For Your Information | January 21, 2021

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Dear Friends, 

Our last edition was two weeks ago, January 7, the day after the “Insurrection at the Capitol.” Today is a new day, 1/21/21 - the day after the Inauguration at the Capitol – and today, we move forward with a new hope!

As we welcome a new administration, the work of DEI is included in some of President Biden’s Executive Orders and Presidential Actions. Here are a few of them that are directly connected to our work: 

• Executive Order On Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government
• Preserving and Fortifying Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)
• Proclamation on Ending Discriminatory Bans on Entry to The United States
• Executive Order on Preventing and Combating Discrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity or Sexual Orientation

And yes, history has been made as we acknowledge Madam Vice President, Kamala Harris in her new role! Like MVP Harris, I am also a graduate of Howard University, one of the nation’s tremendous Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). I have several family members and friends who either went to Howard and/or who are members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority (AKA), and there is indeed jubilation combined with great reverence for strong women who paved the way in the past so that we could celebrate this moment in history. For my part, I celebrated by wearing a shirt with Harriet Tubman’s image to my meetings today, and posted the photo here. 

As we remember the events from yesterday, I must mention Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman, who in her poem said, “For while we have our eyes on the future, history has its eyes on us ... The new dawn blooms as we free it. For there is ALWAYS light, if only we're brave enough to see it, if only we're brave enough to be it." Gorman’s extraordinary words cause us to think, lead us to reflect, and yes, through poetry, there is inspiration to act! Youth Poet Laureate Gorman is from California, and her eloquent rendition and thought-provoking prose reminded me of the fabulous poets in our own program here at UC Davis. Patrice Hill, the Director of the UC Davis Sacramento Area Youth Speaks (SAYS) program, notes that poetry and spoken word can “break generational curses.” Director Hill brought the Youth Poet Laureate (YPL) Program to SAYS in 2016 in partnership with Urban Word NYC (the home organization of the National YPL program). Director Hill’s notes, 

“ … we have crowned four Sacramento Poet Laureates (all four women of color) and have had multi-year funding from the Sacramento Office of Arts and Culture for the last three years to support the Youth Poet Laureate program.”

There is additional good news, and I am pleased to share it in this newsletter. Director Hill shared, 

“ … one of our current YPLs, Alexandra Huynh, a student (now graduated) from Mira Loma High in the San Juan Unified School District, will advance as a finalist in the National Youth Poet Laureate competition (the same program and title that Amanda Gorman held) and is now the YPL Ambassador for the Western Region.”

We all agree that is fantastic news for Alexandra, and for the SAYS program. Patrice Hill and Denisha Bland lead SAYS at Davis, which is housed in Undergraduate Admissions, and partners with DEI and the School of Education. Congratulations to SAYS and to Alexandra! 

Our hope for a better future must also be coupled with work. As 2020 closed our DEI staff did some brainstorming and shared their ideas for additional hashtags to describe our continuing work. They are:

#DEIForward #DoDiversityDifferently #DiversityWorks #ThinkBigDiversity. Please continue to join us online! Thank you for your work and for being brave enough to see and be the light!

Warm Regards,
Renetta

International Holocaust Remembrance Day | January 27, 2021

The United Nations General Assembly designated January 27—the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau—as International Holocaust Remembrance Day. On this annual day of commemoration, the UN urges every member state to honor the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust and millions of other victims of Nazism and to develop educational programs to help prevent future genocides. Learn more at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.

The Free People of Color Lecture Series

This series is hosted by the Aoki Center at King Hall and the UC Davis Department of History to explore the rights of people of color in the United States following the Civil War and inquire how that history continues to shape our thinking today. The Series will bring leading scholars from around the country to answer such questions as: What does freedom mean in the absence of chattel slavery? Which rights adhere to all free people, and which rights functioned more as privileges belonging to a narrow few? How did the establishment of birthright national citizenship transform the legal rights both of citizens and of so-called aliens? Learn more here.

