For Your Information | April 7, 2022

Volume 3, Issue 15

by Thomas O'Donnell
April 07, 2022

Quick Summary

New Directors for Asian Pacific Islander Retention Initiatives and Chicanx/Latinx Retention Initiative
Historians Bring Women’s Stories to National Parks of the Pacific, West
Congratulations to Megan Macklin and Eric Sanchez
Mari Knuth-Bouracee, New Director for Clinical Services Culture, Climate and Community Engagement

April 7, 2022 | Volume 3, Issue 15

Download a printable version of this week's newsletter

Worldwide business school organization recognizes GSM’s commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion

The Graduate School of Management at the University of California, Davis, is among 24 business schools recognized by a worldwide business school organization. The Association for the Advancement of Collegiate Schools of Business International (AACSB), through its annual program, Innovations That Inspire, recognizes institutions from around the world that serve as champions of change in the business education landscape. In 2022, the program highlights efforts by 24 business schools to elevate diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. Read the article.

Antiracist at All Levels: Author Seeks to Empower

Cody Kitaura, a journalist with U.C. Davis wrote an article highlighting the recent visit of author and historian Ibram X. Kendi as one of the culminating events of this year’s Campus Community Book Project. sat down with Chancellor May on Thursday, March 31 to discuss his book and the work of anti-racism. Please read the article here. View the photo gallery here.

A MESSAGE FROM VICE CHANCELLOR TULL

Dear Friends,

Welcome to Spring Quarter! This is my first Spring Quarter on campus, so if you are new, or arrived on campus during the height of the pandemic, I’m joining you with the new discovery of the campus during this period!

Thank you to all who came to Dr. Ibram Kendi’s talk and participated in associated events on “How to be an Antiracist” and to Dr. Heather McGhee’s Mondavi lecture on “The Sum of Us” – noting that we should seek to expand opportunities and resources for mutual support and collaboration to combat racism and bias, rather than see the equation as “zero sum,” where some groups are supported in lieu of others. We agree with that model! Kudos to Megan Macklin, DEI/OCCR Associate Director for Campus Climate and Inclusion Initiatives, and the Campus Community Book Project team for their dedicated work to bring Dr. Kendi and his book to the campus for several events inspiring discussion, deep thought, and action!

Kendi talking with student at book talk event

In this newsletter, I take time to welcome Laura Cerruti to a new role within DEI. Previously serving as Principal Analyst, Laura is now the inaugural “Chief Impact Officer for DEI” at UC Davis. Laura shares that, “Throughout my career at the University of California, I have been fortunate to work with many smart, caring, and fascinating people, managing challenging projects and working on initiatives of strategic importance. I arrived at UC Davis in 2014 to support the committee tasked with writing a strategic plan for diversity and inclusion, then subsequently supported a committee to envision what it means for UC Davis to be a Hispanic-Serving Institution.”

Laura is the key writer behind the UC Davis DEI Impact Reports, the most recent of which can be accessed from the eScholarship website. Our DEI team has had the good fortune of having Laura as a colleague, and we are thrilled to welcome her to this new role at the university! (Photo: Laura Cerutti, Photogragher Credit: José Luis Villegas.) Congratulations are also extended to Megan Macklin (Associate Director – DEI/OCCR Campus Climate and Inclusion initiatives is a new role), and Eric Sanchez, who now serves as Associate Director of the DEI/OCCR Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Education Program! You can read more about their appointments below.

Our team members work incredibly hard to serve the campus, and we thank them for sharing their expertise with UC Davis, as we are all enriched by their great work! Please mark your calendars for Thursday, April 28, 2022, as DEI co-sponsors Las Cafeteras (East LA Afro-Mexican beats, rhythms, and rhymes) at the Mondavi. You’ll hear Son Jarocho instruments and the group notes: “Las Cafeteras utilizan música como vehículo para construir puentes entre diferentes culturas y comunidades, y crean 'un mundo donde caben muchos mundos'” Get your tickets; we’re looking forward to a great time! 

Warm Regards,

Renetta Tull

Kat Parpana Appointed Director for the Asian Pacific Islander Retention Initiatives

Former DEI Educator Kat Parpana started her new role on Monday March 14. Kat is an Aggie Alumni and has previously worked on campus as an academic advisor in both the College of Letters and Science and College of Agriculture and Environmental Science. She most recently worked as a diversity trainer in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Her experience as both an academic advisor, work in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and her connection and work with the Asian and Pacific Islander community will bring an amazing opportunity for the A&PI initiative. Learn more about Director Parpana.

