For Your Information | October 21, 2021

October 21, 2021 | Volume 3, Issue 4

Download a printable version of this week's newsletter

Call for Global Affairs Grants and Award Submissions

Our partners in Global Affairs recently sent out a call for several awards and grants including: Grants for Advancing Sustainable Development Goals that offers grants to promote multidisciplinary collaborations focused on one or more of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). They expect to fund up to four awards of up to $7,500 this year, including two awards for projects that focus on one or more of the 17 SDG Goals. One award will go to a proposal that is focused on ensuring equal opportunity and reducing inequalities of outcome, including by eliminating discriminatory laws, policies, and practices and promoting appropriate legislation, policies, and action in this regard, and one award for CAMPOS/CAMPSSAH scholars. Deadline: January 4.

Please visit the Global Affairs Award webpage for more information and opportunities.

A MESSAGE FROM VICE CHANCELLOR TULL

Dear Friends,  

 

I have been enjoying seeing so many of you in person, and am happy to see that you are safe and healthy. If you had a chance to read the Chancellor’s Newsletter on Friday, October 15, you saw that there was a section on “Advancing diversity, equity and inclusion.” Chancellor May shared the following in his recent remarks: 

We’ve also been busy with activities that move our mission forward. Earlier this week, we held our third annual strategic plan implementation retreat, this one focused on our goal to embrace diversity, practice inclusive excellence and strive for equity. UC Davis leadership along with students, faculty and staff spent a whole day discussing how to advance this goal. I’m pleased with our progress to date. Many people across both campuses are fully engaged with our efforts to embed diversity and inclusive excellence in everything we do.

I extend special thanks to all of the speakers who made presentations to share what they’re doing with respect to Goal 3 of “To Boldly Go,” and the 5 Goals of the D&I Strategic Vision. For more information on UC Davis’ Strategic Investments in DEI, see how schools, colleges, and units are investing funds, time, and efforts here (and print the PDF for reference.) 

PLEASE SAVE THESE DATES: November 19 and November 21, 2021! We’re excited that DEI is going to have a new logo! Please plan to join us for our new “Brand Launch” and “Fall Harvest Celebration” on Friday, November 19, at 3 PM in the Strat Comm Studio on the ground floor of Mrak Hall. We’ll have food, fun, and lots of give-aways with DEI’s new brand. We firmly believe that all of us represent DEI, and we’d like to offer some gifts from our office to say thank you for your support and partnership! This event is free! Please mark your calendars!

We also invite you to join us for a performance at the Mondavi Center on Sunday, November 21, 2021 at 2 PM for a matinee performance by PAMYUA(purchase reasonably priced tickets here, starting at $10 for students.) The performance is described as, “Inuit soul music. Tribal funk. However you describe it, a Pamyua performance is a joyful expression of Indigenous culture.” Pamyua is bringing “… Inuit music to the world. Their music showcases drumsongs from the Inuit cultures of Greenland and Alaska.” If you’ve been to my office, you’ll see a replica of a drum from Alaska on my shelf, given to me when I was in Anchorage, by students in the Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program, a sister program to our own Calfornia AMP program in the Undergraduate Research Center – URC (sponsored by NSF). I appreciated being invited to Alaska to learn more about Inuit culture, as that experience along with others has helped me to better appreciate the Patwin native lands on which UC Davis sits, and the Wintun homeland history. I briefly mention this in a recent interview about becoming an equitable campus, published by the College of Engineering. 

Next week, nearly 60 members of the UC Davis community will join our new HSI Director, Dr. Lina Mendez, at the annual conference for the Hispanic Association for Colleges and Universities (HACU). Keep an eye on her Twitter feed for updates, and the associated hastags that will be used during the conference to keep you informed. We also have students who will be attending the HACU ¡Adelante! Leadership Institute, and leaders who will attend the  HACU Tenth Annual Deans' Forum on Hispanic Higher Education. As we learn more, we will continue to do more. We appreciate your support as we grow!

Finally, I’d like to share a photo of some of the flags that I saw outside of the International Center on campus yesterday as I left a meeting. Three flags had the messages: “Expect social justice,” “Expect environmental justice,” and “Expect a just world.” This is part of our UC Davis message: “Expect Greater – From UC Davis, For the World.” We are in the business of higher education so that we can be of service, and therefore, we expect more of ourselves. Thank you for your generous spirit as we continue to work together to realize our shared vision!

Warmest Regards,
Renetta

Dominique Williams joins the History Project as New Ethnic Studies and History-Social Science Coordinator

Williams recently left the classroom having taught Ethnic Studies, history-social science, and women's leadership at C.K. McClatchy and Luther Burbank High Schools in Sacramento City Unified School District. She was instrumental in establishing ethnic studies as a graduation requirement across her district. She has been an active member of Ethnic Studies Now Sacramento, and a participant in Teachers for Social Justice, and SCUSD's Black Parallel School Board. Read the announcement and more about Williams here.

