COSM Diversity & Inclusion News
September 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
I heard that we are in the same boat. But it's not that. We are in the same storm, but not in the same boat. Your ship can be shipwrecked and mine might not be. Or vice versa...
Fact Fuel for Data-driven Conversations
COSM Community D&I Spotlight
Getting to Know You--a GTA Orientation (2021 Inclusive Excellence Mini-Grant Award Winner)
The Team (Chemistry & Biochemistry - Armstrong & Statesboro):
- Jessica Orvis
- Tanesha Osborne
- Debanjana Ghosh
- Beulah Narendrapurapu
- Shainaz Landge
- Lea Padgett
1) Tell us about the goals of your project and how those goals align with inclusive excellence.
The graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) who assist in instruction in our chemistry labs are a very diverse group of students from our own COSM Master of Science in Applied Physical Science (MS-APS) as well as from the College of Public Health. The project described here is an effort to address weaknesses in our current GTA training that will lead to a greater feeling of belonging and strength of community for all these students. In turn we expect these GTAs to experience a greater sense of support and relevance within this community that should lead to better communication and therefore a more comfortable learning environment for all our undergraduate students in the lab.
Specific Goals:
Faculty who will be hosting weekly GTA training sessions throughout the semester will get to know GTAs, learn their names and how to pronounce them, their name stories, and learn their preferred pronouns. GTAs will learn the same of faculty attending the meeting.
GTAs will receive a tool (Wacom tablet) that will help them communicate with undergraduates.
GTAs and faculty will feel more comfortable with each other, which should have benefits for communication throughout the semester.
We used Flipgrid (flipgrid.com) to initiate introductions prior to the initial orientation meeting. Use of this resource will provide the connections between names and faces and create a repository where GTAs and coordinators are able to review names and phonetic pronunciations. This will minimize, if not alleviate, the dilemma of not remembering how to pronounce names. Furthermore, continual use of the platform can provide a space where GTAs can network and offer advice or other assistance to one another.
2) What has your project accomplished so far?
We implemented the project and have access to the flipgrid videos that were created.
3) Was there a result that you did not anticipate?
From Dr. Osborne: The positive result that I have observed has been the ability to identify the GTAs. In the past, I would see GTAs during training, but did not see many of them again. If I did, I did not know it, because I only met them that one time. However, with the help of the Flipgrid videos, I have been able to recognize and acknowledge several GTAs by name during and following our initial meeting. Now when I pass a GTA in the hallway, I am able to address the assistant by their name. In my opinion, this project seemed to break a barrier and create a more inclusive environment between the GTAs and coordinators.
4) How has your project helped with professional development or career advancement?
From Dr. Ghosh: GTAs assisting in the labs are diverse in their life experiences, perspective, culture. As coordinators we make an effort to acquire knowledge on their experiences of power and privilege because this may impact the approach and effectiveness of their instructional responsibilities in the lab. We invest in building a framework to help in growth mindsets, behaviors, and practices. This requires reviewing resources to bring about meaningful conversations, making the GTAs aware of unintentional bias that can create limitations for them and the working groups, and informing them about best practices that will build connections with the students.
Try This! - Reducing Bias in Decision Making
Looking for a quick primer to address unconscious biases in decision making, the National Science Foundation (NSF) tips for reviewers video is a good place to start (the implicit bias section begins at 9 mins. 7 secs). The video is publicly available. Just enter your name and email address in order to play.
I thought it was over! Same Pandemic. Different Experiences.
How COVID has transformed scientific fieldwork. A herpetologist said this is the longest time that he has gone without catching a snake since he was 12. The Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History is not sending anyone abroad. With travel restrictions and outbreaks, research is at a standstill for a number of student-researchers and their PIs. For those who are able to continue their work, travel protocols and precautionary measures complicate the data collection process. As explained by an article in Science, in fieldwork, “a few month’s delay can be a lost year of work” and “two years is an eternity.”
Education in a Pandemic: The Disparate Impacts of COVID-19 on America’s Students. In institutions of higher education students are encountering serious challenges to their learning and well-being because of the pandemic. However, students of color and students with disabilities are disproportionately affected. The Department of Education engaged in a study of students’ experiences across the nation. They found that students with disabilities compared to those without showed higher rates of feeling isolated, unsupported and depressed, and were more likely to have financial hardship and lost income. The expenses for unexpected technology purchases were greater for these students and they were at higher risk for physical and emotional abuse.
How are institutions using COVID Impact Statements? Georgia Southern does not have a policy on COVID impact statements. However, the pandemic is lingering on and institutions have poor memory. Across the nation, faculty are being advised to document the impact of COVID, 2020-present. For some, it has been a very productive time, while for others there were major obstacles such as the suspension of field work activities, backorders in supplies, and personal challenges. As such, it will be impossible to apply a standard to how these statements (if used) and the impact of COVID are viewed from one person to the next. The general consensus is that impact statements can provide valuable contextual information for how faculty work was affected (continues to be affected) and that the information should not be used toward negative reviews (Examples: UMass, Michigan State)
Reflective Moment
What would “transformative action” look like in our departments, especially given the current gender disparity at most faculty ranks?
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)
HHMI DEI Student Peer-Teacher Training for GTA/TA/SIs
The dates for the five 1 hr 15 min. instructional training sessions for the student peer-teachers are below along with zoom links. All sessions will cover the same training materials, we are simply offering multiple dates to ensure that as many students as possible can participate.
Student training session 3: Thurs. Oct. 7th, 9:00-10:15am
Student training session 4: Fri. Oct. 22nd, 1:00-2:15pm
Student training session 5: Wed. Nov. 3rd, 1:00-2:15pm
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
"With Kritik, the AI-driven peer-assessment platform, professors have been able to successfully implement peer-to-peer learning in their courses."
We are hosting a workshop with Professor Mary Armour from York University.
Topic: Peer Feedback and Peer-to-Peer Learning: How to save time grading and engage students in Natural Science courses
Date and Time: September 2, 2021, 1-1:45 PM EST (Online)
For registration and more details, click here.
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