Assistant Professor Christina Woo (top center in a light blue button down) and her lab members, caught in a moment of levity     The CCB Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (EDIB) Committee is responsible for assisting department leadership in relationship building and stewardship of specific communities within CCB for the purpose of ensuring those communities feel welcome, included, engaged, mentored and supported. Read more here: EDIB Committee

We know diversity—of backgrounds, perspectives, and abilities—is crucial to solving the increasingly complex problems of our modern world. We strive to build an inclusive environment that attracts and supports talented individuals of all racial, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds, sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, and disabilities, so our community can continue to make valuable discoveries and improve our world.

The CCB Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (EDIB) Committee is responsible for assisting department leadership in relationship building and stewardship of specific communities within CCB for the purpose of ensuring those communities feel welcome, included, engaged, mentored and supported. Read more here: EDIB Committee

The Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology uses the following five core values to guide our actions and create an inclusive culture:

1. Respect the rights, differences, and dignity of others

The University’s first value is to respect the rights, differences, and dignity of others.

• We can live this value more deeply by engaging critically with colleagues through respectful dialogue and taking others seriously by being present and invested, assuming best intentions, and listening first to understand rather than to judge
• To understand, respect, and bridge differences, we should be aware of how our culture and experiences shape our perspectives and, conversely, try to understand how others’ backgrounds inform their views
• Finally, each of us should model the behavior that is appropriate for the communities in which we want to live and work by trying to generate thoughtful solutions and creating space for others to speak and be heard

2. Demonstrate honesty and integrity in all dealings

The University’s second value, demonstrating honesty and integrity in all dealings, can increase inclusion and belonging by fostering trust and engagement that bridges differences

• We can each build that trust by being forthright about our interests, intentions, and actions
• We can each become more trustworthy by making the time, taking the initiative, and following through on our commitments
• We can encourage the spread of trust in our communities by modeling an ethic of generosity, sharing, and collaboration

3. Pursue excellence conscientiously in one’s work

The University’s third core value is to pursue excellence conscientiously. Inclusive excellence, a key idea of the Task Force’s report, offers a guide to achieving greater excellence through inclusion

• For example, we can each work to ensure there is representation across all constituents in our inquiries, meetings, and decision-making efforts
• In creating inclusive and diverse teams, we can tap best practices, such as understanding implicit bias, building teams, and using teaching/learning tools for creating healthy norms across differences
• The pursuit of excellence requires self-respect as well as respect from others; we can open up to others and stand up for ourselves when we need support
• We can consider how inclusion and belonging concepts connect to the fields and professions in which we work and develop pathways for additional learning
• We can be attentive to opportunities to integrate inclusion and belonging ideas into ongoing work, research, learning, and our living environment

4. Be accountable for actions and conduct in the community

We can each enact the University’s fourth value — being accountable for our actions and conduct — to increase inclusion and belonging in several ways

• We can strive to understand that we are all teachers/learners and show compassion, as we all will make mistakes in growth
• As student leaders, staff, and faculty and academic personnel, we can each develop skills of inclusive leadership, considering how hierarchies and power asymmetries affect decisions, actions, and communications
• Each of us can reconsider our group’s stated values, mission, purpose, and norms to consider what traditions or practices could be changed to better foster inclusive excellence

5. Cultivate bonds and bridges that enable all to grow with and learn from one another

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Read our "Statement of Solidarity" to learn more about CCB's commitment to increasing diversity at CCB and fostering an inclusive culture to support all members of our community.

The University offers a number of resources, groups, and educational opportunities to help our diverse communities thrive and grow and to encourage our entire community to confront ingrained biases and engage with colleagues in a meaningful way.

Found a resource we don't list below? Or can't find one to fit your needs? Let us know!