[bioundgrd] Biology DEI Action Plan

[Alan D Grossman]

Dear members of the Biology Community,

Since the hiring of  Hallie Dowling-Huppert<https://biology.mit.edu/profile/hallie-dowling-huppert/>, our departmental Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Officer in June 2021, we have been working to create a strategic action plan for DEI initiatives in the department. Thanks to tremendous contributions from community members, I am pleased to share our current action plan. It can be found attached to this email and will soon be posted on our department website.

The purpose of this plan is to enable us to improve and build on our excellence in research, teaching, mentoring, and service – MIT's core missions. Maximizing excellence in these areas requires diversity, equity, and inclusion in all of our processes. In this document, we outline action items that support DEI efforts that will foster and further our core missions.

There has been significant work done in DEI by faculty, staff and students in our department that has helped to create a more inclusive and equitable department. We have especially seen tremendous successes in outreach with MSRP-Bio<https://biology.mit.edu/outreach/msrp/> and other educational opportunities, led largely by Mandana Sassanfar<https://biology.mit.edu/profile/mandana-sassanfar/>. This plan builds on existing successes and endeavors, and outlines new initiatives. It is not all-encompassing or finite but rather addresses themes and areas of focus. This is a 'living document' in that it will be revisited, revised and updated as needed. Our DEI efforts are in collaboration with many throughout the department, including the dedicated members of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council<https://biology.mit.edu/about/diversity/dei-council/> (DEIC), the Faculty Diversity Committee (FDC<https://biology.mit.edu/about/diversity/dei-council/>), the Biology Diversity Community<https://biology.mit.edu/about/diversity/biology-diversity-community/> (BDC), and our Undergraduate and Graduate Committees.

We welcome questions and feedback (halliedh at mit.edu<mailto:halliedh at mit.edu>; adg at mit.edu<mailto:adg at mit.edu>) and hope that our continued efforts as a community help create a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive culture in our department.

Best wishes,
Alan


Alan D. Grossman
Professor and Head
Department of Biology
Building 68-530
M.I.T.
Cambridge, MA   02139

adg at mit.edu<mailto:adg at mit.edu>
(617) 253-1515
Zoom: https://mit.zoom.us/my/alandgrossman

Please note: There is no need to respond to my emails outside of traditional work hours.






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