Apply for the 2021 Healthy UC Davis Project Grant

Healthy UC Davis is requesting intent for proposals for projects that will support our organizational mandate of making UC Davis the healthiest community in the nation. They are looking for project leads/teams with proposals that promote health and well-being, which can include promotion of Physical Activity, Nutrition, Mental and Emotional Well-being and Smoke and Tobacco Free. Healthy UC Davis will provide the funding and some minimal support for study design and project assistance. In the 2021 grant cycle, special consideration will be given to projects aiming to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion at UC Davis in a substantial and meaningful way. The maximum amount of discretionary allocations Healthy UC Davis can recommend for the 2021-2022 fiscal year is $85,000. The application deadline is February 26, 2021 at 5PM. More information about the 2021 Healthy UC Davis Project Grant.

“Picture a Scientist” Film Viewing and Panel Discussion

Please join the Office for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in partnership with the Women in Medicine and Health Sciences(WIMHS) and Isabel P. Montañez and Dawn Sumner, Professors in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences for an opportunity to view the 2020 Tribeca film selection “Picture a Scientist” about the groundswell of researchers who are writing a new chapter for women scientists. We will publish a link to view the film online for 72 hours starting on Saturday, January 23 and then host a round table featuring UC Davis faculty to discuss the film on Monday, January 25 from 4:30 - 5:30pm. Register here.

UPDATES & ANNOUNCEMENTS

Office of Campus Community Relations | AEVC Rahim Reed

Campus Community Book Project

The UC Davis Campus Community Book Project (CCBP) invites you to join us for our author lecture March 1, 2021, 4:00 - 5:30pm. Ellen Forney is an author, artist, teacher, and mental health coach. Her work includes The New York Times bestselling graphic memoir Marbles: Mania, Depression, Michelangelo, & Me, the story of her diagnosis and struggle with bipolar disorder. Learn more about the event and register here.

Did you miss a CCBP event this fall? Below is a list of event recordings and materials, which also can be found on the CCBP Resources page:

• Hendry Ton, "Mental Health and the Power of Resilience" (October 9, 2020) – Presented as a part of NAMI Yolo County Mental Illness Awareness Week
• Sergio Aguilar-Gaxiola, "El impacto de COVID-19 en la salud mental de los Latinos" (October 12, 2020)
• Sergio Aguilar-Gaxiola, "The Impact of COVID-19 on Latino Mental Health" (October 13, 2020)
• Presentation materials: Alison Ward, "Understanding Your Stress and Ways to Manage It" (October 20, 2020)
• Peter Yellowlees, "Coping with COVID" (October 27, 2020) – Presented in partnership with School of Medicine Alumni Week
• Karma Waltonen, "The Adventures of Comic Book Readers vs. Genre Snobs" (November 9, 2020)
• Amy Barnhorst, "Bipolar Disorder: A Medical, Cultural, and Historical Perspective" (November 17, 2020)
• Amishi Jha, "Strengthening our Effectiveness and Well-being with Mindfulness Meditation" (registration required to view/download video) – Hosted by the Cal Aggie Alumni Association (December 3, 2020)

We also are pleased to release our Mental Health Bibliography, which includes non-fiction, memoir, and fiction titles on this year’s theme. Enormous thanks to Matt Conner, UC Davis Librarian, for curating this bibliography. 