UC Davis to Host Mentoring Institute for Early Career Poverty Researchers

The UC Davis Center for Poverty and Inequality Research recently received a $353,421 federal grant to launch a program to help up-and-coming poverty scholars get their careers off to a strong start. The weeklong Early Career Mentoring Institute aims to nurture a diversity of scholars studying poverty and social mobility. Read more here. 

UPDATES & ANNOUNCEMENTS

Office of Academic Diversity | AVC Lorena Oropeza

Professors Materson and Decker Selected to Pilot Workplace Climate Action Group

The Office of Academic Diversity is pleased to announce that Associate Professors of History, Lisa G. Materson and Corrie Decker have been awarded $100,000 for their proposal “Culture Shift: Developing Meaningful and Proactive Workplace Climate Reviews.” “Culture Shift” is the result of the year-long study Materson, Decker, and more than thirty of their faculty colleagues participated in as part of “FRIENDS,” or “Faculty Retention and Inclusive Excellence Networks: Designing Solutions,” a University of California, Office of the President (UCOP) Advancing Faculty Diversity through Improved Climate and Retention Program (AFD) grant received by UC Davis in the fall of 2019. 

The urgent goal of the grant is the need to develop successful practices and standards for improving academic climate in many units and improve retention of faculty from historically underrepresented communities. Materson and Decker propose the creation of a faculty-led Workplace Climate Action Group (WCAG) designed to provide early, constructive, in-house intervention to struggling departments in order to engender a university culture that helps recruit and retain women and under-represented minorities among the faculty and students.

P.L.A.C.E. with CAMPSSAH Grant Opportunities

In our first year, we awarded more than $28,000 to 14 faculty and hosted two significant writing communities and we hope to provide even more in the way of community and awards this year. This week, P.L.A.C.E. with CAMPSSAH Principal Investigator announced additional grant opportunities including:

The 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 $5,000 each for two 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: January 7, 2022.

Additionally, CAMPSSAH has been awarded funds to increase the reach of its programming to faculty whose work aligns with its core mandate. Pre-tenure UC Davis faculty from social sciences, the arts, and humanities disciplines with a demonstrated interest in contributing to the CAMPSSAH mission, are encouraged to apply to the P.L.A.C.E. Faculty Affiliates program. Those selected will receive a one-time academic enrichment fund of $1,000. Faculty may nominate themselves or be nominated by a colleague. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until April 15th, 2022.

Previously announced awards include a two-quarter Writing Community, Scholar of the Quarter, and Post-Tenure Startup Award. 

Please visit our webpage for more details and award requirements.

Future Research Colloquia
Nov. 3 - Madeline Nieves-Cintron, Pharmacology
Nov. 17 - Rebecca R. Hernandez, Land, Air and Water Resources
Dec. 1 - Kristen George, Public Health Sciences

Office of Campus Community Relations | Interim AVC Mikael Villalobos

Chancellor’s Achievement Awards for Diversity and Community Call for Nominations

On behalf of the Office of Campus Community Relations, we are pleased to announce the annual call for nominations for the 2022 Chancellor’s Achievement Awards for Diversity and Community. The Chancellor’s Achievement Awards for Diversity and Community was established to honor achievements that contribute in substantial ways such as, recognizing the value and commitment of community service, advancement of a work and education environment that adds to diversity and encourages and sets the tone for inclusion, excellence in mentoring to recognize the value of quality mentoring relationships and the impact it has on professional development, institutional service by contributing to a set of standards for service through personal initiative and engaging others to do the same, and social justice–individuals who advocate tirelessly on behalf of those marginalized by society. You can learn more here.

Please click here to submit a nomination application. Self-nominations are not accepted. Please submit all nominations no later than Monday, November 1, 2021 by 11:59PM. For questions email occr@ucdavis.edu.

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

Sergio Aguilar-Gaxiola, Health Equity Leader, Receives Two National Awards for Reducing Latino Health Disparities

 

Sergio Aguilar-Gaxiola, director of the UC Davis Center for Reducing Health Disparities, is the recipient of two national awards for his contributions to science and behavioral health research. The National Hispanic Science Network (NHSN) recently honored Aguilar-Gaxiola with the 2021 National Award of Excellence in Research by a Senior Investigator. The award is presented to a researcher who  has made “consistent contributions to the field of drug abuse that are culturally innovative, demonstrate some of the unique aspects of drug abuse among Hispanics, and/or have impacted the larger field of drug abuse research,” among other criteria.

