Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Council and Faculty DEI Committee

Mission Statement

Diversity and inclusion are core values of our department, and we believe that diversity promotes scientific excellence and innovation. The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Council and Faculty DEI Committee aim to develop, implement, and sustain actions that reflect and foster these values. We aim to support all members of our community, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, national origin, background, or physical ability. We are committed to engaging regularly with all members of our community to get their input, ideas, and suggestions for ways we can make the department a more diverse, welcoming, and supportive environment in which all scientists can thrive and do their best work. We will work to implement needed changes in everything we do, including how we conduct research, teach and train students and postdocs, communicate internally and externally to MIT, and provide service to the community. We will hold ourselves accountable by reporting openly and transparently about our efforts, progress, and plans.

DEI Council

Representatives of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Council include students, postdocs, staff, and faculty. The goals of this council are to more broadly and comprehensively understand and address the needs of the Department. Council members gather information regarding the needs of community members, discuss and prioritize DEI-related issues, advise other entities in the department (e.g. Department Head, faculty DEI committee, Graduate Committee), and act on its own as appropriate.

Council Members

  • Graduate students: Gayathri Muthukumar (WI, Weissman lab, co-chair of the DEI council);  Anais Tsai (Whitehead, Lehmann Lab), Dia Ghose (68, Keating and Laub labs)
  • Postdocs: Michaela Bartusel (68, Calo lab), Alireza Ghanbarpour (68, Davis and Sauer labs)
  • Undergraduates: Isabela Fuentes (KI, Yilmaz lab); Sundeep Chakladar (WI, Lourido lab)
  • Staff: Joshua Stone (Building 68, Education Office); Darcy Gordon (Building 68; Blended and Online Learning)
  • Faculty: Yukiko Yamashita (WI, co-chair of the DEI council), Adam Martin (Building 68)

The DEI Council was established in January 2021.

Council Meeting Minutes

Minutes of recent meetings are available to the MIT Biology community (touchstone login required). If you are looking for minutes from older meetings, please contact DEI Officer Hallie Dowling-Francisco.

Faculty DEI Committee

The Faculty DEI Committee was established in July 2020 and  focuses on DEI issues of particular relevance to faculty.

Committee Members

Committee Recommendations

Additional Resources

MIT Resources:

Greater Boston Area Resources:

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