In its nineteenth year, the Campus Community Book Project focuses on the theme of mental health and features graphic memoir Marbles: Mania, Depression, Michelangelo and Me by Ellen Forney. Visit the CCBP Events page and subscribe to our online calendar for up-to-date event information and registration links. We also invite you to follow the book project on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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

Jann Murray-García Receives C.A. Covell Award, City of Davis Top Citizen Award

Jann Murray-García is a founding member and associate clinical professor at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis, Director for Social Justice and Immersive Learning, Office for Health Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at UC Davis Health, and co-founder of Cultural Humility. Murray-García’s contributions to the city of Davis are many – and they’re being recognized. Addressing racial disparities in achievement and discipline in a high-performing school district. Facilitating the introduction of curricula from new historical perspectives as an alternative to traditional U.S. History. Inspiring a community to embrace social justice, including in its community-police relations. The C.A. Covell Award was first awarded in 1944 to C.A. Covell, a longtime mayor of Davis, for whom the award is named. Criteria for selection includes leadership in civic activities; unselfish service to the community; reliability in following through on commitments; and involvement in a variety of activities. Please read the full article here.

Ruth Shim Becomes School of Medicine Associate Dean for Diverse and Inclusive Education

We are pleased to announce that Ruth Shim, MD, MPH has accepted the position of Associate Dean for Diverse and Inclusive Education in the School of Medicine with an anticipated start date of February 1, 2021. As the UC Davis School of Medicine’s Luke & Grace Kim Professor in Cultural Psychiatry, director of cultural psychiatry and professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Dr. Shim brings to her new role a wealth of expertise and leadership in addressing core issues of importance including social justice in medicine, racism and mental health equity and social determinants of mental health. She is also a dedicated and active mentor to UC Davis School of Medicine students, and shares our deep commitment to advancing a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion in all aspects of education, science and health care. Please read the full article here.

Office of Academic Diversity | Interim AVC Lorena Oropeza

Award and Grant Opportunities from P.L.A.C.E. with CAMPSSAH

The Center for the Advancement of Multicultural Perspectives on Social Science, Arts, and Humanities (CAMPSSAH) is pleased to announce four new opportunities as part of the P.L.A.C.E. with CAMPSSAH Advancing Faculty Diversity (AFD) grant:

1. SCHOLAR OF THE QUARTER (WINTER) 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. Application deadline: February 1, 2021.
2. MANUSCRIPT WORKSHOP will aid selected faculty in getting a project from rough draft to published manuscript by providing financial resources to secure critical feedback. P.L.A.C.E. will offer up to $2,500 each for four UC Davis faculty to allow the recipients to convene a one- to two-day workshop that brings together chosen experts in the scholar’s field to help prepare a manuscript for submission to a publisher. Application deadline: February 8, 2021.
3. POST-TENURE START-UP AWARD will offer two newly-tenured faculty a “start-up” package of $4,000 as an Academic Enrichment Fund to assist them in the development of a new project or allow them to refocus their energies in ways more attuned with their desired career path within the university. Application deadline: February 15, 2021.
4. SUMMER WRITING RETREAT will host a small group (4-6 faculty) to engage in a week-long writing retreat. This writing retreat in the early summer is geared toward faculty working to complete a big task (e.g. writing an introduction, a book proposal, or a chapter in a book project) who would benefit from uninterrupted, concentrated writing time, and structured feedback. Application deadline: April 15, 2021. 

Please visit our webpage for more details and application requirements.

CAMPOS Research Colloquium - Fernanda S. Valdovinos, “Understanding the Dynamics of Complex Food Webs to Inform Fisheries Sustainability”

We are facing a fisheries crisis worldwide, with fish stocks and marine ecosystems collapsing due to human over-exploitation. Understanding the interconnectedness among species in harvested ecosystems and the dynamic responses of ecosystems to fishing is critical for informing managing practices to attain fisheries’ sustainability. Two of our recent publications evaluate such interconnectedness among dozens of species in harvested ecosystems using network analysis, mathematical models and computational tools. First, we investigate the combined effects of artisanal fisheries and climate change on an intertidal food web of the Central Coast of Chile. We show that climate change has a stronger effect on the food web than artisanal fisheries. Second, we incorporate economic rules governing fish extraction based on fish price and yield to evaluate how economic dynamics affect food webs and cause species extinctions. Our work exemplifies the importance of studying the effects of fisheries on the entire food web, instead of only focusing on the target species, and of introducing humans as dynamic components into food web models to answer questions of fisheries sustainability. For Zoom link, email Mariana Galindo-Vega.