Rodrigo Bonilla Appointed Director for the Chicanx/Latinx Retention Initiative and Center for Chicanx/Latinx Academic Student Success

Rodrigo previously served as both the Interim Associate Director for CLASS and Student Affairs Officer for Gender, Sexuality & Women’s Studies and the American Studies Departments. Rodrigo began his new role as Director March 21. Rodrigo is a first generation college graduate who attended Washington State University, where he received his BS in Agricultural Science and Economics and BA in Spanish as well as his MS from UCD in International Agricultural Development. Rodrigo’s extensive experience with academic advising and student facing academic success programs allows him the opportunity to grow the initiative and center to retain and graduate the Chicanx/Latinx community.

UPDATES & ANNOUNCEMENTS

Office of Academic Diversity | AVC Lorena Oropeza

UC Davis Historians Bring Women’s Stories to National Parks of the Pacific, West

Two U.C. Davis historians, Lisa G. Materson and Ellen Hartigan-O’Connor, received funding from the National Park Service to lead an effort to address the educational gap in U.S. women’s history and role in the nation’s national parks. With the assistance of history graduate students Faith Bennett, Emma Chapman, Ellie Kaplan and Charlotte Hansen Terry, the project consists of three elements, accessible online through NPS websites: An article written by the UC Davis historians, “Women, Gendered Power and Empire in the North American West and the Pacific,” which begins with an anecdote of how the World War II “Rosie the Riveter” archetype left out women of color. Sixty-nine short biographies of women, representing the 64 sites in the region that includes Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Idaho, Arizona, Montana, Hawaii, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa. A set of three story maps that provide a visual timeline linking women’s lives to key themes in the natural and cultural history of national parks. Please read the full article describing the project.

P.L.A.C.E. with CAMPSSAH Summer Writing Symposium - Application deadline: April 15, 2022

P.L.A.C.E. will host a small group (5-6 faculty) to engage in a weeklong, structured and facilitated writing symposium that will take place in summer 2022. This opportunity 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) and who would benefit from uninterrupted, concentrated writing time, and structured feedback by peers and a professional writing instructor within a setting where their meals and lodging are provided. Please visit our webpage for more details and award requirements.

Office of Campus Community Relations | Interim AVC Mikael Villalobos

Congratulations to Megan Macklin and Eric Sanchez

We would like to congratulate Megan Macklin and Eric Sanchez for emerging as the top candidates for the Associate Director of Campus Climate and Inclusion initiatives and Associate Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Education Program, respectively. Both are proud Aggie alumni; both got their start as Student Affairs practitioners supporting access for and enriching the experience of students from historically marginalized and under-served communities; and together, they have 26 years of professional experience as UC Davis staff.

Megan holds bachelor’s degrees in Comparative Literature and Human Development from UC Davis. She started her professional journey at UC Davis as a student outreach assistant with the Early Academic Outreach Program (EAOP). After three years with Educational Talent Search (ETS-TRIO) as an outreach officer, Megan pursued graduate studies at the University of Chicago, earning a Master’s degree in Comparative Literature. In the last six years, Megan has served as a Program Manager, successfully coordinating and managing the Campus Community Book Project, Police Accountability Board, and other projects in support of OCCR and ODEI’s mission.

In the last four years, Eric has served as DEI Educator and Specialist, serving as the lead trainer and the face of our DEI education core. He has been instrumental in the launch of our anti-bullying training program and DEI EVERFI module for new UC Davis students. As lead trainer, Eric oversaw the expansion of our diversity education core to the virtual platform in response to the pandemic. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Chicano/a Studies and a Master’s in Education with an emphasis in higher education leadership from CSU Sacramento.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Education Program Upcoming Learning and Development Classes

Avoiding Bias in the Hiring Process
Conducting Culturally Inclusive Trainings
Implementing the Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Vision
Intercultural Recruitment and Selection
LGBTQ+ Inclusion in the Workplace

For more information and details on the programs offered, visit the Diversity & Inclusion Education Program page

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

Mari Knuth-Bouracee, New Director for Clinical Services Culture, Climate and Community Engagement

Knuth-Bouracee (she/her pronouns) is joining the Office for Health Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (OHEDI) team starting April 25, 2022. As Director, Knuth-Bouracee will lead, manage and oversee implementation of services and programs that support diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts in the UC Davis Medical Center (UCDMC) and Ambulatory Care Clinical Service areas. In her role as Director for Clinical Services Culture, Climate and Community Engagement at UC Davis Health, Knuth-Bouracee will be primarily responsible for the design, development and implementation of DEI strategies and DEI-related programs that specifically support and enhance staff engagement, community building and professional development in the Medical Center and Ambulatory Care Clinical Service areas. This work will be done in close partnership and collaboration with leaders and stakeholders across UC Davis Health and directly with Human Resources, Medical Center and Ambulatory Care Administration and the OHEDI teams, and support the development and integration of Medical Center and Ambulatory staff and management with staff affinity groups, advisory councils and their activities in alignment with our goals to recruit, promote and retain talent and promote inclusive excellence at UC Davis Health.

