Page 8 - CEMS Summer 2022 Newsletter

DEI UPDATE
Diversity, equity, and inclusion
Updates from the CEMS Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Working Group and Students Organizing Against Racism (SOAR).
CEMS IDEAS Awards
Conceived by members of Students Organizing
Against Racism (SOAR), the Climate Committee of the DEI Working Group organized and implemented the inaugural Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Action and Service (IDEAS) Awards. These awards gave formal departmental recognition to CEMS community members who have gone above and beyond in service to CEMS and the constant betterment of the shared community. As an annual program, the IDEAS awards strive to recognize excellent work and encourage continued and persistent engagement in DEI-related activities within CEMS.
Graduate students John Dewey, Grace Kresge, and Maya Ramamurthy were selected as award winners, along with undergraduate student Michelle Quan.
Members of the Students Organizing Against Racism (SOAR) group including Ela Engen, Gabriela Diaz Gorbea, Abbigael Harthorn, Nate Hartnett, Moujhuri Sau and Amber Walton won as a team for creating the SOAR newsletter, a department-wide email newsletter providing important diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) information and resources.
The winners received certificates and $50 gift certificates to a minority-owned business of their choice.
Honorable mentions were awarded to graduate students Paulina Eberts, Abbigael Harthorn and Pranati Mondkar and undergraduate students Leah Baker, Tatem Rios and Sneha Sinha. They received certificates.
The selection committee consisted of CEMS students, faculty and staff who also serve in DEI roles such as the CEMS DEI Working Group, SOAR, CEMS Womens+ Group, and Mental Health Advocates.
Edison High School Outreach
In Spring 2022, the DEI/SOAR outreach team organized a trip to Minneapolis Edison High School to provide in-person support to two 9th grade and English Learner science classes. The group of CEMS volunteers included
DEI/SOAR volunteers recently conducted an outreach event in Toby Schroder’s class (pictured, far left) at Edison High School. Volunteers included (pictured, from left, standing next to Mr. Schroder): Daniel Krajovic, Justin Ramberger, Colton Gerber, Ashlie Hamilton, Kaitlin Koran, Raisa Carmen Andeme Ela, Meenal Rathi. Not pictured: John Dewey, Mike Manno and Cain Valtierrez.
Teaching Professor Mike Manno, postdoctoral scholar Dr. Raisa Carmen Andeme Ela and numerous graduate and undergraduate students (pictured above). During the week of their visit, CEMS volunteers supplemented lessons on the periodic table and assisted with a hands- on student project, building “We Share Solar Suitcase” kits. This volunteer experience was planned via a collaboration with the Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers: Research Experience for Teachers (MRSEC RET) teachers (including CEMS alumna, Claire Hypolite, PhD ChE ’00).
In the future, the group hopes to assist more classrooms with lab lessons and small group projects, according to teacher needs and Minnesota science and engineering standards. Multiple teachers at Edison High expressed interest in participating in the Fall semester, and news of CEMS volunteering plans have already reached another
local high school. continued on page 9
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