EVENTS

January 22, Friday

COVID-19 Vaccine Community Forum | 12:00PM
Join the African American Faculty and Staff Association for an information session with Dr. David Cooke, Associate Professor and Head of the Section of General Thoracic Surgery, discussing the COVID-19 vaccine and the African American Community. Dr. Cooke was part of the clinical trial for the vaccine and is a leader in the vaccine efforts at UC Davis Health. Log on to Zoom here. 

January 23 - 25

“Picture a Scientist” Film Viewing and Panel Discussion
Please join the Office for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in partnership with the Women in Medicine and Health Sciences (WIMHS) and Isabel P. Montañez and Dawn Sumner, Professors in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences for an opportunity to view the 2020 Tribeca film selection “Picture a Scientist” about the groundswell of researchers who are writing a new chapter for women scientists. We will publish a link to view the film online for 72 hours starting on Saturday, January 23 and then host a round table featuring UC Davis faculty to discuss the film on Monday, January 25 from 4:30 - 6:00pm. Register here.

January 26, Tuesday

Free People of Color Seminar Series - Masur, “The Rights of the Citizens of Massachusetts”: African American Sailors in Southern Ports in the 1830s” | 12:00PM
This chapter explores how and why residents of Massachusetts mobilized to protect the freedom of Black sailors who were imprisoned in southern port cities. Along the way, it examines how antebellum Americans understood citizenship under the Constitution’s privileges and immunities clause (Article IV, section 2). Register here.

Book Project: Stigma and Mental Illness: The Final Frontier for Human Rights | 6:30PM
A talk by Stephen Hinshaw, Professor of Psychology, UC Berkeley & Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Vice-Chair for Child and Adolescent Psychology, UC San Francisco. Register here.

January 27, Wednesday

International Holocaust Remembrance Day
The United Nations General Assembly designated January 27—the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau—as International Holocaust Remembrance Day. On this annual day of commemoration, the UN urges every member state to honor the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust and millions of other victims of Nazism and to develop educational programs to help prevent future genocides. Learn more at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.

January 28, Thursday

Enhancing Student Wellness Community of Practice Concluding Event | 3:00PM
The Student Affairs and Undergraduate Education Community of Practice includes over 50 campus leaders – staff, students and faculty – representing a comprehensive array of student-support programs. They have worked together for over a year to determine and prioritize strategic investments or practices that can improve student outcomes and eliminate gaps in the four-year graduation rates that currently exist by race/ethnicity, parent education and family income. The seven teams that comprise the Community of Practice will present their findings and recommendations to the Chancellor, Provost and a broad cross section of university leadership. Zoom registration.

February 2, Tuesday

Free People of Color Seminar Series - Lew-Williams, "Mary Chinaman: Trafficking, Runaways, and the Law in the American West" | 12:00PM
This work-in-progress considers the experience of female Chinese runaways in the 19th-century U.S. West. By focusing on their fugitive movements—what they wished to escape, how they fled, and where they sought refuge—the chapter examines the multiple and intertwining forces that conditioned Chinese women's lives. Register here.

February 10, Wednesday

UC Davis Library, Renate Chancellor, "Libraries, Leadership and Social Justice: Lessons from E.J. Josey" | 1:00PM
Librarian, educator and activist E.J. Josey stands out within the broader social and political landscape of civil rights for his courage and leadership in desegregating the library profession. As president of the American Library Association (ALA) from 1984 to 1985, he successfully drafted a resolution preventing state library associations from discriminating against librarians of color — an act considered by many to have desegregated the ALA. During this online talk, Dr. Renate Chancellor will seek to answer the following questions: How did Josey transform the modern profession? What lessons can we take from his leadership and apply today? Register here.

