We condemn organized racism in all institutions, including academia. We condemn the racism of white supremacy either casually expressed by the individual or collectively organized. We condemn the bigotry of xenophobia – the anti-immigrant hatred and fear that is pervasive and condoned by portions of the federal government at this time.
This statement requires us to do intentional work in our little part of the world, in our corner of science and research, to break down the old ways of academia and create a safe place for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color to thrive, learn and research. As Angela Y. Davis said, “In a racist society it is not enough to be non-racist, we must be anti-racist.”
We are working together to generate tangible steps that we can take as an organization.
This statement was written June 5, 2020.
Please send us your ideas for short-term and long-term activities that will enable us to practice anti-racism and create an equitable research and learning environment to NSF-Simons-QBio@northwestern.edu .
Outreach to Underserved Youth
Science Club was developed in close collaboration between the Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago, teachers from Chicago Public Schools, and Northwestern University. The program aims to promote engagement in the sciences and to close the science achievement gap for underserved youth in Chicago. CQuB is working closely with Science In Society to develop new learning modules to be used at the Science Club sites.
Submitting Concerns
Submit Your Concerns
If you have concerns about discriminatory, exclusionary, or harassing behaviors, there are multiple options available for you to discuss and/or submit your concerns.
Discuss your concerns directly: You are always free to speak with the Department Chair, Assistant Chair, or any member of the DEI committee directly. We are here to listen, have conversation, provide additional resources for support, and discuss your options for reporting.
Submit your concerns anonymously: You may submit your concerns anonymously to the DEI committee using this form. Your submission will be viewed by members of the DEI committee only. Graduate students have the additional option of anonymously submitting concerns to the Diversity in Biological Sciences (DIBS) Board using this form. For concerns reported to DIBS, the DIBS board will discuss the submission and only share information with the DEI committee that they feel is relevant and necessary.
All submissions made through these linked forms are anonymous unless you choose to disclose your identity. If you disclose your identity, we will work with you and discuss options for ways to proceed. For anonymous submissions, our ability to address specific concerns is limited. We will use any information submitted anonymously to guide discussions on actions the committee can take to ensure the department is a supportive and safe space for all of its members.
Please note that for issues of sexual misconduct and/or gender discrimination, faculty members and administrators are mandated reporters and may need to share incidents with the Office of Equity and Title IX Administration. Confidential support for issues of sexual misconduct and/or gender discrimination can be found here.
Contact Northwestern’s Office of Equity: You can find information on getting assistance from Northwestern’s Office of Equity here and access their reporting system here.
Hosted Activities
October 13, 2021 STEM and Affinity Group Meet and Greet
October 6, 2021 Diversity Statement Workshop, facilitated by Meaghan Fritz and Bennett Goldberg
September 24, 2021 Creating Inclusive Spaces Workshop, facilitated by Sha Norman, Northwestern Office of Equity
July 22, 2021 Broader Impacts Workshop, facilitated by Denise Drane and Bennett Goldberg
April 15, 2021 Bystander Intervention Workshop, facilitated by Northwestern Social Justice Education
June 10, 2020 Support of #strike4blacklives #shutdownSTEM and #shutdownacademia NSF-Simons Center for Quantitative Biology (CQuB) suspended all official meetings and encourage all CQuB members (students, postdocs, faculty, and staff) to focus on caring for themselves and their communities and/or educating themselves on the issues of institutional and systemic racism. Read full post here.
DEI Committee
The NSF-Simons Center for Quantitative Biology is represented on the Department of Molecular Biosciences (MBS) Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee (DEI). The MBS DEI is committed to creating a climate in which everyone feels valued and can excel. They provide all members of our community with a supportive and safe space to discuss, ask questions, and learn about issues and topics related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. In addition, they create accountability for adherence to the Department’s diversity and inclusivity principles. Their actions will be guided by these principles, not by Departmental politics.
Committee Members
- Laura Lackner, DEI Committee Chair (Associate Professor)
- Christine McCary (Associate Professor of Instruction, Weinberg College Advisor)
- Clare Harper (Graduate Student, IBiS Student Organization board member)
- Karlin Compton (Graduate Student, Diversity in Biological Sciences board member)
- Keara Lane (Assistant Professor)
- Shelby Blythe (Assistant Professor)
- Stacey Wagner (MBS Research Administrator)
- Tiffany Leighton Ozmina (Administrative Director NSF Simons Center)
- Xiaojing Sui (Postdoctoral Fellow)
Ad hoc Committee Consultant
- Ginger Gilmore (Life Sciences Financial Services Business Administrator) – will provide advice on HR-related matters and university policies; will not view or be involved in the discussions of submitted concerns
Statement from the NSF-Simons Center for Quantitative Biology Leadership
Diversity and Inclusion
Center program leadership and faculty recognize that the scientific leadership of tomorrow is strengthened by diversity and inclusion in the training of today’s students.
AccessibleNU Northwestern University and AccessibleNU is committed to providing a supportive and challenging environment for all undergraduate, graduate, professional school, and continuing studies students with disabilities who attend the University. http://www.northwestern.edu/accessiblenu/
The Graduate School Office of Diversity and Inclusion A diverse student population is a key element of the educational experience of students in The Graduate School (TGS). Diversity presents itself in many different forms such as: socioeconomic status, race or ethnicity, religion, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, nationality or place of origin, disability, unique work or life experience, etc. It is the goal of TGS to cultivate an environment that values diverse backgrounds, approaches, and perspectives—all essential ingredients for true academic excellence. https://www.tgs.northwestern.edu/diversity/index.html
The Department of Molecular Biosciences states unequivocally that we will not tolerate racism in any form, and will actively work to combat and eliminate systemic inequities and biases. It is essential to ensure that all members of our department, and the broader Northwestern community are respected, supported and included. We will actively work together to create a climate where Black staff, students, and faculty and people of color feel valued and can excel in the absence of racism. In addition, we will work to ensure people from all underrepresented groups, including women and LGBTQ+ persons, feel valued and can excel in the absence of discrimination.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion are essential to a strong life sciences research and teaching enterprise.
You can find the full University Non-Discrimination Statement here.
Opportunities
The Causeway Postbaccalaureate Program is a year-long experience in mathematics that seeks to increase the number of graduate students in the mathematical sciences from historically underrepresented groups. Causeway provides foundational coursework, research advising, and career mentoring in the context of a strong and supportive community of participants.
In addition to providing this foundational work in preparation for graduate studies, a second goal of the program is to evaluate the effectiveness of such an endeavor. Causeway students will thus also be participants in a study that seeks to do so.
Sponsors: Department of Mathematics, Northwestern University and the National Science Foundation DMS-1916410
- Eric Zaslow (Principal Investigator)
- Bryna Kra (Co-Principal Investigator)
- John Alongi (Co-Principal Investigator)
- Santiago Canez (Co-Principal Investigator)
- Leoandra Rogers (Co-Principal Investigator)
Resources
