help empower those who organize to confront and disrupt it. The work of Asian American Studies scholars listed here gives voice to an equally long history of struggle in the cause of social justice and human rights. These resources acknowledge the cost of the contemporary microagressions, bigotry and violence suffered by Asian Americans today, while providing context to it within the history of white supremacist ideology and neo-colonial ambition. Learn more.

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month

The Center for Advocacy, Resources and Education, or CARE, invites students, staff and faculty to participate in Wear Teal Day, Tuesday (April 6), wherever you are–and post photos to social media using the hashtag #ucdsaam2021. Also, tag @ucdcare to be included in a CARE compilation of social media posts that people share through the month. Teal is the official color of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, observed each April. CARE is promoting Wear Teal Day and Denim Day, and has organized several other activities, including a discussion with the authors of Sexual Citizens: A Landmark Study of Sex, Power and Assault on Campus. Social media posts will be displayed starting Thursday (April 1) in a virtual space CARE is creating for Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Please visit their webpage for more information and a calendar of events and activities.

Each Aggie Matters #ThisIsUCDavis

#ThisIsUCDavis is a UC Davis campaign centered on three core values: diversity, mental health and resilience. This campaign aims to bring together the campus community featuring opportunities for student engagement, mental health support and a shared commitment to supporting student mental well-being. This initiative will offer Emergency Mental Health Grants, access suicide prevention training, “Movies for Mental Health,” a workshop that uses the power of film to unite folks in community, connection, and conversation. Learn more.

UPDATES & ANNOUNCEMENTS

Office of Academic Diversity | Interim AVC Lorena Oropeza

P.L.A.C.E. with CAMPSSAH Scholar of the Quarter (Spring) Call for Nominations

The Scholar of the Quarter is a new initiative that recognizes faculty at the Assistant or Associate ranks whose scholarship epitomizes engaged excellence, defined as scholarly or creative achievements that involve diverse communities with a commitment to social change. Please visit our webpage for more details and award requirements. Application deadline: April 26, 2021.

ADVANCE Scholar Award | Call for Nominations

The ADVANCE Scholar Award is available for mid-career and senior Academic Senate or Academic Federation faculty who advance diverse perspectives and gender equity in STEM through their teaching, research and service. Two 2021 ADVANCE Scholar Awardees will be selected.The recipients will receive a small cash award. The intent of the ADVANCE Scholar Award is to encourage research, leadership, and outreach to underserved communities and/or mentorship of under-represented students, and to highlight and celebrate the contributions that STEM faculty at UC Davis have made to their fields through outstanding scholarship and mentorship. Nomination Deadline: June 1, 2021. Details about nominating a scholar for the ADVANCE Scholar Award can be found here.

CAMPOS Faculty Scholars in the News

Dr. Theanne Griffith spoke with Chancellor May (pictured here) about research and kids books.

Dr. James Letts and Dr. Maria Maldonado co-lead the UC Davis First Nations Launch (FNL) Team composed by students from the UC Davis American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) chapter. Their team was recognized with a #WSGCStudentSpotlight. Tweet Link.

Jeanette Ruiz (Communications Department) won a Distinguished Teaching Award.

And don't forget, today at 3:10PM - Marie Heffern, Assistant Professor of Chemistry, (Heffern Lab) will present her recent research: “Unraveling the Role of Metals in Extracellular Dynamics” Please email Mariana Galindo-Vega for Zoom link.

Office of Campus Community Relations | AEVC Rahim Reed

Save the Date! Chancellor's Achievement Awards for Diversity and Community Ceremony 

Chancellor Gary S. May, Vice Chancellor Renetta Garrison Tull, and Associate Executive Vice Chancellor Rahim Reed cordially invite you to attend an on-line event to honor the recipients of the Chancellor's Achievement Awards for Diversity and Community on Wednesday, April 28 at 5:00PM. These awards were established to honor achievements that contribute in substantial ways to the development and well-being of our diverse and evolving community. Learn more about the awards and past recipients. This event will be held exclusively on-line. Look for registration details in next week’s Dateline and in our next newsletter (April 15).

