Past Events

CNA Panel

Cohosted with Career Advising and Experiential Learning (CAEL), this is a virtual panel discussion featuring diverse scientists' journeys.. Panelists are from the Center for Naval Analyses (CNA) is a federally funded research & development center in Arlington, VA. They conduct national security research primarily for the Department of Defense. Panelists: Dr. Becky Roh (Caltech Alumni) Research Analyst, Strike and Air Warfare Program Systems, Tactics and Force Development Division Dr. Margaret (Peggy) Chern Research Analyst Strike and Air Warfare Research Programs Systems, Tactics, and Force Development (STFD) Division Addam Jordan Chief Scientist of the Center of Enterprise Systems Modernization Rahul Patel Research Scientist in the Surface Warfare Team

Women's History Month Asian American Women in Leadership Panel

A virtual panel discussion featuring Marisu Jimenez, the General Manager of the Athenaeum; Athena Castro, the Executive Director of the Caltech Y; Tiffany Kimoto, the Executive Director of the Kavli Nanoscience Institute; Ling Lin, Finance Manager in the Division of Engineering & Applied Science; and Coomy Bilimoria Kadribegovic, Senior Project Manager at Caltech Facilities. Panelists will share their leadership journeys and leadership lessons they've learned along the way hosted by the CCID (Caltech Center for Inclusion and Diversity) and APACT (Asian Pacific Americans at Caltech)

BlackHistory Month STEMinar 2022 w/Dr. Ronald Gamble

Ronald S. Gamble, Jr, Ph.D. is a Theoretical Astrophysicist at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. In this STEMinar, he talks about his research, his professional journey, and the importance of representation of scientists of color in STEM.

THINK BLACK: A Conversation with Clyde Ford

Clyde W. Ford is a software engineer and an award-winning author. His latest book, THINK BLACK is about his father's experience as the first Black software engineer in America. In this program, Ford talked about race, equity, and the history of eugenics. He also discussed the impact of technology on issues of social justice. January 12, 2021 12-1PM

Diversifying Power: Why We Need Antiracist, Feminist Leadership on Climate and Energy with Dr. Jennie Stephens

Dr. Jennie C. Stephens (Caltech, PhD, 2002 Environmental Science & Engineering) is the Dean's Professor of Sustainability Science and Policy at Northeastern's School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs. In this talk, she discussed her new book which is focused on institutional and cultural innovation in the energy sector, including gender diversity, environmental justice, and energy democracy. December 9, 2020 12-1PM

Write it Out! Moving Past Fear & Empowering Authenticity with Evolve Benton

Incorporating music and meditation, this interactive workshop guided participants in using writing as a tool of calmness and empowerment. December 3, 2020, 4-5PM

Building Resilience during Turbulent Times: Self Compassion when Studying for Exams Mindfulness Meditation with Jaime Rossfeld

Jaime Rossfeld teaches the Caltech community about the mindfulness meditation practice and self compassion. December 2, 2020, 4-5PM

Investing in yourself! The Importance of Financial Literacy & Growing Your Personal Wealth with Dr. Leo Green

Dr. Leo Green is a post-doctoral researcher at Caltech. In this presentation, he talked about the history of Black wealth in America, the current wealth gap, and provided tips for investing. December 2, 2020, 12-1pm

Building Resilience during Turbulent Times: Mindful Communication with those you love but disagree with Mindfulness Meditation with Jaime Rossfeld

Jaime Rossfeld teaches the Caltech community about the mindfulness meditation practice to navigate divided conversations with friends and family during the holiday season. November 23, 2020, 4-5PM

Writing our Stories with Davin Malasarn

Davin Malasarn, Lead Writer, Presidential Communications, Development and Institute Relations at Caltech offered 2 workshops on how to write our own stories. We only recorded Part 2, but we hope you enjoy the sage advice and best practices from one of our very own! November 17, 2020, 12-1 PM

Caltech's Diversity Bonus with Professor Scott Page

Dr. Scott Page is the John Seely Brown Distinguished University Professor of Complexity, Social Science, and Management at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. Dr. Page focuses on the function of diversity in complex social systems, the potent­­­ial for collective intelligence, and the design of institutions for meeting the challenges of a complex world. He is the author of more than ninety research papers and five books covering a variety of topics including, The Diversity Bonus. November 13, 2020 12-1:30PM

