For Your Information | June 11, 2020

Volume 1, Issue 7

by Thomas O'Donnell
June 11, 2020

Quick Summary

Uc Davis Receives A Uc-Hispanic Serving Institutions Doctoral Diversity Initiative Grant
2020 Soaring To New Heights Diversity And Principles Of Community Achievement Award Recipients
Student-Run Clinic Continues Offering Care During The Pandemic

Download a PDF version of this newsletter

Dear Friends,

I am writing this on Weds. June 10, 2020, the day that is part of the #ShutDownSTEM campaign to pause and encourage people to learn more about racial injustices so that they can stand firm in their commitments to be anti-racist. I’m trained in engineering and science, so this campaign resonated with me. Several people joined that campaign, and I thank you for sharing what you were doing. Thanks to the thousands of you who virtually joined Chancellor Gary May, Director Kayton Carter, and me for the Moment of Silence as we came to campus to honor the lives of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Stephon Clark, Tony McDade, and – unfortunately - so many others. We mourn for lost lives, and reaffirm that Black Lives Matter. Thank you to all who joined in the peaceful march in Sacramento co-sponsored by the NAACP last Saturday, and thanks to our OHEDI unit at UC Davis Health for continuing the work of being an “Anchor Institution,” and for noting that racism is a determinant of health. We gave out masks and water and affirmed that everyone has a right to life and breath, and we know that many are still marching, and will continue to march for justice.

Thank you for utilizing our webpage, “Resources for Racial Trauma,” for the Ally Statements, but most importantly for your next steps. There have already been several meetings this week to do the work of reading and learning, developing action strategies, and implementing plans that will make units and departments more equitable. I encourage you to do that good work, so that the changes will challenge and address systemic issues, and so that the solutions that you put into place will last.

If you follow me on Twitter, you saw that last week was extremely difficult, and that working for equity and justice, in the midst of mourning, was not easy. Quite frankly, it was awful. However, as I mentioned in my tweet, I am dedicated to this work, and with your help, we will make strides!

There were many guidance documents and letters written to assist with not compounding stress for the end of the quarter. I give special thanks to some of the faculty and administrators who contributed information although they are not signatories: Prof. Kimberly Nettles-Barcelon, Prof. Dawn Y. Sumner, Assoc. Vice Chancellor Raquel Aldana, Prof. Mariel Vázquez, Prof. Rebecca M. Calisi Rodríguez, and Vice Provost Michael Rios. I also thank our DEI teams in both Davis and Sacramento (at UC Davis Health) for their dedicated work, in the face of the ways that they have been experiencing the impacts of current events.

Congratulations to all graduates and best wishes to the Class of 2020! As we celebrate graduations in this issue, I also say thank you to a few people who are transitioning from DEI this month. Diversity and Inclusion Trainer Katherine (Kat) Parpana, has accepted a full-time career opportunity with the State Department's Franchise Tax Board as a consultant in their education and training unit. Many of you have met Kat in her instructor role within your diversity training sessions. Congratulations Kat! Associate Vice Chancellor Raquel Aldana, is returning to the faculty as a Professor of Law. She has been an invaluable thought partner and a tremendous colleague. Congratulations Raquel! And finally, Executive Assistant Linda Mijangos is retiring after more than 30 years of service at UC Davis. Linda welcomed me into my role last July 2019, after serving UC Davis in many units such as OCCR, and IT. Thank you for your dedication and love for the work Linda! Congratulations on your retirement! We wish you joy and happiness in the days to come!

Our own UC Davis Strategic Plan says that we are “To Boldly Go,” and Goal 3 clearly reminds all of us that we are to embrace diversity, practice inclusive excellence, and strive for equity. We can do more than “strive,” we can make this happen! The work of equity and justice is not limited to the DEI office, and it is unjust to burden people from demographics that are underrepresented, marginalized, and heavily impacted with the bulk of the responsibility of fixing long-standing issues. Continue to be bold, even as you do your own work related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. You are not alone! You are empowered to do good work. There are no other words to say, other than … “Let’s Go!”