Aafreen Mahmood, “Celebrating our Campus Community – Ramadan”

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, in which the first verses of the Holy Qur’an were revealed. In this month, over 1 billion Muslims worldwide abstain from food and drink from dawn to sunset, immersing themselves in acts of worship, supplication, and charity. In addition to rejuvenating the spiritual state of a Muslim, Ramadan also serves a communal purpose. Pre-COVID 19, mosques around the world were packed with Muslims breaking their fast together and engaging in nightly congregational prayers on a daily basis. Every Muslim’s experience with Ramadan is different – and yet in so many ways, it is somehow still the same. For myself and the millions of first-generation Muslim Americans, Ramadan has become an opportunity for us to embrace our identity, cherish sacred faith traditions, and continue the legacy of our ancestors. Read Mahmood’s story.

EVENTS

April 7, Thursday

Aoki Center and Office of the Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion HSI Speaker Series Presents Enrique Sepulveda III | 12:00pm
“Chicanx Education Activists: A Story of Mexican Farmworker Children Ascending to Institutional Liberal Power in a Northern California City.” Enrique Sepúlveda is an Assistant Professor of Chicanx/Latinx Studies in the Department of Ethnic Studies at University of Colorado-Boulder. He is an anthropologist of education who has centered his research in Latinx communities and schools heavily impacted by global migration in northern California, San Salvador, El Salvador and Madrid, Spain. His research examines how Latinx peoples, youth and their families negotiate from the bottom-up global migration, citizenship, belonging and complex identity formation processes in the context of severe inequality and socio-structural constraints. He is the son of Mexican migrant workers from the Texas/Mexican border and in his early career worked as a bilingual teacher and school principal in Woodland, CA. Register here.

April 9, Saturday

Native American & Indigenous Gathering | 5:00-9:00pm
Please join us for our first outdoor event of Spring quarter! Bring your community and picnic blankets as we enjoy performances from: Richie Ledreagle, Thundering Moccasins, Comedian Jackie Keliiaa, Twice as Good. All are welcome to attend our free concert on the Quad!

April 12, Tuesday

The Community Integration of Intellectual Disability: UC Davis Brings Post-Secondary Education to California | 4:00pm
This talk represents a collaboration of the UC Davis Library and the Redwood SEED Scholars Program on the topic of intellectual disability in the context of social justice. Matthew Conner, Student Services Librarian, will summarize research from his recently published book on the state of education for those with intellectual disabilities. Topics include the lack of educational options after high school, innovative means to address this gap, including the recent movement of Post-Secondary Education, as well as new findings by the library’s DataLab on how this movement lags significantly on the West Coast compared to the rest of the country. Elizabeth Foraker, Co-Director, Redwood SEED Scholars Program, will present on her program, which is the first of its kind in the UC system and one of the very few in the entire state. She will discuss the program’s founding, the design of its curriculum, and plans for the future at UC Davis and the system as a whole. Shields Library Instruction Room (second floor)

April 13, Wednesday

Heal the Healer | 12:00pm
A weekly lunch hour self-care and mindfulness session for community members supporting refugees. Facilitators: Iffat Hussain MSW-LCSW is a Program Director at the Turning Point Mental Health Urgent Care which is an innovative service in Sacramento County. Dr. PC How is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at UC Davis where she serves as the Associate Medical Director of the Sacramento County Mental Health Treatment Center and the Associate Program Director for the psychiatry residency program. Khoban Kochai serves as the Assistant Director for Anchor Institution and Culture/Climate. Registration will only allow you to choose one date but once you have the Zoom link, you are welcome to attend as many sessions as you like. Register here.

CAMPOS Research Colloquium - Lillian Cruz-Orengo, “You Speak with An Accent…Linguistic Profiling in Academia” | 3:10pm
Linguistic profiling is defined by John Baugh as the auditory equivalent of visual racial profiling. It can have devastating consequences for those who are perceived to speak with an undesirable accent or dialect. It is time we talked about linguistic bias and the impact it has on higher education. Also, to consider its significance within a MSI and our efforts towards diversifying the pipeline to academia. Online only, email csokolewicz@ucdavis.edu for Zoom link.

