For Your Information | May 27, 2021

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Data Feminism Webinar: Data and information are power--but whose?

Data science has the potential to transform society, but it is also subjective and influenced by societal inequalities. Data feminism acknowledges that data and information are power, and challenges us to ask ourselves: Data for and by whom? And with whose interests in mind? Catherine D’Ignazio and Lauren Klein discussed these issues from their book, Data Feminism, at a recent webinar hosted by the UC Davis DataLab that engaged over 350 people from UC Davis and beyond. Watch the webinar recording and learn more about efforts to integrate DEI into data science.

Memorial Day Moment of Remembrance

Jim Marchetti US Navy, 1984-1992, Gulf War Veteran and Co-Chair of the UC Davis Health Veterans Employee Association Employee Resource Group writes, "Each year on Memorial Day a national moment of remembrance takes place at 3:00 p.m. local time. Whatever you do on Memorial Day, I want you to enjoy the weekend." Full post – Submit a blog post today

A Message from Vice Chancellor Tull

Dear Friends, 

This week, through a retrospective in Dateline, the campus remembered George Floyd on the anniversary of his death, and shared some of the things that we’ve done in the past year.  The article mentioned that the university strengthened its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Please take a few minutes to read the article and see some of the initiatives that were put in place by graduate studies, undergraduate education, and other areas. My quote in the article noted, “For many, trauma continues, but as a campus, we are going to continue to work hard — every single day — to put our principles into action. This is a must. As we remember George Floyd, who died so unnecessarily, we must also be purposeful in making sure that social justice is in place for all, to give the best of life to those who are here now, and to prepare the way for the generations to come.”

As we continue to prepare the way for generations, it’s a pleasure to offer congratulations to Alexandra Huynh, the 2021 National Youth Poet Laureate! If you remember the 2021 Presidential Inaguration, and brilliant poet Amanda Gorman, you may recall that Amanda was the 2017 winner.  Alexandra is connected to UC Davis through Sacramento Area Youth Speaks (SAYS), and you can read the UC Davis story here. Earlier this week, Alexandra shared her poetry as a special guest at the culminating event for the Graduate School of Management’s 21-Week Anti-Racism Challenge.  Kudos Alexandra! 

Speaking of student excellence, I also applaud upcoming graduates Deserea Langley (doctoral candidate) and Tori McConnell (undergraduate) on their leadership with the Chancellor’s Native American and Indigenous Advisory Committee (NAIAC). They are part of the Class of 2021, and we appreciate their leadership. 

Finally, as we think about ways to emerge from the pandemic, I am happy to share that CAMPOS Faculty Director, Professor Mariel Vazquez received a grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to look at the needs of faculty, and how COVID-19 has exacerbated a host of issues.  The title of the proposal is ENHANCE: Promoting advancement and retention of underrepresented STEM Faculty by enhancing research productivity and centering family support. The goal of the project is to advance faculty diversity in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) and help faculty in priority populations (e.g., persons of color, women) overcome barriers to advancement that the COVID-19 crisis has only magnified. Parts of the project that will not be paid by the grant, have investment and support from Academic Diversity, the deans of the colleges, the Office of Research, and the Office of the Provost. 

As we begin to close out the week, I congratulate our graduates who have already received their degrees, and those who will be receiving them in the coming weeks. Good luck to all on your upcoming final projects, and closeouts, and I hope that you are able to have an enjoyable Memorial Day weekend.

Warmest Regards,
Renetta

Applications for the brand-new UC Davis Redwood SEED (Supported Education to Elevate Diversity) Scholars Program are now open! Applications due June 4.

The UC Davis Redwood SEED (Supported Education to Elevate Diversity) Scholars Program, is a new program designed for students ages 18-23 who have intellectual disabilities. Through this four-year program, students will study on campus at UC Davis and enjoy support from peer mentors in academics and health and wellness. Redwood SEED Scholars will take part in internships both on and off campus with the goal of competitive, integrated employment. Learn more here.

Redwood SEED looking for faculty to teach First-Year Seminars

The brand-new, four-year, inclusive college program for students with intellectual disabilities begins this fall at UC Davis. Redwood SEED is looking to partner with interested faculty to build a new series of First-Year Seminars called “An Inside Look,” launching in Spring 2022. The seminars will be open to degree-seeking UC Davis students and the Redwood SEED Scholars. The seminar will focus on an industry (e.g., wine-making, Fortune 500 Company, large non-profit) and partner with that industry to give "an inside look" at the whole company. The goal is to offer a paid internship opportunity to one UC Davis student and one Redwood SEED Scholar at the end of the seminar, working to create more employment opportunities for all students. The Program will add an additional stipend to the usual stipend offered to any faculty who teaches An Inside Look course. For further information, please email Beth Foraker at ebforaker@ucdavis.edu

UPDATES & ANNOUNCEMENTS

Office of Academic Diversity | AVC Lorena Oropeza

Two UC Davis Professors Selected for the UC Women's Initiative for Professional Development

Rachel Jean-Baptiste (Associate Professor, History; Faculty Director, Institute for Diversity Development and Advancement; Team leader, FRIENDS) and Diane Beckles (Associate Professor, Plant Sciences; Associate Postharvest Biochemist) were selected as two of only eighteen members for the 2021/2022 cohort of the UC Women’s Initiative for Professional Development (UC WI). The UC WI is a unique, experiential, systemwide professional development program for mid-career woman-identified professionals that brings together participants from every UC location. Participants represent faculty, academic personnel and staff, people managers and non-people managers. The program is sponsored by the President’s office and the Systemwide Advisory Committee on the Status of Women (SACSW) and offered by Systemwide Human Resources in partnership with Coro Northern California and SACSW. Learn more here.