Office of Health Equity, Diversity and Inclusion | AVC Hendry Ton

Introducing the new Senior Director of Institutional Culture, Climate and Community Engagement

We are pleased to announce that Ceasor Dennis has joined the HEDI teams as the new Senior Director of Institutional Culture, Climate and Community Engagement. He brings to this role a wealth of expertise and leadership in addressing core issues of importance including social and racial justice, health equity and the social determinants of health. Mr. Dennis is also experienced in developing and implementing strategies grounded in transformative learning opportunities and programs that move organizations towards inclusion, equity, and growth. 

As the Senior Director of Institutional Culture, Climate & Community Engagement, Mr. Dennis is responsible for leading the efforts that will continue to transition UC Davis Health in becoming a fully inclusive, anti-racist, and multicultural organization that values and actualizes health equity, diversity and inclusion, and integrates the Principles of Community across our tri-part mission. Mr. Dennis will be working directly with leadership and across educational and training programs to address our campus culture/climate, professional leadership and  development, as well as community and stakeholder engagement needs. We are delighted to have him join UC Davis Health and our HEDI team.

Position Announcement

We are pleased to share that the Office of Health, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (HEDI) is recruiting a new member to our team as a Health Professions Education Specialist. This is a full-time positions that will report directly to the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) for HEDI. This position will support the administration, coordination and development of diversity education programs, along with special projects as directed by the Associate Vice Chancellor (AVC) for Health Equity Diversity and Inclusion, the Diversity Education Director(s) and the CAO.  The position is also responsible for supporting the technology and communications needs of the unit such as online curriculum development, website maintenance, listserv and newsletter development and dissemination. Please view the full job description and application information, see Job ID: 16294. Applications will be accepted through April 16, 2021.

EVENTS

April 6, Tuesday

Asian Solidarity in Action | 12:00PM
Opening remarks by Dr. Hendry Ton, Associate Vice Chancellor of Health Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. As we grapple with the increased violence toward Asian Americans, it’s critical to hear from experts about the importance of eradicating hate and adopting an anti-racism lens to aid in the safety of our communities. Featured guests: Mai Vang, MPH, District 8 Councilmember; Robyn Rodriguez, Professor and Community Organizer, Founding Director of the Bulosan Center for Filipinx Studies, Asian American Studies; Marilyn P. Wong, MD, MPH, Executive Director for Mothers-for-Mothers Postpartum Justice Project (MPJ), Vice President, Medical Alumni Association Board at UC San Francisco; Kimberly M. Ngo, 4th year Medical Student, UC Davis School of Medicine; Mercedes Piedra, MS, Director for Office for Health Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at UC Davis Health. We will discuss the following: Sacramento County’s commitment to racial equity and justice; Contributions of the AAPI community in healthcare and on the front lines of the pandemic; Asian-American and Black activism throughout history and in the onset of COVID-19; The healing work of community organizing. Register here.

Sexual Assault Awareness Month: Trauma-Informed Yoga | 12:00PM
A gentle yoga session, no experience necessary. Open to all UC Davis affiliates, including undergraduate students, graduate and professional students, staff and faculty. Register here.

April 7, Wednesday

Racial Justice Speaker Series: Raquel Aldana, “Citizenism” and the Shackles of Borders | 12:15PM
The enforcement of borders has always been punitive and racialized. Yet, immigration law’s exceptionalism and bounded notions of social membership has left the other – the “alien” – largely unprotected from the shackles of borders. This presentation will argue why any racial justice project must embrace the dismantling of citizenism -- a view in which “ U.S. citizenship” is foundational to the distribution of rights – as central to the transformation of the United States into a more just nation. Register here.

April 8, Thursday

My Brother’s Keeper Sacramento: Trauma Healing and Learning Series | 10:00AM
Join My Brother's Keeper (MBK Sacramento) Collaborative for its Trauma Healing & learning Series, centered around increasing the understanding of the impacts of racism on overall well-being, and promoting healing-centered approaches to healthcare. The MBK Collaborative is administered by the Center at Sierra Health Foundation and was formed out of the Obama Foundation. MBK focuses on addressing disparities for young men of color through policy advocacy, systems change and support for effective programs. Register here.

