Working Groups
Academic Recruitment
Academic Recruitment Group is responsible for enhancing the recruitment of under-represented groups to our Academic Programs (JP, postdocs, undergrad programs). This group works with APO, PEP, and MIT to establish institutional relationships and pathways for access. Current initiatives focus on middle and high school outreach education, student recruitment strategies, and publishing the Through the Porthole newsletter which offers resources for undergraduate students considering applying to graduate school.
Contact: Kama Thieler and Tom Bell
Messaging
The Messaging Group is responsible for composing, designing, and communicating our message within and beyond the WHOI community. They collaborated with local community media center, FCTV, to publish a series of short interviews called “Conversation Starters”. This series highlights members of the WHO community working on DEI related initiatives (linked here). This group is also responsible for designing and launching the #humansofwhoi campaign in collaboration with the Communications Department, as well as working with the CDEIO on expanding inclusive artwork on the WHOI campus.
Contact: Elise Hugus and Veronique LaCapra
Events
Events Group is responsible for organizing the Committee's participation in events we initiate, such as Celebrating Humans of WHOI, as well as those we co-sponsor with other groups and the CDEIO, such as the Room Naming Celebration, events at the Science Stroll, and others. We also developed and maintain the WHOI Inclusive Event Guidelines.
Contact: Laura Motta and Loay Jabre
Disability Education
The Disability Education Group was formed in the fall of 2024 to increase education and awareness about equity and inclusion for people with disabilities. The group is hoping to educate themselves and the WHOI community about unintentional bias against people with disabilities and exclusionary behavior with the hope of further developing WHOI as a comfortable working environment for all.
Contact: Amy Bower and Grace Simpkins
Retired Working Groups
The CDEI recongizes that at any point in time, new working groups are needed to tackle issues and these usually grow out of community interest and engagement from both within and outside of the CDEI. In the past, we have had working groups that focused on Community Building, the URGE program, Incubator for new ideas, and Room Naming. If you have ideas for future working groups, email the co-chairs: Julie Huber & Ben Weiss.
Updates
September 15 kicks off National Hispanic Heritage Month, an annual celebration of the history and culture of Hispanic and Latino communities in the U.S. Its timing coincides with the Independence Day celebrations of several Latin American nations: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua (Sept. 15, 1821; from Spain); Mexico (Sept. 16, 1810; from…
Suicide is a major public health challenge with complex social, emotional, and economic causes and effects. This year for World Suicide Prevention Day, the World Health Organization is calling on people to “Start the Conversation” with the goal of “Changing the Narrative on Suicide”—raising awareness, reducing stigma, and encouraging open dialog to prevent suicides. If…
Labor Day has its origins in the late 1800s, when many Americans—including children—worked 12 hours a day, 7 days a week, often in brutal and dangerous conditions. On September 5, 1882, an estimated 10,000 workers in New York marched in protest, calling for “Less Work and More Pay,” including an eight-hour workday and a ban…
Women’s Equality Day commemorates the adoption of the 19th Amendment in the U.S., granting women the right to vote and sparking conversations on the ongoing fight for gender equality globally. In the ocean sciences, women in the U.S. earn more than half of all doctorates and fill a growing number of early-career positions. Yet substantial…
Thursday, May 23, 2024* 4:00-6:00 p.m. Clark 507 Free pizza & beverages Join us and . . . Win prizes by participating in the dessert contest Play games with friends and colleagues, Have your profile headshot picture taken (optional but encouraged) Share your story with the #HumansofWHOI social media campaign Download flyer Celebrating the Humans…
There are two significant days celebrated in August, and both can encourage us to learn more about people in our communities and consider a viewpoint that is different from our own. August 9 is the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. To celebrate, you can educate yourself by listening to podcasts or radio programs…
National Mental Awareness Month is a time to acknowledge that mental health is as important as physical health, and that we should focus on it without fear or shame. One in 5 U.S. adults experiences mental illness each year, and so it is crucial to fight stigma, provide support, educate the public and advocate for…
During May, we celebrate the contributions of the approximately 7 million Jewish Americans who helped form the fabric of American history, culture, and society. You can explore historic photographs, videos, and archival collections and exhibits at the Jewish Heritage Month website. This website is a joint collaboration between The Library of Congress, National Archives and…
About 25 million Americans claim Scottish descent. In North America, Tartan Day is celebrated on April 6, in honor of the signing of the Declaration of Arbroath on April 6, 1320. This document asserted the independence of the Scottish kingdom. Scottish barons wrote the declaration to the Roman Catholic pope, asking him to recognise Scotland’s…
April is Arab-American Heritage month, where we celebrate the Middle Eastern and North African heritage of nearly 3.7 million Americans. This designation was made in 2017 and President Biden officially recognized April as Arab-American Heritage month in 2021. Today, Arabs primarily inhabit the 22 member states of the Arab League. The Arab world stretches…