COSM Diversity & Inclusion News
October & November 2021
Welcome
The Diversity & Inclusion newsletter is delivered monthly via email during the fall and spring semesters and is always available on the new COSM D&I webpage. Send contributions and suggestions to any of the COSM D&I Ambassadors listed at the bottom of this newsletter and on the webpage.
We are looking for new ideas and contributions to the newsletter team. If you would like to join the team or put together a newsletter, we would greatly appreciate your contributions.
Diversity Quote of the Month
"Preservation of one’s own culture does not require contempt or disrespect for other cultures."
Fact Fuel for Data-driven Conversations
Just what do students say about us?
Gendered Language in Teaching Evaluations Pulled from RateMyProfessor provides an interactive look into the world of online course ratings. It's safer for your mental health than actually looking up your own - we promise!
Smart
The disparity is greatest in the COSM, CS, Engineering, Economics, Health Science, and Humanities disciplines.
Blue = male
Too few individuals identified as other genders for consistent analysis.
Mean
The disparity is greatest in the CS, Education, Fine Arts, and many COSM disciplines.
COSM Community D&I Spotlight
Rafael Quirino (PI for an NSF funded International Research Experiences (IRES) Program):
Through a ten-week long intensive, NSF-funded, research experience, we aim to offer undergraduate and graduate students of South Georgia an opportunity to engage in an international collaborative research program to establish an advanced and refined mathematical model that provides a better description of biomass torrefaction.
Pursuing research and developing skillsets in sustainability is timely and extremely important for current and future society’s quality of life. Furthermore, industry dedicated to exploring the remarkable potential of biomass is growing in the rural southeast. As such, students in this program develop skillsets that will support innovation and economic growth in their own communities.
There is a wealth of untapped potential in rural communities and among women and underrepresented groups. To remain a leader in STEM innovation and retain global competitiveness, the US must develop these talents and ensure that they can function at their best in diverse, multidisciplinary environments. Compared to urban areas, the development of robust STEM training mechanisms in the rural US is hindered by outreach disparities and a lack of resources. The social context in which students live also plays a significant role. The barrier to attracting these students to STEM is further compounded by the fact that it is not always apparent how scientific training will benefit their region.
I-CEMITURE is committed to the crucial task of diversifying the US STEM workforce and places a special emphasis on recruiting students from the southeast and rural areas, underrepresented minorities in STEM, and women. The rural southeast is rich in forestry and it has long been acknowledged that there is much potential for the development of industries focused on sustainable biomass. In this international training experience, the students will be mentored by French leaders in the field of wood torrefaction. This interaction will allow students to grow in their cultural quotient and strengthen their professional support network with peers and mentors in France.
In year 1, we hosted 4 (2 undergrad and 2 graduate) students from Southeast Georgia. The students worked together to obtain data on the torrefaction of woody biomass and propose a mathematical model capable of reproducing the experimental data. A new research avenue was also initiated for studying the correlation between socio-economic data and local climate zones in an unprecedented attempt to map out environmental inequity in South Georgia.
For me, dealing with a small group of students with such a diverse background and point of views helped me better understand and accept their differences. I believe this is something that will help me better interact with my research students.
We had one graduate student from the Armstrong campus in our group. His presence in the group helped bridge a gap between our campuses. The student mentioned he had no idea we demonstrated a similar care for our students’ success as he was used to in the Armstrong campus.
I’m hoping to continue offering international opportunities for students in South Georgia and eventually establish an MOU with our partner in France for a sustained exchange of research students.
Try This! - Inclusive Scheduling
Have you considered utilizing Georgia Southern University’s new Inclusive Excellence 365 Calendar? It’s web-based, which allows key diversity events to be added to your calendar and provides month-at-a-glance PDFs that are easy to download and print:
Schedule respectfully by checking first for a possible conflict on a religious or cultural holiday.
Promote inclusion opportunities from Black History Month to LGBT Pride Month, from religious observances to cultural holidays. The diversity calendar provides dozens of opportunities to show awareness and respect.
Remember Sensitivity Training as the calendar includes reminders such as inclusion tips, dietary do’s and don’ts, audio pronunciations, and diversity facts.
Looking for more reading?
