Science and Social Justice 

Offices of Graduate & Postdoctoral Affairs and Diversity & Inclusion

Mentors

Tobias Spears, Director of Diversity Initiatives, Biological Sciences Division
Tina Roman, PhD, Program Manager, Office of Diversity and Inclusion

Background

The Science and Social Justice extern works under the direction of both the Office of Graduate Affairs and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion to help foster a STEM agenda that prioritizes diversity, equity, and inclusion within the basic sciences. Using data, benchmarking, and other promising practices the person in this internship will devise programs on implicit bias and bystander intervention, conduct research, and partner on presentations all with a focus on advancing social justice as a core tenet of the sciences.

Externship Description

The extern will perform research to evaluate the landscape of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programming adopted by basic science departments at peer institutions. More specifically, the extern will focus her research on programs related to raising awareness of implicit bias and bystander intervention strategies aimed at faculty, staff and trainees in the basic sciences.

Armed with this research and her own perspective as a scientist, the extern will then help to develop implicit bias and bystander intervention training modules for basic science faculty, trainees, and staff within the BSD. She will adapt extant materials to more specifically engage and motivate a scientific audience, and she will provide practical tools to help scientists engage in DEI work. This work will be presented to the BSD Diversity Committee at the end of the externship to gather feedback to be used for further refinement.

Additionally, the extern will participate in meetings with the BSD Diversity Committee and the BSD Office of Diversity & Inclusion, when possible and appropriate. The extern may participate in additional work with these groups related to the planning and execution of a campus-wide DEI retreat and/or other relevant needs.

The exten will meet on a weekly basis with Tobias Spears to evaluate the direction and progress of the research and training module development. She will also meet with the BSD Diversity Committee on a semi-regular basis to evaluate her progress. The extern has been advised to spend no more than 1 month on the research phase of the externship, and to overlap this time period with the material development phase to ensure completion within the 10 week period.

Specific Objectives

• Extern will develop a general familiarity with national Diversity & Inclusion initiatives designed to foster sense of belonging within basic science and research departments/entities.
• Extern will enhance qualitative research skills by augmenting bystander intervention and implicit bias “thinkshops” for the specific purposes of training /teaching a basic science audience.
• Extern will add to her professional experience by serving as a member of the D&I team (attending meetings, witnessing presentations, offering perspective). (1 to 2 hours a week max).
• Extern will present research findings at April 23 diversity colloquium.

Qualifications

An interest in diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice.