University of Iowa Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Graduate Cohort
This group is open to all graduate students who are interested in addressing issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion in chemistry and STEM.
Bylaws
Establishment: We are a collective of Chemistry graduate students at the University of Iowa who want to help foster a healthier culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion. We are students of various races, nationalities, experiences, ages, gender identities, sexual orientations, abilities and more. Informally, we are an extension of the Committee for DEI at the department.
Motivation: We have formed this cohort in light of highlighted civil injustice in our country and in response to a consistent lack of support for graduate students of diverse identities. We acknowledge the heightened barriers for students with one or more marginalized identities and thus, we aim to offer a platform of support, networking, and opportunity that is accessible to all students.
Mission
We are working to do the following things:
- Educate students on concepts relating to identity, social justice, and equity
- Work as a bridge for underrepresented groups in the chemistry department to identify and address issues they face
- Implement protocols, programs, and fixing of existing initiatives within the chemistry department to create a space in which all can succeed
- Bring together students in a safe space to help uplift one another
Membership
We have voluntary meetings every month to discuss DEI issues and plan initiatives. We stay connected through our Microsoft Teams page, where all our meeting resources are posted. To get involved, reach out to graduate student representatives via email (Hannah Nennig: hannah-nennig@uiowa.edu, Samantha Kruse: samantha-kruse@uiowa.edu, and Josie Welker: josie-welker@uiowa.edu); anyone at the university can join the Teams page: “Chemistry DEI Cohort 2023.”
Representation
Three members of this cohort are chosen to be a part of the DEI committee. These members will be elected at the beginning of every year and voted upon by the DEI cohort.
Engage with us