Guidelines for Advancing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Respect in Programs Offering Bachelor’s Degrees in Chemistry
Michelle M. Brooks*, Felicia A. Fullilove, Ashley B. Mahoney, and Edgar A. Arriaga*
Cite this: J. Chem. Educ. 2021 https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.1c00493
Publication Date:October 20, 2021
Introducing Diversity into a General Chemistry Course
Harry E. PenceHarry E. Pence
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, SUNY at Oneonta, West Oneonta, New York 13820, United States
Cite this: J. Chem. Educ. 2021 https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.1c00450
Publication Date:September 21, 2021
Oct and Nov Celebrate Cultural and Sexual Identity
October and November are fantastic times to focus on Latinx, Native American, and LGBT communities! October was Hispanic Heritage Month and also included National Coming out Day (Oct 11th), while November is Native American Heritage Month.
LGBT History Month (Oct)
Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept-Oct)
Six Organizations Helping Hispanics Make Their Mark in the STEM World
Hispanic Heritage Month: 25 Hispanic and Latinx trailblazers in science and biotechnology
Oct 11th - International day of the girl child
Oct 11th - National Coming out Day
Oct 11th - Indigenous People's Day
Nov 27th - Native American Heritage Day
Reflective Moment
We often carry historical 'facts' and narratives with us from our childhood that can be harmful and create biases in our actions and words. Recent efforts have been undertaken across the country to remove statues, commemorative displays, holidays, and building names that honor people in US history who committed colonialist or wartime atrocities.
“I really thought about what it meant to say Columbus discovered America."
One of these efforts has been the recasting of Columbus Day, which is still a federal holiday, as Indigenous People's Day. Listen to this short (3 min) NPR podcast on the topic and consider what these and similar holidays mean to you, your students, and your colleagues.
Upcoming Events
Our fall 2021 COSM D&I Collaborative is meeting Fridays, 3:15-4:45 pm: Aug. 27, Sept. 24, Oct. 22, Nov. 19. We will alternate between business and training. Reach out to any of the ambassadors if you’re interested in joining us!
We are excited to let you know that a recently funded grant in our college, HHMI IE3LC, will provide honorariums for DEI seminar speakers or workshops for your department/office, a maximum of $400 per department/office for fall 2021 or spring 2022. For more information on how to access the funds see this document outlining three simple steps. Contacts: Karelle Aiken (kaiken@georgiasouthern.edu) & Tricia Brown (tmbrown@georgiasouthern.edu)
- The Women's Leadership Series is hosting "A Conversation About Mediation" workshop with the Mediation Center of the Coastal Empire on Friday, Nov. 12th from 12 - 1:30 PM
Join us to learn about conflict management, techniques for self advocating, and managing difficult conversations in the workplace and elsewhere!
Join us on Zoom: http://tiny.cc/WLS_ERG_Zoom
D&I Campus Connections and Opportunities
STEM Organizations
SACNAS Advancing Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science
NOBCChE A non-profit professional organization dedicated to assisting black and other minority students and professionals in fully realizing their potential in academic, professional, and entrepreneurial pursuits in chemistry, chemical engineering, and allied fields.
STEM Veterans USA Our mission is to connect veterans in STEM with opportunity.
University Opportunities:
Georgia Southern Women in STEM Alliance (contact Sabrina Hessinger)
- Safe Space Training: Information about Safe Space
List of Scholarships from the Office of Multicultural Affairs
Center for Teaching Excellence: Workshop Calendar
NSF ADVANCE Grant (contact Tan@GeorgiaSouthern.edu)
SEAChange with the AAAS is a program with significant interest at the college & university level (contact SHessinger@GeorgiaSouthern.edu)
External Opportunities
- Diversity in STEM Opportunities: Pathways to Science
Something you'd like to see? We'd love to hear from you.
We will be honoring Hispanic Heritage Month, September 15-October 15, in our next newsletter.
COSM Diversity & Inclusion Committee Co-Leaders
Arpita Saha - Chemistry & Biochemistry
Brandon Quillian - Chemistry & Biochemistry
Karelle Aiken - Chemistry & Biochemistry
Sabrina Hessinger - Mathematics
Administration
Amanda Klingel
Brian Koehler
Issac Taylor
Biology
Brigette Brinton
Geneva DeMars
Jennifer Brofft-Bailey
Johanne Lewis
Justin Montemarano
Marylou Machingura
Sara Gremillion
Sue Ellen Dechenne-Peters
Chemistry & Biochemistry
Arpita Saha
Brandon Quillian
Brent Feske
Debanjana Ghosh
Karelle Aiken
Ryan Groom
Shainaz Landge
Geology & Geography
Amy Potter
Rob Yarbrough
Kathlyn Smith
Mathematics
Duc Van Huynh
Eryn Stehr
Jim Brawner
Kyle Bradford
Sabrina Hessinger
Stephanie Wiggins
Tuyin An
Physics & Astronomy
Hua-Jian Jason Liu