At the UW–Madison Department of Biochemistry, we believe that the science community, at its best, works together to tackle some of the world’s greatest challenges. Each scientist in this community brings valuable and unique perspectives that enrich our questions and approaches and that empower effective collaborations. Our department values the diversity of our community, and we are committed to creating, growing, and maintaining an equitable and inclusive environment.
Goals
We can move towards a future that includes everyone at the table as integral members of the scientific community. This future can only be realized if all our community members commit to care for one another, to listen to each other, and to work together. The Department of Biochemistry states unequivocally that we are committed to doing the hard work needed to bring lasting change that will make our community more inclusive:
- We will develop relationships with Minority Serving Institutions and Historically Black Colleges and Universities to ensure our graduate programs are welcoming and available to researchers from diverse backgrounds.
- We will expand the diversity of our applicant pools for graduate student, faculty, and staff positions by working with societies that support trainees from underserved backgrounds, including the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS), American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES), and Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minoritized Students (ABRCMS).
- We will work to diversify our speaker line up for Biochemistry Colloquia, inviting exceptional speakers from all backgrounds to highlight the importance of unique perspectives in exploring science.
- We will actively build community within our department to celebrate the vibrant culture and contribution of our diverse trainees, faculty and staff while also working on the challenges we face with becoming an inclusive and equitable environment for all. Some of these community-building activities include social events that highlight the diversity of cultures in our community, professional development sessions that bring in speakers from diverse backgrounds, and training activities focused on culturally aware mentorship.