Work-to-Date

1. Conducted a climate survey of the Chemistry department; summarized & presented results to faculty

2. Met with the Vice President of Equity & Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer Dr. Judith Brown Clarke to discuss future collaborations; we have had subsequent meetings to gain her help bringing in a high profile speaker for an SBU-wide event

3. Work closely with the Seminar Committee to prepare seminars with diverse speakers willing to share their personal experiences in the academic/corporate world via student-only chat sessions; committee has the opportunity to meet with incoming speakers who have been active in DEI work to discuss & gain advice

4. Connected with the Center for Inclusive Education (CIE) to bring more knowledge about this topic to our department; we have had meetings to discuss how to structure our committee & future collaborations on invited speakers and offering trainings to the department

5. Changed our structure to include students, staff, & faculty at every level; working on becoming a a permanent committee in the department that can be counted towards tenure/service for faculty

6. Created diversity statement for the Chemistry department website

7. Hosted a social event with other graduate student organizations (GSO, GSEU, GWiSE, GCS) to provide community to students

8. Hosted a young professional chemist for her to discuss her career path & challenges with students

9. Sent a survey to students to determine which faculty or staff members in the department are most trusted/easiest for students to talk to; later goal is to ask these people to be listed as resources for students

10. Wrote a Presidential Mini-Grant proposal to create a mentorship program in the Chemistry department to better support and prepare underrepresented minority women for gainful employment in STEM fields post-graduation. We were awarded this funding and are currently executing the mentorship program for 2021-2022 academic year.

Long Term Goals

1. Get committee structure & membership finalized

2. Collaborate with other DEI committees across campus, with alumni, CIE etc.

3. Procure and/or collaborate on grants to advance DEI

4. Host annual events in the Chemistry department to create new traditions highlighting diversity in STEM

5. Affect faculty hiring AND student recruitment

6. Support all PhDs throughout their careers at SBU (funding, finding jobs etc.)