In addition, Aguilar-Gaxiola last month received the 2021 Lifetime Award for the Advancement of Latino Behavioral Health from the National Latino Behavioral Health Association (NLBHA). Aguilar-Gaxiola received the award during the NLBHA’s annual conference, a virtual event at which he was a keynote speaker. The NLBHA is an organization that promotes a unified national voice for Latino populations in the behavioral health arena and raises awareness of the disparities that exist in areas of access, utilization, practice-based research and adequately trained personnel. 

LGBT history month, from the Chancellor's Committee on LGBTQIA+ Communities

In honor of LGBT History month and National Coming out day (October 11th) the Chancellor's Committee on LGBTQIA+ Communities reflects on the history of the committee featuring Q&A with Mark Grote. Full post

EVENTS

Please take a look at our fall 2021 Anti-Racism Syllabus for relevant events. 
The webpage will be updated as we receive event information.
Have an event we can include? Please email the details to Tom O’Donnell.

October 21, Thursday

Staff/Faculty Womxn of Color Support Group | 12:00pm
This group was brought together in 2019 by Dr. Gill and Cecily to support womxn of color employed at UC Davis. The intention is to offer a safe and encouraging space to support healing, growth and development in the personal and professional lives of womxn of color. Hosts: Dr. Satinder Gill, Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Academic and Staff Assistance Program Cecily Nelson-Alford, Director, Women’s Resources and Research Center. Consent for participation is necessary, please contact drgill@ucdavis.edu for more information. The groups meets bi-weekly year round on Thursday (next meeting 11/4).

October 22, Friday

Culturally Relevant Science Communication Workshop | 12:00pm
Join us for our Workshop on Culturally Relevant Science Communication with scientist and award-winning science communicator Dr. Mónica Feliú-Mójer. This workshop will be centered on teaching what culturally relevant science communication is, communicating science to a broader audience, and sharing useful tools and examples for culturally relevant science communication. The workshop will finish with a Q & A session. The Zoom information for this event will be sent two days before the event to the email used for registration. This workshop is part of "Estamos Aqui", a series of events sponsored by the UC VOICE Initiative and the UC Davis College of Biological Sciences celebrating Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month. Register here.

Staff/Faculty Womxn of Color Support Group | 12:00pm
This group was brought together in 2019 by Dr. Gill and Cecily to support womxn of color employed at UC Davis. The intention is to offer a safe and encouraging space to support healing, growth and development in the personal and professional lives of womxn of color. Hosts: Dr. Satinder Gill, Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Academic and Staff Assistance Program Cecily Nelson-Alford, Director, Women’s Resources and Research Center. Consent for participation is necessary, please contact drgill@ucdavis.edu for more information. The groups meets bi-weekly year round on Thursday (next meeting 10/21).

October 30, Saturday

Taller Arte del Nuevo Amanecer’s Annual Día de Muertos Celebration | 3:00pm
Our Annual Día de Muertos Celebration returns in-person on Saturday, October 30 from 4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. at Taller Arte del Nuevo Amanecer. You’re invited to celebrate in community with live performances, altars, family activities, mask making, and much more! Blessing & Performance by Kalpulli Tlayolotl • Music by "Son De Dos Mundos" & Grupo “Raices” • Local Partner Organization & Community Member Made Altars • Live Printing / Free Commemorative 2021 Dia de Muertos Print • Paper Mask & Marigold Flower Making, Calavera Paper Coloring. Symptom Survey & Face coverings required for this event.

November 1, Monday

Brian Soucek, “Academic Freedom: Dangers and Distractions” - UC Davis Forums on the Public University and the Social Good | 3:00pm
A constitutional law scholar and outgoing chair of the University of California’s systemwide faculty committee on academic freedom, Professor Soucek will argue that some of the most widely discussed current threats to academic freedom—from mandated diversity statements to “cancel culture”—are not especially threatening, at least compared to other dangers that go almost unrecognized and unaddressed even at universities where academic freedom protections are especially robust. As Soucek will explain, confusion about the nature of academic freedom doesn’t just distract us from dangers we face; it is one of those dangers.

This event will be held both in person and online. Register for the in person event at Eventbrite. Register for the online webinar at Zoom

November 3, Wednesday

CAMPOS Research Colloquium: Madeline Nieves-Cintron, “Secondhand smoke exposure impairs ion channel function and contractility of mesenteric arteries” | 3:10pm
Exposure to cigarette smoke (CS) is a major cause of cardiovascular complications, including stroke and coronary and peripheral artery diseases. Importantly, even passive exposure to CS aerosols (i.e., secondhand smoke, SHS) significantly elevates lifelong cardiovascular risk. Despite widespread national and local media campaigns, SHS continues to be a prevalent indoor pollutant. Recent population studies suggest a positive association between secondhand smoke exposure and high blood pressure (i.e., hypertension). However, the mechanisms linking SHS to hypertension are poorly understood. Our study may contribute to clarify this knowledge gap. We found a mechanism whereby exposure to secondhand smoke alters ion-channel function and contractility of small resistance mesenteric arteries. Because mesenteric arteries contribute to blood pressure regulation, changes in mesenteric arterial myocyte electrophysiology and contractility could represent a mechanism for hypertesion as well as a contributing factor for other vascular complications in people exposed to SHS. Mrak 203 or Zoom. Please email Mariana Galindo-Vega to RSVP or receive Zoom link. There will be limited in person attendance.

