Diversity

Lab Director’s Statement

As director of the Brain Function laboratory at the Yale School of Medicine it is my aim to foster a welcoming and creative environment for young and experienced scientists to join together in the enterprise of science and science education. This includes guarding against behaviors and obstacles that favor or disadvantage any lab member for any reason other than the merits their work.  It also includes sustaining a culture of diverse and open thought, generosity, and dialogue where diversity of all kinds is celebrated and valued.  To that end we support the many institutional and student efforts to promote and enhance diversity within our community.  Many of these resources are included below.

Joy Hirsch, Ph.D. Elizabeth Mears and House Jameson Professor of Psychiatry, Comparative Medicine, and Neuroscience. Director, Brain Function Laboratory, Yale School of Medicine

Diversity and Inclusion – Affinity Groups
Since 2005 Yale has invested in the development of affinity groups or employee resource groups. Each of the eight groups support recruitment, retention, education, advocacy, and community building.
https://your.yale.edu/community/diversity-inclusion/affinity-groups
Office of Institutional Equity and Access
The Director of the Office of Institutional Equity and Access oversees the University’s affirmative action programs and monitors compliance with policies and laws which ensure equal opportunity for students, employees and applicants for employment or admission.
https://oiea.yale.edu

Office of International Students & Scholars
Supporting Yale’s International Community
https://oiss.yale.edu
Office of LGBTQ Resources
The Office of LGBTQ Resources coordinates programming and services across the University, including the LGBTQ Peer Liaisons Program, co-sponsorship of Pride@Yale in March and April and Trans/Gender Awareness Weeks in November, Semesterly Queer Leadership Roundtables, and events across campus.
https://lgbtq.yale.edu

Work-Life and Childcare
Yale’s WorkLife programs are an integral part of the university’s efforts to help faculty and staff balance the multiple responsibilities associated with work, academic, and personal life.
https://your.yale.edu/work-yale/benefits/work-life-and-childcare

Office of Institutional Equity and Access
The Office for Equal Opportunity Programs (OEOP) administers Yale University’s Accommodation Program for Employees with Disabilities. Yale provides reasonable accommodations to all Faculty and Staff with documented disabilities and applicants for employment at Yale who seek accommodation in the job application process due to a disability.
https://oiea.yale.edu/accommodation-program-faculty-and-staff

21-Day Racial Equity Habit Building Challenge
For 21 days, do one action to further your understanding of power, privilege, supremacy, oppression, and equity
Plan includes suggestions for readings, podcasts, videos, observations, and ways to form and deepen community connections.
https://www.eddiemoorejr.com/21daychallenge

Sun Shower Learning
How to speak up against stereotypes
Links to videos on “Ouch that Stereotype Hurts” and “Ouch! Your silence hurts”.
https://www.ouch-video.com

SFN Neuronline WebinarBlack Lives Matter and Neuroscience: Why This Moment Matters
The Black Lives Matter Movement sparked a worldwide response indicating these issues have broad impact. SfN organized a panel discussion that took place July 2. A recording of the discussion is available for on-demand viewing. We encourage you to join us for our discussion and would love for you to tell us how it’s impacting you. Share topic ideas for future activities at diversity@sfn.org and continue the conversation on the SfN Community.

Student Involvement

YBDIC
YBDIC is a central platform to promote diversity and institutional inclusion. Our central mission uses a four-pronged approach: student engagement, student empowerment, student advancement, and student outreach.

Student Engagement: Yale BBS Diversity and Inclusion Collective (YBDIC) is committed to making the Yale BBS program more accessible and ensuring that each matriculating class has a greater representation of students of color that have been historically excluded from academia. To this end, we endeavor to create a student-centric recruitment agenda that is both meaningful and thorough. For potential PhD candidates, we intend to create a personalized recruitment process where students feel supported and can receive candid and insightful interactions with current BBS students. After developing a student-centric recruitment plan, we intend to always partner with the administrative arm of each BBS track (i.e. DGS, registrar) and current BBS faculty to create a more comprehensive approach for URM recruitment.

Student Empowerment: Yale BBS Diversity and Inclusion Collective (YBDIC) is committed to creating a training environment that promotes the development of both our scientific and cultural identity. The primary goal of this division is to build community among URM students. We also strive to welcome members of the LGBTQ community, non-traditional students, and students that identify as low-income. Although all students are welcome to attend any of the YBDIC events, we especially want to create an environment that addresses and celebrates students from diverse backgrounds.


Student Advancement: Yale BBS Diversity and Inclusion Collective (YBDIC) is committed to creating a training environment that prepares students to succeed in both academic and non-academic careers. We also acknowledge that underrepresented students of color often struggle to identify minority faculty mentors.


Student Outreach: Yale BBS Diversity and Inclusion Collective (YBDIC) is committed to fighting for and empowering the next generation of URM scientists. To directly address our commitment, the outreach branch is tasked with developing meaningful service-oriented agendas each year that further advances our passion for supporting undergraduate and post-baccalaureate URM scientists.
For more information, please contact the Graduate Director (Termara Parker) at termara.parker@yale.edu or visit our website at:
https://medicine.yale.edu/bbs/diversity/