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Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Newsletter
Spring 2022

What's New?

BioCAP/Co-Op Program

Three of our five BioCAP/Co-Op Program partners presented at the Annual BUMMP Student symposium. This was a great example of the partnership between the BioCAP and the Co-Op programs, and our BioCAP partners’ commitment to support the School of Biological Sciences EDI efforts and initiatives. For more information, please contact Melissa Hoon, mhoon@UCSD.EDU.

Growing Counseling and Psychological Services team offers identity-based mental health care

It can take a lot of courage to meet with a mental health provider for the first time. Students may worry whether their counselor will be empathetic, understand their identity, or if their issue is even significant enough to justify an appointment. To help address these concerns, Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) has hired six new counselors over the past year, each one specializing in identity-based counseling. With the new hires, the CAPS team is now 40-strong and striving to serve all UC San Diego students. To learn more, please see the article Counseling on Common Ground: Growing Counseling and Psychological Services team offers identity-based mental health care.

Rady MicroMBA program

The Rady MicroMBA program is an abbreviated MBA course series for UC San Diego graduate students, postdocs, and others. Participants will have a unique opportunity to gain an introduction to business concepts, network with business professionals, and become a part of the entrepreneurial science/tech community at Rady. The cost is $300, and the program takes place during the summer.

This year, they have a limited amount of funding available to waive the program fee for applicants who can demonstrate that they have successfully overcome significant gender bias or educational, social, cultural or economic disadvantage or adversity. If you are interested in applying, please see the Rady School site on Micro-MBA. The application deadline is June 22, 2022 and the form is near the top of the page.

Updates on Existing Efforts

The BioSci Peer Mentor Program

Our BioSci Peer Mentor Program is wrapping up its first year. The next year is being planned with a focus on supporting students who are first-generation academics or from marginalized backgrounds. Due the pandemic, most program events have been virtual this year. But the spring quarter opened new opportunities. The BioSci Peer Mentor program met over lunch conversation with Dr. Patrick and Dr. Fadel. Students, and faculty and staff enjoyed being together in-person and discussing issues of access and experience in the first year of college. With support of BioSci’s EDI committee, the program piloted Lunch with a Professor. As part of the program, BioSci faculty members took a small group of program participants to lunch in the faculty lounge for informal conversation. They are excited about continuing, expanding, and improving the BioSci Peer Mentor program next year. Meet the mentors.

School of Biological Sciences Graduate Recruitment

The incoming PhD students this Fall will be one of the most diverse ever. Underrepresented minorities account for 30% of all Fall 2022 acceptances, which is higher than previous peak of 22%. In addition, underrepresented minority students accounted for 42% of all domestic students accepting our offers (up from the previous high of 34%). The School would like to thank the efforts of students, faculty, and staff that have helped to make this possible.

Eureka! Scholars Program

We are excited to welcome the summer 2022 Eureka! Scholars, one of our most diverse groups ever. This year, 75% of the scholars identify as female, 13% are underrepresented minorities, 70% are people of color, and 60% are eligible for financial aid (of which 35% are eligible for Pell Grants, Cal Grants, or Blue & Gold Grants).

What Can You Do?

Transfer EDGE program

This is a program to help incoming transfer students transition to UC San Diego (August 2 - September 2, 2022). They are looking for labs that can welcome a transfer student into their group and/or to connect transfer students with graduate students. You can also help transfer students generate research questions. Sign-up for the Transfer EDGE program via their form or visit the program website for more info.

We encourage faculty to seek out funds to support undergraduates working in their labs and to help undergraduates find funding. For example, NSF provides supplemental funding for undergraduates seeking research experiences on NSF funded research. Similarly, NIH RO1’s provide diversity supplements.

We also have a general list of all undergraduate funding opportunities.

In addition, please check out this one-stop website, the Undergraduate Research Hub for undergraduate research and funding opportunities at UC San Diego.

Check out the BioSci EDI Calendar

There are many amazing events updated regularly on the EDI Calendar.

Interested in EDI? Have an idea? Tell us what you are up to!

The Get Involved page on our Diversity Website has an eform that links directly to the Diversity Committee and is a permanent repository for all this information.

Get Funding to Improve BioSci EDI

The Division of Biological Sciences welcomes applications for funding projects aimed at addressing equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) issues in the Division of Biological Sciences. Proposals could include any activity that you feel could have a positive impact to improving EDI in our Division and the campus as relevant to the Division. For more information see our page on BioSci EDI Funds.

Thank you for your commitment to equity and inclusion.

"Our ability to reach unity in diversity will be the beauty and the test of our civilization."

Mahatma Gandhi

James C. Nieh
Associate Dean, School of Biological Sciences