Kind Regards,

Renetta G. Tull
Vice Chancellor

Racial Trauma Resources

A culmination of many stressors, including ongoing racism leading to the disproportionate loss of lives of people of color across America, has left our community traumatized and seeking answers. At UC Davis, we affirm our support for Black lives, acknowledge racism and connect with a shared commitment to address it. The office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion has created a website with resources to support our community as we continue to find ways to build and strengthen our diverse culture at UC Davis.

LEARN MORE

Do you have a good DEI story you’d like to share with the community? We would welcome guest authors to publish news and stories on our website and feature in our bi-weekly newsletter. Please contact Tom O’Donnell for more information.

UPDATES & ANNOUNCEMENTS

Office of Academic Diversity | AVC Raquel Aldana

A STATEMENT OF SOLIDARITY WITH BLACK FACULTY

Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Diversity Raquel Aldana, along with Associate Vice Chancellor of Health Equity, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Hendry Ton, CAMPOS Faculty Director Mariel Vazquez, CAMPSSAH Faculty Director Kimberly Nettles-Barcelón, and Vice Provost of Public Scholarship and Engagement Michael Rios published a statement of solidarity with Black faculty that accuses the “persistent and endemic racialized realities” for the “vulnerability of African American people” in the United States. We ask that you read it, along with the numerous other statements of allyship from around campus here.

UC DAVIS RECEIVES A UC-HISPANIC SERVING INSTITUIONS DOCTORAL DIVERSITY INITIATIVE GRANT

Under the leadership of Karen McDonald (Principal Investigator) and Denneal Jamison-McClung (Co-Investigator), UC Davis has been award a competitive grant to enhance faculty diversity and pathways to the professoriate for underrepresented students from California Hispanic Serving Institutions. The goal of “Advancing Diversity by Educating the Professors of Tomorrow” (ADEPT) is to develop, implement and evaluate an innovative training model to diversify the professoriate in STEM disciplines related to biotechnology. Read more about ADEPT and other HSI-oriented grants on campus.

Office of Campus Community Relations | AEVC Rahim Reed

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT COURSES

Microaggressions - Towards Greater Awareness and Understanding: As cultural takes shape, we are products of our socialization. Our socialization includes conditioning in how we understand differences and our identities and how those identities are understood and experienced at the individual and structural levels. Using the work of Derald Wing Sue, this session explores the phenomenon of microaggressions in everyday life by increasing awareness of common occurrences; understanding its impact on those who experience them; and exploring strategies on how to mitigate and respond to them.

Understanding Unconscious Bias - Awareness, Knowledge and Competency Development: Bias is having a preference for one thing over another. Also, biases come into play in our impressions and judgment of people, especially those whose identities and experiences are different from our own. This session will explore how we make snap judgments about people by understanding our socialization that informs our biases. Participants will be introduced to theory and language in understanding implicit and explicit bias. Using personal reflection, experiential exercises and case studies, participants will gain greater awareness when they engage in bias and gain essential knowledge and skills (tools) in how they recognize and mitigate biases in both personal and professional domains.

Sessions for these trainings will be offered to the campus community, in addition to being offered as part of departmental requests, please refer to our website.

2020 SOARING TO NEW HEIGHTS DIVERSITY AND PRINCIPLES OF COMMUNITY ACHIEVEMENT AWARD RECIPIENTS

Due to COVID-19, we regrettably had to cancel our Soaring to New Heights event for this year. While we were not able to celebrate in person, we would like to acknowledge the recipients of our 2020 Soaring to New Heights Diversity and Principles of Community Awards. We thank them for their commitment in exemplifying our Principles of Community and creating a more inclusive campus for all. You can read the entire announcement here.

Individual Award: Leota Wilson
Faculty Citation: Kyaw Tha Paw U
Deana Falge Award: Alissa Magorian
Eleanor Fontes-Fulton Award: Fredna Karneges and Lisa Brodkey
Department/Unit/Team Award: School of Law, Admissions and Financial Aid Office

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

VIRTUAL GRADUATION CONFERS 114 DOCTOR OF MEDICINE DEGREES

The first UC Davis School of Medicine class to graduate during a global pandemic opened its commencement ceremony Friday with the traditional sound of bagpipes – then transitioned to the technology of our so-called new normal. The ceremony originated in the largest lecture hall of Betty Irene Moore Hall in Sacramento, where the stage party was based, and was watched by more than 1,000 around the world. Keynote speaker Jann Murray-García, health sciences clinical professor at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing, implored graduates to stay connected and never lose sight of the vast health inequities that permeate society. Student speaker Tyler Carcamo, a soon-to-be surgery resident at UC Davis, expressed gratitude for the village of friends and family who raised him in Belize and Bakersfield, and encouraged graduates to thank their own villages for supporting them through medical school. Please read the full story here.

