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 Kate Lane
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. We also developed and maintain the WHOI Inclusive Event Guidelines.
Contact: Sara Gonzalez
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
In honor of Pride Month and Juneteenth, GLOW and the WHOI CDEI (Committee for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) will be co-sponsoring a virtual panel discussion on Allyship on Friday, June 4th at noon. The CDEIO has an Allyship Toolkit on their Resources webpage. Here is a TED talk on “3 ways to be a better ally in the…
We’ve added some new articles to our reference collection, search the list for “mentor” to learn more about inclusive mentoring and helpful information to consider when mentoring members of minoritized groups.
This month in Through the Porthole, we explore different paths toward a graduate degree in oceanography! Lei Ma and Lydia Babcock-Adams share their experiences coming from a pure science undergraduate and from a marine science Master’s program. Lei speaks to her journey toward graduate school through her time as a microbiology undergrad at Brown University, and how…
May is Asian/Pacific American (APA) Heritage Month and CDEI is taking this occasion to highlight those who identify as Asian, Asian American, or Pacific Islander that have contributed to the rich history and ongoing accomplishments of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Though WHOI’s relationship began with the exploitation of the indigenous peoples of Bikini Atoll,…
The story of women at sea on WHOI ships began quietly in the early 1950’s when the wives of researchers were allowed on ships with their husbands, but not as a science equal. Early logs note the husband and wife team of Harvard biologists Barbara Lawrence and William Schevill on the R/V Caryn in Bermuda…
Today’s letter from WHOI’s President and Director, Peter de Menocal – Dear WHOI community, I am writing to you today, alarmed by the recent violence and racist attacks against Asians and Asian Americans across our nation. I am very concerned about the impact this may have or had on members of our community. Anti-Asian racism…
February is Black History Month, and for 40 years, members of the Woods Hole community have come together to remember, commemorate, and celebrate with speakers, art exhibits, films, musical groups, and other events culminating in the annual “Harambee,” a potluck feast celebrating people of every race and ethnicity. In 2021, Woods Hole Black History Month…
The UN broadcast the International Day of Girls and Women in Science Assembly on UN TV live. Watch for WHOI’s Dr. Amy Bower in the “My Fellow Blind Scientists: Writing Science in Braille” panel. Full program here.
Every year, members of the Woods Hole community come together to celebrate Black History Month. On February 4th at Noon, in commemoration of 40 years of Black History Month celebrations in Woods Hole, a panel will discuss the history of the Woods Hole Community Black History Month Planning Committee, challenges faced and where we see…
The MIT-WHOI Joint Program is a renowned program for ocean/Earth sciences, or, at least, it is among oceanographers. We would like it to be known more widely. Part of enhancing diversity in the geosciences involves getting the word out about opportunities in the field: You can enter a graduate program and not enter into debt. You don’t need…