April 9, Friday

How Can We Retain Mothers in the Academic Pipeline | 11:00AM
For many PhD students and postdocs, starting a family coincides with a period of their careers where they are expected to be highly productive. The challenges of balancing personal life and work expectations leave many women dropping out of the academic pipeline. Recent studies have shown, that a supportive relationship with their advisors is critical for the success of Early Career Researchers and can be a decisive factor to retain young mothers in scientific careers. But what does it take to foster a healthy relationship between advisor and mentee? The event brings together PhD students, postdocs and faculty to discuss how advisors can help Early Career Researchers with children. Register here.

April 12, Monday

LGBTQ+ Cultural Humility Training | 9:00AM
The Yolo County Office of Education is holding a “LGBTQ+ Cultural Humility Training” as part of its monthly Foster and Homeless Education Service Collaborative. The training will be presented by the Sacramento LGBT Community Center. The presentation will be followed by CommuniCare Health Center sharing resources for youth in our county. Review definitions, language and symbols; Current legal context for LGBTQ+ Californians; Discussions and usage of pronouns and language; Understanding privilege and minority stress; Discussion of best practices for diversity and inclusion. The meeting is open to the public. Zoom link.

April 13, Tuesday

Gendered Impact of COVID-19 on Women’s Careers | 2:30PM
Join Vice Chancellor of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Dr. Renetta Tull, Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Personnel, Dr. Colleen Clancy and Professor of Sociology, Dr. Diane Wolf as they discuss the gendered impact of COVID-19. A recently released report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) indicates that the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted women across academic STEMM fields. Our WIMHS program has been compiling peer-reviewed papers and popular press media on the gendered-impact of COVID-19 on women’s careers. WIMHS will be hosting a panel discussion to raise awareness of these findings and discuss potential solutions.  All are welcome and male allies are especially encouraged to attend and join the discussion: NASEM report findings on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic; Tips for preparing for merits and promotions; Resources for addressing childcare challenges. Register here.

Book Project: Panel with Author Ellen Forney - Mental Health Self-Care, Advocacy & Activism | 11:00AM
A panel with book project featured author Ellen Forney on mental health self-care, advocacy, and activism and her latest book, Rock Steady: Brilliant Advice From My Bipolar Life. Register here.

April 15, Thursday

Cultural Studies Colloquium: Lorena Oropeza | 4:00PM
Professor Oropeza will discuss her new book The King of Adobe: Reies López Tijerina, Lost Prophet of the Chicano Movement. This biography offers a fresh and unvarnished look at one of the most controversial, criticized, and misunderstood activists of the civil rights era. Most famous for leading an armed raid on the Rio Arriba courthouse in 1967, Reies López Tijerina demanded that Americans attend to an overlooked part of the country’s history: the United States was an aggressive empire that had conquered and colonized the Southwest and subsequently wrenched land away from border people—Mexicans and Native Americans alike. Register here.

April 22, Thursday

Manetti Shrem, Art Studio Visiting Artist Lecture Series, Arnold Joseph Kemp in Conversation with Sampada Aranke | 4:30PM
The materials employed in Arnold J. Kemp’s interdisciplinary practice absorb or reflect light while mirroring likeness, becoming haunted and ghostly metaphors for absented and obfuscated black bodies. Kemp will give a poetry reading, then discuss the relationship between language and the aesthetics presented in his paintings, photographs and sculpture with Manetti Shrem Museum scholar- in-residence Sampada Aranke. Kemp’s exhibition Arnold Joseph Kemp: I would survive. I could survive. I should survive, curated by Arnanke, is on view through April 25, 2021. Register here.

April 23-25 

UC Davis Global Learning Conference
Undergraduates, graduate students and alumni are invited to register and attend the second annual Global Learning Conference from April 23-25. This conference is FREE and ONLINE, with opportunities to network with like-minded students and professionals. Learn to articulate and market your global skills in your career search while advancing your personal and professional goals.  Connect with potential employers, showcase your experience in your resume and cover letter, hear from seasoned professionals in a variety of global fields, connect with peers, and explore resources and opportunities for your global future. Learn more here or Register Now!

