QCBio Statement on Diversity Inclusion:
The Institute for Quantitative and Computational Biology at UCLA is committed to creating an inclusive and equitable environment for its community of scientists, scholars, students and staff. Our goals are to enhance mentoring and career opportunities for students and trainees and to foster a community of faculty who value diversity, equity, and inclusion, and combat racism. Here you will find information on the programs we offer to achieve these goals and external resources to promote EDI.
QCBio Equity Advisor:
The QCBio equity advisor consults on enhancing EDI in the institute’s activities, including the seminar series, training activities, and recruitment of students, postdocs, and faculty. The equity advisor is available for confidential consultation and welcomes suggestions on creating an inclusive environment in QCBio.
Noa Pinter-Wollman
Associate Professor, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
nmpinter@ucla.edu
Current Activities:
- Seminar series on the academic job search for postdoctoral fellows – Spring 2021
- QCB’s DEI Town Hall: April 23, 11am
- BIG Summer 2021
A Commitment to Transparency:
- Senate Faculty Workforce Diversity (no DGSOM): https://equity.ucla.edu/data-hub/senate-faculty-diversity/
- Non-Academic Staff Workforce Diversity: https://equity.ucla.edu/data-hub/staff-diversity/
- Program Statistics: https://grad.ucla.edu/graduate-program-statistics/
- Coalition for Next Generation Life Science (NGLS) – Data for a stronger workforce: https://nglscoalition.org/coalition-data/#close
- Data Hub: https://equity
- QCBio seminar series data 2021
| TOTAL | FEMALE | URMs | |
| Winter 2020 | 14 | 6 | 2 |
| Spring 2020 | 21 | 8 | 1 |
| Fall 2020 | 16 | 5 | 0 |
| Winter 2021 | 18 | 8 | 1 |
| Spring 2021 | 18 | 7 | 1 |
| TOTAL | 69 | 27 | 5 |
Training and Career Development:
- Seminar series on the academic job search for postdoctoral fellows – Spring 2021: calendar
- Workshop on careers in quantitative biology outside academia. Annual Workshop on careers in computational biosciences in the private sector (next one TBA).
- Journey talks: TBA
K-12 Outreach
Resources
Undergraduate Research: There are many ways to recruit excellent undergraduate students from diverse backgrounds into research in quantitative biology:
Bruins-In-Genomics (B.I.G.) Summer Undergraduate Research Program – 8-week full-time research immersion program for undergraduates interested research in quantitative biology
Program for Excellence in Education Research in the Sciences (PEERS) – two-year program for STEM majors providing academic training and research opportunities.
UCLA-HHMI Pathways to Success Program – 4-year honors-level program for undergraduate students majoring in the life sciences and who intend to pursue a career in the life sciences.
Resources for mentors: To promote healthy mentoring relationships and inclusive research environments, mentors (faculty, postdocs, and graduate students) may consult the following resources:
- Center for the improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research (CIMER): https://cimerproject.org
- National Research Mentoring Network (NRMN): https://nrmnet.net/#undergradPopup
- Podcast on effective mentoring in STEMM: https://www.nationalacademies.org/our-work/the-science-of-effective-mentoring-in-stemm
- UCLA workshops: https://www.chr.ucla.edu/staff-diversity/in-service-training-programs
- Preparing individual development plans: https://myidp.sciencecareers.org/
Resources on EDI at UCLA:
- Find your community at UCLA: https://community.ucla.edu/
- EDI at UCLA: https://equity.ucla.edu/
- Implicit bias training: https://equity.ucla.edu/know/implicit-bias/
- Services related to equity, diversity and inclusion at UCLA: https://equity.ucla.edu/programs-resources/campus-resources/
- Student wellness in Bioscience: https://bioscience.ucla.edu/student-wellness-reporting-resources/
- UCLA Civil Rights Office: https://equity.ucla.edu/our-edi-team/civil-rights-office/
- BruinX: https://equity.ucla.edu/our-edi-team/bruinx-office/
- Title IX Office: https://www.sexualharassment.ucla.edu
- Reporting an incident: https://equity.ucla.edu/report-an-incident/
- Moreno Report: https://ucla.app.box.com/s/j286jtajiuh7egrayxz0dwdor7rrrl3g
Other resources about EDI:
- By black academics to educate non-Black academics on anti-black racism in America and Academia: https://www.academics4blacklives.com
- Anti-racism resources for white people: https://docs.google.com/document/u/1/d/1BRlF2_zhNe86SGgHa6-VlBO-QgirITwCTugSfKie5Fs/mobilebasic?fbclid=IwAR2MxhJ3_dyZPsLQol6qKj3z-3ON1hrcX0fpduHjkD4sNYLp7E-_6fXO1oo
- PBS Video: Algorithmic Bias and Fairness: Crash Course AI#18: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gV0_raKR2UQ