First Nations Rocket Team Launches a Rocket

CAMPOS Faculty Scholar James Letts, assistant professor, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, recently advised students from the First Nations Launch team at U.C. Davis as part of a competition sponsored by NASA and the Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium. The launch, which took place on May 15, was quite remarkable as it was done on behalf of the team from Queens University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada and conducted over Zoom due to pandemic travel restrictions. Please read about the competition and launch here.

Office of Campus Community Relations | AEVC Rahim Reed

Inspirational Leaders in Diversity, Community

And the Chancellor’s Achievement Awards Go To ... Chancellor Gary S. May presented his annual awards last week for achievement in diversity and community, honoring individuals and departments for notable contributions promoting “an environment that fosters a sense of inclusiveness and community for all.” Watch the video presentation.

Undergraduate Student Award
Emily Aguilar Gonzalez, UC Davis Early Academic Outreach Program

Graduate Student Award
Veronica Padilla Vreisman, Earth and Planetary Sciences

Postdoctoral Researcher Award
Victoria Ngo, Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing  

Staff Award
Kawami Evans, Student Housing and Dining Services

Academic Federation Award
Mary Louise Frampton, Aoki Center for Critical Race and Nation Studies

Academic Senate Award
Harry Cheng, UC Davis Center for Integrated Computing and STEM Education (C-STEM)

Community Member Award
Jose Bodipo-Memba, SMUD

Department Recognition Awards
Safety Services; MIND Institute; Mondavi Center

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

HEDI Selected to Participate in 2021 Institute on Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation Campus Centers

Under the leadership of Mercedes Piedra, the Office for Health Equity, Diversity and Inclusion was selected as one of seventy-eight higher education institutions by the Association of American Colleges and Universites (AAC&U) to participate in its 2021 Institute on Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation (TRHT) Campus Centers. TRHT Campus Centers pursue the shared goal of preparing the next generation of leaders and thinkers to break down racial hierarchies and to dismantle the belief in a hierarchy of human value. Each center implements its own visionary action plan, based on the TRHT framework, to promote racial healing through campus-community engagement. Please read more here.

MCAT Scholarship Opportunities

The Office of Student and Resident Diversity has two scholarship opportunities open for MCAT support:

MCAT Preparatory Scholarship | Deadline: June 7, 2021
In collaboration with the UC Postbaccalaureate Consortium and California State University Sacramento, the California Wellness Foundation will offer scholarships for a MCAT Preparatory Course. Applications to this course are available for current students and alumni within the California State University and University of California system. Included in this scholarship is the opportunity to be connected with the MiMentor community. Apply here.

CA Healthcare Workforce Pre-Medical Scholarship | Deadline: June 25, 2021
The CA Healthcare Workforce Pre-Medical Scholarship, sponsored by UC Davis School of Medicine, Office of Student and Resident Diversity, offers MCAT preparatory course and exam funding for learners interested in caring for underserved populations throughout California, particularly urban and rural areas. Both course completion and exam must be completed by September 30, 2021. Learn more.

EVENTS

May 27, Thursday

CAMPOS Research Colloquium - Lillian Cruz-Orengo | 3:10PM
“The Great Wall Under Siege! Role of IL-20 sub-family cytokines at the blood-brain barrier during neuroinflammation”Email Mariana Galindo-Vega for Zoom link.

May 28, Friday

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Team Research | 10:30AM
Join us for a virtual forum highlighting diversity, equity and inclusion in team research.  Campus experts will share the benefits of ensuring diversity in research and things that you should consider when assembling your team.  You will also learn about the UC Davis Diversity & Inclusion Strategic Vision and what you can do to implement it in your research program. Learn more and register here.

June 1, Tuesday

Lived Name and Gender Marker Implementation Committee Open Forum | 5:00PM
The campus Lived-Name Gender Marker Committee is hosting an open community forum to provide updates about the recent UC-wide policy regarding lived-name and gender marker. Learn more about our advocacy efforts in making UC Davis more Queer and Trans inclusive. This forum is also an opportunity for the Trans community to share their voice about current community needs. This forum will center the Trans community, for which we will provide gift cards to those in attendance who complete a short survey. Meeting ID: 917 1462 0864. For questions contact: dmroberts@ucdavis.edu.

June 11, Friday

¡Latin Excelencia 2021! 37th Annual Chicanx/Latinx Graduation Ceremony | 6:00PM
Join class of 2021 student speaker, Sergio Maravilla (B.S. Community and Regional Development, A.B. Anthropology) at this year’s celebration. Learn more here.

RECOMMENDED READING

Josephine M. Moreno, “Making Graduate Admissions Inclusive,” Inside Higher Ed, May 24, 2021.
Graduate Diversity Officer: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) & Education, Josephine Morenooutlines a number of steps and policy adjustments that graduate admissions should implement or continue post-pandemic to address inequitable access to higher education. Please read the article here.

Victoria Macchi, “Remembering the Tulsa Massacre,” National Archives News, www.archives.gov, May 3, 2021.
A century ago this month, the Greenwood District of Tulsa, OK, known as “Black Wall Street,” was ablaze. An incident in an elevator between a Black teenage boy and a White teenage girl triggered two days of violence against the Black community. When the smoke lifted, the destruction was massive: White residents had mobbed the neighborhood. Scores of the city’s Black residents were dead, and dozens of blocks—homes, businesses, livelihoods—were destroyed. Read more about the tragedy and view several primary sources held by the National Archives.

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/