STUDENT-RUN CLINIC CONTINUES OFFERING CARE DURING THE PANDEMIC

The COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped health care throughout the region, including at student-run clinics. Some are temporarily closed or providing only essential services while the stay-at-home order is in effect. A few, like Clínica Tepati, are using telehealth to maintain, and even expand, access to care. “Ironically, the move to telehealth visits has allowed us to offer care seven days a week rather than just once a week for in-person visits,” said clinic director and physician Brenden Tu. All 12 student-run clinics offer free health care in convenient locations. Clínica, typically open Saturdays in midtown Sacramento, primarily serves Latino communities. The care team is known for their unity, which helped them quickly transition to electronic-based care. You can read the article describing the amazing work of UCD Health medical students here.

Global Aggies: Lessons from a Virtual Sustainable Development Goals Internship
Committed to fueling awareness and implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) across the university, UC Davis Global Affairs created an SDG Internship so that students could more directly advance these goals by harnessing larger campus involvement toward their achievement. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this internship is currently taking place 100% remotely.

The inaugural SDG Interns are Christal Juarez, a fourth-year anthropology major in the College of Letters and Science, and Jeanett Lor, a fourth-year human development major in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. Through the SDG framework, which provides concrete steps to achieve sustainable development across the planet’s economic, social and environmental dimensions, these interns are working with a shared global ethos and connecting with people throughout the world who are also dedicated to their fulfillment. Read more about Global Aggies here.

EVENTS

Friday, June 12

GRADUATION CELEBRATIONS
The Office of the Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion congratulates the Class of 2020! Let’s go…

Online Undergraduate Celebration
Congratulations, Class of 2020! Social distancing may have postponed the official commencement ceremony, but nothing can take your achievement away. To help share the occasion with friends and family, we’ve planned an online celebration. The festivities begin Friday, June 12! Visit the undergraduate commencement webpage.

Native American and Native American Studies Graduation Celebration
The Native American Retention Initiative aims to provide the kind of graduation celebration that recognizes the key role family and community have played in the success of our students. While we are planning nothing extravagant, we are hopeful our graduation event will resonate with the values of our Native communities and provide a framework for dissemination of information about who we are and what we do to promote diversity and ensure the success of our students. Friday, June 12, starting at 6:00PM

Virtual 36th Annual Chicanx and Latinx Graduation Celebration
Due to the unprecedented times we currently live in and the safety and health of our community, the June celebration will take place virtually on Friday, June 12, starting at 6:00PM. The live celebration will also be available on Facebook Live El Centro and we encourage you to engage via our social media by using the following hashtag #UCDChiLatGrad2020.

A Celebration of Black Excellence at UC Davis and Statewide
Although the in-person graduation ceremony for Black UC Davis students has been cancelled, the Center for African Diaspora Student Success (Office of Student Affairs), in collaboration with the African Continuum, the African and African American Alumni Association, Cross Cultural Center, and the Women’s Resources and Research Center have come together to create a Black Graduation Packet for our graduates of the African diaspora. The packets consist of a traditional Black Graduation Certificate of acknowledgement, a Kente stole, a Black Graduation decorative mason jar, a decorative Black Graduation notebook, alumni pins, and graduation tassels. Additionally, all those receiving the graduation packet have also been invited to participate in co-constructing the 2020 Black Graduation Yearbook which will allow for the graduates to create their own personal acknowledgments.

Lastly, the UC Davis Black Graduates, along with 23 other Black student centers within various California schools (public, private, large, and small), have come together to throw a virtual California State-Wide Black Graduation. The graduation will be held on June 19th, via zoom and they are anticipating roughly 2,300 Black students to attend. The flyer for that graduation is attached.

UC Davis LGBTQIA Resource Center Presents Lavender Graduation
Join us in honoring our LGBTQIA+ graduates. Our virtual ceremony will include keynote speakers, dedications, grad shoutouts, awards, and joyous community building. Connect with Crystal at cdknight@ucdavis.edu or Monae at dmroberts@ucdavis.edu for questions and accommodations.

