Cohort 2019-2020

"To me, diversity and inclusion means celebrating and promoting diversity within the Caltech community..."

"To me, diversity means recognizing that a collective is made up of individuals and that it is important to the efficacy of the collective to include of a wide range of identities and lived experiences."

"Diversity and inclusion means creating a space where folks are welcomed and ensures that they do feel welcome."

"Diversity and inclusion in STEM and academia means not only will I one day be able to see more people who represent my various identities in positions of power, but that their diverse perspectives will be valued and uplifted rather than ridiculed."

"To me, diversity and inclusion means that everyone sees themselves represented in the positions around them."

"Through the Fellowship Advising and Study Abroad office, I want to be an ally and be there to help students pursue all opportunities, to hear their concerns, and to advocate for them when I can."

"Inclusion and Diversity means honoring the uniqueness of everyone, and recognizing the value of the different skills, styles and capabilities each person brings to the table."

"Diversity and inclusion is about making sure everyone has a chance to participate in everything Caltech has to offer.  Education is the gateway to a successful career as a scientist."

"Diversity & inclusion means creating spaces, conversations, opportunities and communities that welcome, value, support and respect those with different viewpoints, backgrounds, appearances, and preferences."

"As a postdoc in Caltech, I acknowledge the privilege and challenges of my position, and am actively looking into practical ways to support these goals."

"Oftentimes diversity and inclusion means to me caring about who people are beyond their work."

"Diversity and Inclusion are such broad topics and are described and interpreted so differently based on gender, race, ethnicity, religion, upbringing and so much more."

"To me, diversity and inclusion means caring about all populations, but paying special attention to marginalized people (in particular, students) who might not always feel safe in the spaces they are in."

"On a practical level, I believe that diverse viewpoints are necessary to find solutions to the pressing problems of our time. On a more emotional level, I want our society to be able to live in harmony."

""VASUDEVA KUMTUMBUKAM", a time-less Sanskrit wisdom which means "THE WHOLE WORLD IS ONE FAMILY" captures the essence of what Diversity and Inclusion means."

"As we discuss shifting campus culture to be more inclusive, the CCID and CPA are both leading the effort to organize, educate and communicate with post-docs. I wish to contribute to the culture shift that must happen in the post-doc realm."

"Intolerance and unconscious bias against minorities (in all senses of the word) is still pervasive. Even a 1% unconscious bias against a minority group results in significant disadvantages when compounded over time."

"I am particularly passionate about improving institutional support and a culture of inclusion for student graduate parents. I believe that the current lack of support for this population poses a significant long term challenge for women in STEM on campus."

"For me, diversity means to accept and respect everyone without judging their gender, sexual preference, background, and race. It is to be open to learning about different cultures and points of view."

"Diversity means strength and beauty. No one person has all the answers and so inclusion of different cultures, experiences, and beliefs is valuable to solving the problems we as mankind encounter, such as climate change and hunger."

"To me, diversity means that there are many different potential voices in a 'room', so to speak, and inclusion is meant to ensure that all voices are heard and encouraged."

"In my own life, I try to live and work so everyone can live life as freely and fully as possible."

"My role at Caltech is to bring Caltech scientists into the community in various ways, and I have always prioritized bringing programming to schools with higher populations of students from backgrounds underrepresented in STEM fields."

"We have huge power in the library to support our students, faculty, and staff. A foundational principle in libraries is that we provide
access to information, no matter who you are."

"We believe in supporting the many intersections of our members' identities, such as (but not limited to) race, sexual orientation, gender expression, socioeconomic class, and immigrant/indigenous status."

"To me diversity and inclusion mean to treat everyone with respect and dignity."

"Working in a very science and fact-driven organization, it can be difficult to get support and interest on social issues that are more complex and less fact-specific."

"Diversity and inclusion, (...), mean creating spaces and opportunities that push for equity (and hopefully, justice) and treating people as whole people with both visible and hidden identities that affect them in whatever role they take..."

"Diversity is wide representation along one or more axes of the demographic spectrum. These axes could be race, class, gender, ethnicity, disability, educational status, etc, and they vary based on place and context."

"At Caltech, our challenge is to incorporate modern notions of diversification in to the context of a competitive academic environment."

"Inclusion and Diversity are extremely important if Caltech wants to be successful in having every student, and faculty to fully contributing their genius ideas together for innovations beyond our limited scope and point of views."

"A commitment to diversity and inclusion begins with an acknowledgement that all people are not the same, and in recognizing that our differences are not simple nor are they inconsequential."

"To me, inclusion means creating an environment where everyone feels welcomed and a sense of belonging."

"My goal is to learn how to help make the environment at Caltech more welcoming for everyone, especially those who don't have my experience of privilege."

"To me, diversity is unlocking the door to everyone, inclusion is opening the door and helping them walk."

"Diversity and inclusion means to me that people of all races, genders, cultures are represented in all parts of the community according to their approximate proportion of the American population (proportions that are changing rapidly)."

"I feel it is time to stop being on the sidelines and begin taking action to support diversity at Caltech."

"I want to be a Diversity and Inclusion Ambassador as I want to help educate and support the Caltech community on diversity and inclusion."