November 8, Monday

Academic and Staff Assistance Program’s Grief Support Group | 12:00pm
Have you lost a loved one over the last 2 years? Would you like to receive support from a group formed by individuals who have experienced a similar loss? Come join a group guided by ASAP clinicians, where you can receive and provide comfort, and support to other members. You can learn more about grief and loss in a safe, non-discriminatory and non-judgmental environment. The holiday season is approaching fast and it can often be a difficult time, especially during a “year of firsts” (first birthday, anniversary, holidays, etc.) without your loved one. Ideal participants are able to attend remotely from a confidential place, are willing to share and participate, can commit to attending all 8 sessions, and attend with an open, non-judgmental mindset, with the ability to have their video on for the whole 45 minutes. Register in advance. Future dates include: November 15, 22, and 29, December 6, 13, and 20, January 10. 

November 10-23

UC Davis Humanities Institute and Human Rights Studies Program - Human Rights Film Festival
The UC Davis Humanities Institute and Human Rights Studies Program inaugurated the UC Davis Human Rights Film Festival in fall 2017, in partnership with Human Rights Watch (HRW). The multi-day online festival showcases a selection of HRW films with Q&A sessions with filmmakers and scholars. Human Rights Watch currently screens its Human Rights Film Festival in over 20 cities around the world, including Amsterdam, London, New York, and Sydney. The selected films bear powerful and moving witness to human rights issues both locally and globally and will inspire our community with the knowledge and commitments that can make a difference. View the films and discussion schedule.

November 16, Tuesday

Academic and Staff Assistance Program’s Holiday Support Group for LGBTQIA+ Community | 12:00pm
Come join ASAP clinicians in a group exclusively offered for people identifying as part of the LGBTQIA+ community and receive support on how to manage the possible difficulty the coming holidays may bring up for you. For many individuals identifying as part of the LGBTQIA+ community holidays, are a time of loneliness, sadness and stress. Come help support one another in a non-judgmental, nondiscriminatory environment and receive support and a space to share and learn how to take care of yourself during this time. Ideal participants are able to attend remotely from a confidential place, are willing to share and participate, can commit to attending all 6 sessions, and attend with an open, non-judgmental mindset, with the ability to have their video on for the whole 45 minutes. Register in advance. Future dates include: November 23 and 30, December 7, 14, and 21. 

RECOMMENDED READING

LGBTQIA+ Virtual Book Display
Explore a virtual book display of e-books and multimedia highlighting a spectrum of  queer and trans stories. Curated annually by the UC Davis Library, in partnership with several LGBTQ+ groups from across campus, in honor of LGBTQ+ History Month and Coming Out Day on October 11. View the virtual exhibit.

Robert Irwin, “The Biden administration’s waning credibility on humanitarian migration policy,” Inkstick Media, September 27, 2021.
A feature article by the Global Migration Center’s Deputy Director on the unethical treatment of Haitians at the Texas border. Read the article.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

The Aggie Info and Help Line
The Aggie Info and Help Line housed within the Aggie Compass Basic Needs Center, responds to questions by students arising from COVID-related return-to-campus concerns. The info line relies on trained student staff from the Aggie Public Health Ambassador Program to address non-crisis questions and provide referrals. Staff will provide answers using information available to the public on official campus webpages including the Campus Ready site, Student Housing and Dining Services and Office of the Registrar. Learn more at their website.

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.

11 Suggested Actions toward Anti-Racism in the Office and on Your Own
Written by the UC Davis Office of the Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and based on the Office of Health Equity, Diversity and Inclusion’s Anti-Racism and DEI Action Plan, the “Being an Ally Requires being Anti-Racist: 11 Suggested Actions toward Anti-Racism in the Office and on Your Own” provides practical suggestions for everyone. 

Aggie Compass Basic Needs Center
The mission of Aggie Compass is to help mitigate the effects of food and housing insecurity on students, while working to change policy, systems and environment that will affect long term change. The Aggie Compass is a comfortable space for students to build community and learn about basic needs resources, pick up fresh fruits and vegetables, receive CalFresh enrollment assistance and help finding stable housing.

If you need help with food or housing insecurity concerns, financial or mental wellness, please visit their 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.

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/