April 14, Thursday

Staff/Faculty Womxn of Color Support Group | 6:00pm
This group was brought together in 2019 by Dr. Satinder Gill and Cecily Nelson-Alford 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 4/28).

Guilty Until Proven Innocent: Wrongful Convictions and Other Injustices of Mass Incarceration | 6:00pm
Join the Underground Scholars Initiative for a screening of Netflix's The Innocence Files and discussion about guilt and innocence in the criminal legal system. Comments will be provided by a formerly incarcerated doctoral student, pre-law and law student leaders, and a criminal defense attorney. There will also be pizza, time for meeting others, and a drawing for gift cards, swag, and other prizes! The Underground Scholars Initiative is cohosting the event in collaboration with La Raza Pre-Law Student Association, the Latinx Law Student Association, and Students Against Mass Incarceration. Stop by to meet members of our groups and others with similar interests and find out how to get involved in the fight against mass incarceration and legal discrimination of all kinds. In person (1001 King Hall, UC Davis Law School) and livestream. Learn more and register.

April 19, Tuesday

Staff Listening Session – Aggie Black Excellence: Addressing Anti-Blackness | 12:00pm
The African American Faculty & Staff Association (AAFSA), Staff Assembly, Staff Diversity Administrative Advisory Committee (SDAAC), and Institute for Diversity, Equity and Advancement (IDEA) invite you to join us on for a staff listening session. During this virtual session we would like to hear from staff regarding the following: Existing practices and innovations that have helped you or your peers excel professionally. Ways in which anti-blackness has impeded the ability of you and/or your peers to advance in your career(s). Research or actions you think should be implemented or enhanced to support the recruitment, retention and advancement of black staff at UC Davis. Learn more about Aggie Black Excellence at idea.ucdavis.edu/aggieblackexcellence. Register here.

April 20, Wednesday

April 27, Wednesday

April 28, Thursday

Zoila S. Mendoza Book Talk, Qoyllur Rit'i: Crónica de una Peregrinación Cusqueña | 4:00pm
Professor of Native American Studies Zoila S. Mendoza’s third book was published January 2021 in Peru by La Siniestra Editors. With the title Qoyllur Rit'i: Crónica de una Peregrinación Cusqueña (Qoyllur Riti: Chronicle of a Cuzco Pilgrimage), this bilingual book, in Quechua and Spanish, is the result of her work with members of the community/district of Pomacanchi, Cuzco, from 2006 to 2013. Having accompanied them on three pilgrimages (2006, 2008, 2010), she spent time in the area documenting this practice and reflecting with them on its importance and the drastic changes unfolding during that period. This pilgrimage is the largest in Peru and the highest of the world with the sanctuary located at 16,000 feet above sea level. Pilgrims participate with incessant music along their travels and they perform their dances at the site. Come listen to her discuss her research. Everson Hall, Room 266.

Las Cafeteras | 7:30pm
Remixing roots music and telling modern day stories, Las Cafeteras create a vibrant musical fusion with a unique East LA sound and a positive message. Their Afro-Mexican beats, rhythms, and rhymes deliver inspiring lyrics that document stories of a community seeking love and justice in the concrete jungle of Los Angeles. Using traditional Son Jarocho instruments like the  jarana, requinto, quijada (donkey jawbone) and tarima (a wooden platform), Las Cafeteras sing in English, Spanish, and Spanglish and add a remix of sounds, from rock to hip-hop to rancheras. Las Cafeteras use music as a vehicle to build bridges among different cultures and communities, and create “a world where many worlds fit.” Learn more and purchase tickets here.

May 12-13, Thursday-Friday

SAVE the DATE - Graduate Anti-Racism Symposium, “Let’s Talk about Racism in the Classroom”
Graduate Studies, in partnership with the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion invite you to save the date for the second annual Graduate Anti-Racism Symposium. We invite graduate students and postdoctoral scholars from all departments to join us for an in-person workshop about dealing with racism in the classroom. The workshop will provide a platform to candidly converse about experiencing, dealing, and managing racism in the classroom whether it is directed towards instructors, TAs, undergraduate students of color, or members of marginalized groups. The goal is to work in community and provide tangible tools for teaching under hostile circumstances.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Resources for Trans and Non-Binary Employees
UC Davis is committed to supporting trans and non-binary employees in the workplace. Resources for employees; resources for supervisors; policies and laws; health benefits; reporting options; community and individual support. Find the resources here.

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.

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.

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/