Building Resilience during Turbulent Times: Post Election and Midterms Decompression Mindfulness Meditation with Jaime Rossfeld

Jaime Rossfeld teaches the Caltech community about the mindfulness meditation practice to gain steadiness and balance during stormy times. November 12, 2020 4-5PM

Women Mentoring Women STEMinar with Professor Martha S. Gilmore

Professor Martha S. Gilmore is the Seney Professor of Geology in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Wesleyan University. She discusses her research and how her identity as a Black women in STEM influenced her professional journey. November 12, 2020 12-1PM

2020 Election Debrief with Professor Mike Alvarez

Professor Mike Alvarez discusses his analysis of the 2020 Election results, dynamics, and preliminary findings. He was also able to field many questions from our Caltech community. November 4, 2020, 12-1:15PM

Women in Power: Leadership, Politics, & the Current State of the Union with Professor Caroline Heldman

Professor Heldman discusses our current political landscape and the representation of women government. What is America's view of our women leaders in politics? Is gender equality in politics and power a realistic future or a fallacy? How is the political landscape and climate representative of our society? October 23, 2020 12-1PM

Latinx Heritage Month: An Evening of Poetry

In honor of Latinx Heritage Month, the CCID welcomed local poets Angelina Sáenz, M.Ed, MFA, Saúl Hernández, and Cynthia Guardado for poetry that celebrates the beauty, diversity, and creativity of Latinx stories and culture. October 23, 2020 5-6:30PM

Writing a Diversity Statement with Hixon Writing Center & CCID

This session was intended to provide best practices, approaches, and tips for writing a diversity statement. Our general concepts apply for those who are applying to graduate schools and/or faculty positions at colleges and universities. October 21, 2020 12-1PM Contact CCID for Presentation Slides and Diversity Statement Meaning Worksheet.

Latinx Heritage Month STEMinar featuring Dr. Cristina Thomas

In celebration of Latinx Heritage Month, the CCID welcomed, Dr. Cristina Thomas for a talk about her Latinx culture, research, and her professional journey. October 15, 2020

Talking to Diverse Groups with Nikki Chun, Bil Clemons, Hanna Song

This session was intended for the Caltech community to provide frameworks and context when engaging with diverse groups. Whether you are representing Caltech as a mentor, panelist, and/or representative at a conference, we believe these best practices, tips, and advice will support you in connecting with prospective students. October 15, 2020 12-1PM

Why are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria Book Club Debrief with Dr. Beverly Tatum

This past month, the campus got together to read and discuss Why are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria. We were so lucky to have the author and 9th President of Spelman College, Dr. Beverly Tatum, come discuss her work, answer questions, and give us some advice on how to move forward to create a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive community. August 25, 12-1PM

Street Evangelists and Queer Prophets: Abolitionist Legacies in the Movement for Black Lives with Ahmad Greene-Hayes

This talk reflects the religious sensibilities of Black radical activists and political organizers as a critical opportunity to reflect on the longstanding interconnectedness of Black religions and Black radicalisms. Looking back just fifty years to the Stonewall Riots and the mobilizations of such persons as Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson, two transgender women with expressed theological and spiritual commitments, will incite critical conversation in this contemporary moment on the place of the sacred in social movements and the crises undergirding Black radical politics. August 13, 2020 12-1PM

White Fragility Book Club Debrief with Dr. Nolan Cabrera

After reading White Fragility, we will reflected with Dr. Cabrera as he shared his concept of White Immunity, or the social inoculation that White people receive as a result of being White in a systemically racist society. July 27, 2020 12-1PM

STEMinar Speaker: Dr. Jade Sasser

Associate Professor in the Department of Gender & Sexuality Studies at UC Riverside. Dr. Sasser is engaged in three research projects: the first explores the impact of climate change-related emotions on young people's current and future reproductive plans; the second investigates the roles of gender and power in everyday household fuel use, specifically biomass use, in Vietnam, Ethiopia, and Madagascar; and the third project, in partnership with the NAACP, analyzes the role of gender justice in American climate justice organizations' work. July 21, 2020 12-1PM

Decoding Diversity and The History of BLM for CCE Townhall with Dr. Hanna Song and Monique Thomas

