Inclusive Teams Drive Excellence in Innovation

Inclusive Team Science is essential for translational research and the success of global technologies that can effectively and fairly address challenges across health care, agriculture and natural resource management in different economic and cultural contexts. DEB students and BLAST scholars are encouraged to bring forward ideas on how our community can promote diversity and inclusion across STEM disciplines to ensure that a variety of perspectives are considered during problem definition, hypothesis generation, research and development, and technology solution deployment. We'll aim to work in small groups to explore, fund and scale projects of interest to doctoral students. We will also hold workshops and seminars on a range of timely subjects, such as best practices for recognizing and ameliorating implicit biases, understanding how diverse research teams can contribute to innovation, effective team communication and project management, and learning how to write a diversity statement appropriate for faculty job applications.

In addition to new projects that will emerge from BLAST, we are proud to acknowledge and collaborate with on-going campus projects focused on STEM diversity,  inclusion and leadership development:

ESTEME - The Biotechnology Program played a central role in founding and launching the student-run group, Equity in STEM and Entrepreneurship (ESTEME).  Dr. Jamison-McClung continues to serve as faculty advisor.  DEB students and BLAST scholars are encouraged to participate in ESTEME professional development and outreach activities to promote diversity and inclusion in STEM.

Center for Multicultural Perspectives on Sciences (CAMPOS) - Started under the auspices of a NSF ADVANCE award and now housed within the UC Davis Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (ODEI), CAMPOS continues to promote a diverse STEM faculty on campus. Dr. Jamison-McClung is a CAMPOS Affiliate and serves on the CAMPOS Selection Committee, as well as the ADVANCE Award Committee. CAMPOS research seminars and professional development opportunities appropriate for early career scientists interested in academic careers will be advertised periodically via the DEB listserv.