An aerial view of the UMD campus

2020-21 Diversity & Inclusion Advisory Council

The CMNS Diversity & Inclusion Advisory Council's mission for 2020-21 is to: 

  • Assess our climate, as experienced by different members of our community, and learn about areas of concern and opportunities for growth;
  • Take stock of current activities in the college and assess what’s most effective, what should be replicated, and how the college can both foster these efforts and broaden participation;
  • Explore the activities currently happening in other campus units and other universities that enhance diversity and create a more inclusive STEM community; and
  • Advise the dean and senior leaders in the college on short-term and longer-term actions and initiatives that would better embody and strategically advance our commitment to diversity and inclusion.

 

2020-21 CMNS Diversity & Inclusion Advisory Council Members:

  • Janice Reutt-Robey, Chair of the CMNS Diversity & Inclusion Advisory Council; Chair and Professor, Chemistry & Biochemistry

  • Ricardo Arevalo, Associate Professor, Geology

  • Kate Atchison, Assistant Director of the Maryland Center for Women in Computing and the Iribe Initiative for Inclusion and Diversity in Computing, Computer Science

  • Courtney Butler, Program Coordinator, Health Professions Advising Office

  • Lauren Cho, Undergraduate, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering

  • Gene Ferrick**, Director of Operations, CMNS **ex-officio member

  • John Ficklin, Graduate Student, Biological Sciences

  • Osvaldo Gutierrez, Assistant Professor, Chemistry & Biochemistry

  • Kathleen Hamilton-Campos, Undergraduate, Astronomy and Physics

  • Cerruti Hooks, Associate Professor, Entomology

  • Eugenia Kalnay, Distinguished University Professor, Atmospheric & Oceanic Science

  • Emily Kaplitz, Graduate Student, Computer Science

  • Maia Karpovich, Graduate Student, Applied Mathematics & Statistics, and Scientific Computation (AMSC)

  • Kyeisha Laurence, Undergraduate, Biological Sciences

  • Sara Lombardi, Senior Lecturer, Biology

  • Cheri Meadows**, Senior Development Officer, CMNS **ex-officio member

  • Errica Philpott, Coordinator, Cell Biology & Molecular Genetics

  • Mihai Pop, Professor, Computer Science & Director, University of Maryland Institute for Advanced Computer Studies

  • Abby Robinson**, Assistant Dean of Communications, CMNS **ex-officio member

  • Peter Shawhan, Professor, Physics

  • Amy Steele, Graduate Student, Astronomy

  • Konstantina Trivisa, Professor, Mathematics & Director, Institute for Physical Science & Technology

  • Jai Upadhyay, Undergraduate, Computer Science and Management

  • Gerald "Jerry" Wilkinson**, Diversity Officer, CMNS; Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs and Graduate Education, CMNS; Professor, Biology **ex-officio member

  • Carl Womack, Director of Finance, Chemistry & Biochemistry

 

2020-21 CMNS Diversity & Inclusion Advisory Council Events

"Picture a Scientist" Virtual Film Screening and Panel Discussion. Friday, November 13, 2020. “Picture a Scientist" chronicles the groundswell of researchers who are writing a new chapter for women scientists. Biologist Nancy Hopkins, chemist Raychelle Burks, and geologist Jane Willenbring lead viewers on a journey deep into their own experiences in the sciences, ranging from brutal harassment to years of subtle slights. http://science.umd.edu/events/picture-a-scientist.html 

"Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: An Everyone Issue" with Dr. Corrie Moreau of Cornell University. Friday, March 5, 2021. For this STEM diversity and inclusion presentation, Dr. Corrie Moreau will share what the data and research show regarding bias and inclusion in the sciences across many axes of diversity and why having diverse teams is good for science. She will end with some recommendations to be more inclusive and equitable as individuals and as departments, followed by Q&A/discussion. http://science.umd.edu/events/dei-entm.html (YouTube recording) 

"Coded Bias" Virtual Film Screening and Panel Discussion. Friday, March 26, 2021. When MIT Media Lab researcher Joy Buolamwini discovers that most facial-recognition software misidentifies women and darker-skinned faces, she is compelled to investigate further. It turns out that artificial intelligence, which was defined by a homogeneous group of men, is not neutral. What Buolamwini learns about widespread bias in algorithms drives her to push the U.S. government to create the first-ever legislation to counter the far-reaching dangers of bias in a technology that is steadily encroaching on our lives. Centering on the voices of women leading the charge to ensure our civil rights are protected, Coded Bias asks two key questions: what is the impact of Artificial Intelligence's increasing role in governing our liberties? And what are the consequences for people stuck in the crosshairs due to their race, color, and gender? Panel Moderator: Hal Daumé, Pier Giorgio Perotto Endowed Professor in Computer Science and Language Science. Panelists: Margrét Bjarnadóttir, UMD Associate Professor of Decision, Operations and Information Technologies in the Smith School of Business; Nicol Turner Lee, UMD Sociology Lecturer and Brookings Senior Fellow in Governance Studies and Director of the Center for Technology Innovation; Deborah Raji, Fellow at Mozilla and Featured in the Film; Adam Wenchel (B.S. '99, Computer Science), Co-Founder and CEO of Arthur AI. http://science.umd.edu/events/coded-bias.html