Tuesday, June 16

Connecting with the World: UC Davis Global Conversations Series: COVID-19’s Impact on Global Agricultural Supply Chains and the Challenges Ahead
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted agricultural supply chains within the United States and worldwide. A panel of experts from academia, industry and the non-profit sector will discuss how the pandemic has disrupted global supply chains in the near-term. Looking ahead, they will offer an assessment of COVID 19’s long-run impact on global agricultural trade and how we can prepare for similar crises in the future. Learn more and register here.

June 18 - July 16

The Future of International Education: Leadership Perspectives from Around the World
The Institute of International Education (IIE) and the University of California, Davis, present The Future of International Education: Leadership Perspectives from Around the World, a five-part series of leadership conversations about the future of the university and of international education, including the role internationalization has in advancing university missions.

Online events bring together senior leaders in academia for critical global and regional discussions on the consequences of COVID-19 and what they mean for global engagement and the future of both international education and higher education, in 2020 and beyond. For more information and to register visit the Global Affairs website.

The Future of International Education: Leadership Perspectives with a Global Focus: Thursday, June 18, 8-9 a.m. PDT (3-4 p.m. UTC)
The Future of International Education: Leadership Perspectives from Africa: Thursday, June 25, 9-10 a.m. PDT (4-5 p.m. UTC)
The Future of International Education: Leadership Perspectives from Asia and Oceania: Thursday, July 2, 6-7 p.m. PDT (July 3, 1-2 a.m. UTC)
The Future of International Education: Leadership Perspectives from Europe: Thursday, July 9, 8-9 a.m. PDT (3-4 p.m. UTC)
The Future of International Education: Leadership Perspectives from Latin America: Thursday, July 16, 9-10 a.m. PDT (4-5 p.m. UTC)

COVID-19 VIRTUAL SCIENCE FAIR
Get ready for the COVID-19 Virtual STEM Fair! It's an online science fair designed to counteract the lack of academic activities during the global pandemic. Click here to learn more about project requirements. Participants are encouraged to further their knowledge in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) through project-based learning. Any student that resides within Sacramento County and is in grades 6 - 12 can enter.

October 9-10

2020 Improving OUTcomes Conference To bring together health care and allied service providers throughout the Sacramento region to improve health outcomes for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning (LGBTQ+) people and their families. LEARN MORE

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

LGBTQIA Resource Center Provides an open, safe, inclusive space and community. The LGBTQIA Resource Center promotes education as well as space for self-exploration about all sexes, genders and sexualities and their intersections with other identities.

UC Davis School of Medicine Gender and Sexual Diversity student interest group Supports lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning (LGBTQ+) students, residents, fellows and patients.

UC Davis School of Medicine Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender (LGBT) Group Activities include networking, holding quarterly potlucks, developing programs, enhancing institutional climate of inclusion, equity and opportunity, working with AAMC and other medical schools to advance LGBT in medicine and science nationally

UC Davis Health PRIDE Serves LGBTQ+ faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends of UC Davis Health and in the Sacramento area with education, awareness and support

Asian Pacific American Systemwide Alliance Promotes the general welfare and interests of the Asian Pacific American faculty, staff and students at UC Davis

Asian American Association (AAA) at UC Davis A student-run, non-profit organization that serves to unify the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities on campus

Pandemic EBT (P-EBT)
Families that have school-aged children who qualify for free or reduced lunch (and aren’t receiving CalFresh/Food Stamps currently), are eligible to apply for a new federally funded, Pandemic EBT program. In response to CA school closures, families with children eligible for free or reduced-price meals at school will soon receive a pre-loaded EBT card in the mail for every eligible child. This EBT card is separate from the traditional EBT card. Families that are currently active on CalFresh will automatically be mailed a card beginning in May 2020. For non-CalFresh households, an application is required before June 30, 2020. The online application will launch in late May. Please refer to this website for up-to-date information.

The UC Davis Office for Health Equity, Diversity and Inclusion developed a COVID resources page on our website in English and Spanish to reach our communities and we are actively updating with new resources

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, and thank you for all that you do!

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