This dual workshop covers sharing common definitions of subjective concepts and terms like diversity, inclusion, equity, microaggressions, unconscious bias, and privilege. And asks the important question of CCE, what can we do as a community to mitigate our biases and create a campus where we can all thrive and achieve excellence? Followed by an hour of a workshop that explores the roots of why the Black Lives Matter movement exists and the historical underpinnings of racism in the US. July 17, 2020. 11-1PM

Asian-Americans in an Anti-Black World with Dr. Claire Jean Kim

This question and answer hour with Claire Jean Kim is a Professor of Political Science and Asian American Studies at the University of California, Irvine, where she teaches classes on comparative race studies and human-animal studies. and is currently completing a book entitled Asian Americans in an Anti-Black World. July 13, 2020 12-1PM

From Recruitment to Selection: An open forum on Caltech Undergraduate Admissions with Nikki Chun and Jarrid Whitney

Through an open forum format we discussed our current recruitment strategies and practices, as well as ways that each person at Caltech is an integral part of enrolling each incoming class of students. Nikki and Jarrid share what is being done and how you can become a part of the process. July 9, 2020 12- 1PM

Diversity Statement Writing Workshop with Erin-Kate Escobar

Erin-Kate shares the components of what makes an effective diversity statement, why you need one, and proven tips for writing your own. This workshop also discusses strategies for creating inclusive and productive environments for all students. July 2, 2020 12-1:30PM

Black Wall Street and Black Wealth with Monique Thomas & Dr. Leo Green

In the early 20th Century, the Greenwood neighborhood of Tulsa, Oklahoma, was referred to as Black Wall Street. It was a prosperous, African-American community. That would all end in violence during the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. June 30, 2020 12-1PM

Policing, the Carceral State & Black Community with Dr. Danielle Wiggins

Danielle Wiggins is an assistant professor of history in the Caltech Division of Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS). Her dissertation entitled, "Crime Capital: Public Safety, Urban Development, and Post-Civil Rights Black Politics in Atlanta," examines a central paradox in the post-Jim Crow African-American experience: the advancement of black elected officials to positions of power and simultaneous economic inequality in black communities. June 19, 2020 12-1PM Please contact the CCID for suggested Readings/Bibliography.

Maintaining our Commitment to Justice in Unjust Times with Tim Wise

A session with Tim Wise and his views on anti-racism in higher education and beyond. Tim provides a historical background to better understand current events and suggests ways for us to move forward in creating an anti-racist world. June 11, 2020 12-1PM

Black Lives Matter and History of Racism for ISP with Monique Thomas

This session is geared towards our international population to better understand the Black Lives Matter movement and the historical underpinnings of racism in the US. June 4, 2020 12-1PM

Data Driven: Striving for Diversity & Inclusion in Surveys Dr. Hanna Song

This workshops covers how to structure your demographic questions to be more inclusive when collecting data. The CCID fosters conversations about how you can capture and assess what you really want to know about your organizations and efforts .May 28, 2020 12-1 PM

STEMinar: Roberto Zenit (PhD '97)

Roberto Zenit (PhD '97) is a professor of engineering at Brown University. He earned his BSc at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México and M.S. and PhD degrees at Caltech. He was also a 2014-15 Fullbright Scholar at Caltech. Roberto has been a fellow at the American Physical Society, and an elected member of the Academy of Engineering of Mexico.

STEMinar: Marcella Gomez (PhD '15)

Marcella Gomez (PhD '15) is an assistant professor at UC Santa Cruz in the department of Applied Mathematics. She received her PhD from Caltech in 2015 and a B.S. from UC Berkeley in 2009; both degrees in Mechanical Engineering. Her research interests are in synthetic and systems biology. She is also a proud Chicana, first generation Mexican-American from Riverside, California.

STEMinar: Karina Edmonds (PhD '97)

Karina Edmonds (PhD '97) is the VP, Head of Academies and Universities at SAP. She received her B.A. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Rhode Island, and M.S. and PhD degrees in Aeronautics from Caltech. Since graduating from Caltech, Karina has worked at TRW, JPL, and Google. Born in the Dominican Republic, she is a proud Afro-Latina scientist.

The Model Minority Stereotype of Asian Americans with Dr. Nicholas Hartlep

In this presentation Hartlep explores how the model minority stereotype of Asian Americans is interconnected to anti-Asian racism and xenophobia in the United States. Hartlep will address how "nasty talk" and "racist love" is levied against Asian Americans and how widespread these forms of communication are, especially during the Trump Presidency and the COVID-19 pandemic.