April 28, Wednesday

Sexual Assault Awareness Month: Denim Day
In this international event held annually, people are asked to make a social statement by wearing jeans as a visible means of protest against the misconceptions that surround sexual violence. Post photos to social media, using the hashtag #ucdavisdenimday. Tag @ucdcare to be featured in the CARE compilation.

Sexual Assault Awareness Month: Sexual Citizens: A Landmark Study of Sex, Power and Assault on Campus | 5:00PM
A discussion with the authors, Jennifer S. Hirsch and Shamus Khan. Register here. Presented by the Love Lab and CARE.

May 6, Thursday

Graduate Anti-Racism Symposium | 9:00AM
Graduate Studies is pleased to announce the inaugural Graduate Anti-Racism Symposium at UC Davis. Co-sponsored by the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, the symposium seeks to highlight best practices in anti-racist approaches to graduate education, particularly in the wake of the death of George Floyd and the ensuring racial reckoning of 2020. Registration opens April 6. Learn more here.

RECOMMENDED READING

Publications documenting the impact of COVID on women’s careers
The Women in Medicine and Health Sciences group has been compiling a list of peer-reviewed papers and popular press media on the gendered impact of COVID-19 on women’s careers. Please see the list here. 

“Emerging Evidence Indicates COVID-19 Pandemic Has Negatively Impacted Women in Academic STEMM Fields, Endangering Progress Made in Recent Years,” National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, March 9, 2021.
Preliminary evidence indicates that the COVID 19 pandemic has negatively affected the well-being of women in academic STEMM fields in a range of areas, including productivity, work-life boundary control, networking and community building, and mental well-being, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Read the press release.

Caitlin Patler, University of California, Davis; Jackie Gonzalez, Immigrant Defense Advocates; and Hamid Yazdan Panah, Immigrant Defense Advocates, “Immigrant Detention and COVID-19: A Tragic Call to Action for Federal and State Officials, Policy Brief” Immigration Initiative at Harvard, February, 2021. 
In this issue brief, we review research on immigration detention, with a particular focus on conditions of confinement and the pains of imprisonment experienced by detained people in the United States. We then discuss federal and state actions to save lives and uphold human dignity in both the shorter-term timeline (of the pandemic) and the longer-term.  

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Reporting Concerns of Harassment and Discrimination
The Harassment & Discrimination Assistance and Prevention Program (HDAPP) supports the University's commitment to a harassment and discrimination-free work and learning environment for all members of the UC Davis, UC Davis Health, and University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (ANR). 

If you are interested in reporting concerns of Harassment and Discrimination, please contact HDAPP to file a report and/or speak with a representative to better understand your options. Learn more about HDAPP here or go to HDAPP's website for more information.

Counseling Services Mental Health Resources Webinar [requires Kerberos log-in] One of the things we hear frequently from instructors about teaching in Spring 2020 is the extent to which they encountered students in their courses experiencing significant stress or crisis, yet they felt unequipped to help or direct students to resources. To help, Student Health and Counseling Services provided a Mental Health Resources Webinar. If supporting students in crisis is a concern for you, please watch this previously-recorded webinar. Webinar topics include an overview of mental health services on campus, how to make referrals, signs of distress and how to respond, and how faculty can support students in the classroom (remote or on-campus). Student Affairs has also provided this folder of faculty resources.

UC Davis Office for Health Equity, Diversity and Inclusion COVID resources page In English and Spanish to reach our communities and we are actively updating with new resources.

Content Submission Form

Do you have a DEI-oriented event, announcement, or article that you would like us to help promote through our DEI communication channels? Did your unit/department or a member of your unit/department receive recognition that demonstrates your commitment to DEI? If so, please send us your information through this online form.

We invite you to share and submit your thoughts and items for our newsletter (either current or future news and events) at diversityinclusion@ucdavis.edu

Thank you for your dedication to diversity, equity and inclusion!

#ThinkBigDiversity
https://diversity.ucdavis.edu/