February 11, Thursday

College of Engineering Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Panel | 9:00AM
Join Cindy Rubio Gonzalez, Faculty Assistant to the Dean for Diversity and Inclusion, and other panelists to learn about the College of Engineering's efforts in diversity, equity and inclusion. Following the panel discussion, panelists will answer questions. Please submit questions related to college-wide DEI efforts by Thursday, Feb. 4 using the form below. Questions may also be submitted anonymously here. Register here.

February 12, Friday

Foundations of an Anti-racist Pedagogy | 12:10PM
Racial inequities persist on campuses, in curricula, and in classrooms. In this faculty workshop, participants will explore how to take action towards building an anti-racist curriculum and anti-racist pedagogical and assessment practices -- proactively and responsively -- . We will also discuss actionable steps towards building an anti-racist presence, along cognitive, social, and teaching dimensions. Register here.

March 1, Monday

Campus Community Book Project Author Lecture | 4:00PM
Ellen Forney is an author, artist, teacher, and mental health coach. Her work includes The New York Times bestselling graphic memoir Marbles: Mania, Depression, Michelangelo, & Me, the story of her diagnosis and struggle with bipolar disorder and this year's selection for the UC Davis Campus Community Book Project. Register here.

RECOMMENDED READING

David E. Hayes-Bautista, Giselle D. Hernandez, Paul Hsu, Center for the Study of Latino Health and Culture, “The First Year of Latino COVID-19 Deaths: Why Should Anyone Care?” December 2020.
During its first year, the coronavirus has ravaged Latino families and communities in California and other states far more seriously than it has non-Latino populations. Anyone who is interested in restoring the United States Gross Domestic Product’s (GDP) growth rate to healthy levels should care deeply about the threat that COVID-19 poses to the fastest-growing segment of the nation’s economy: the U.S. Latino Gross Domestic Product. Read the press release; read the full report.

Hannah Wiley and Kim Bojórquez, “California’s vaccine plan will prioritize Blacks and Latinos, among others. Here’s why.” Sacramento Bee, November 19, 2020.
Sergio Aguilar-Gaxiola of the Center for Reducing Health Disparities is quoted in a Sacramento Bee story that explores whether Blacks and Latinos should be on the priority list for a COVID-19 vaccine. Read the article.

Vanessa Romo, “Judge Orders Trump Administration To Restore DACA As It Existed Under Obama,” NPR.org, December 4, 2020. 
A federal judge has reversed the Trump administration's latest round of rules placing further limits on the Obama-era program that shields undocumented immigrants who came to the country as children from deportation. Read the article.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

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 Servicesprovided 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.

Aggie Compass Basic Needs Center We are a student community space where you can find fresh fruits and vegetables during Fruit & Veggie Up!, get CalFresh enrollment assistance and find resources to help you find stable housing and financial assistance. 

Keep Teaching Instructional Resilience at UC Davis supports UC Davis faculty during a time of COVID-19-related illness, quarantine, or campus closure. This site provides concise, practical resources and strategies for moving part or all of a course online to help you keep teaching.  

Food Resources for UC Davis Students and Community Members Food is one of the most basic and important human needs, yet an increasing number of college students are going hungry as food insecurity gets worse. Food insecurity can not only lead to poor health, but it can also have detrimental effects on a student's academic, professional, and social life. Food insecurity can be brought on by various factors, including limited food access and financial difficulties. Here in Davis, there is a variety of fresh and health foods in grocery stores, restaurants, and farmer’s markets.

Campus Ready With the anticipation that our on-campus community will increase gradually over the next several months, we are introducing a robust COVID-19 plan to ensure that UC Davis is “campus ready” for you. What does campus ready mean? It means phases of return to campus. New policies, guidelines and protocols to minimize exposure. And a campus wide approach that follows prevention best practices including wearing face coverings, physical distancing, frequent sanitization and symptom monitoring.

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/