The Department of Epidemiology’s EDIB committee is an advisory group consisting of a diverse membership of faculty, researchers, students, and staff who are committed to promoting equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging throughout the department in various ways.
Working closely with department leadership, the committee meets once a month since it was established in the spring of 2021. The group consults regularly with the Harvard Chan School’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI), to align priorities and goals. Member Jiyoung Won serves as the ODI Departmental Committee Liaison who participates in ongoing engagement and communication with ODI in key areas throughout the year.
Three priority areas were defined by the School’s ODI and are described in their 2021-2024 strategic plan Foundations for Sustainable Progress & Transformation: An Inclusive Excellence Strategic Plan for the Harvard Chan School. Departments were asked to use these areas as a guide when defining areas of focus, opportunities, and objectives.
Committee Highlights from 2022-2023 Academic Year
- Vision and Mission Statements Working Group
A working group was established to discuss the creation of department EDIB vision and mission statements, what the mission statement would include, and what voices would be captured within the statement. The group met regularly to work through iterations of the drafts while seeking department-wide feedback.
- Establishing Group Norms
A committee group norms document was written to establish rules for how the committee should operate per individual core values and ideals for working together as a team. The final document was distributed and shared among members.
Committee Highlights from 2021-2022 Academic Year
- EDIB Webpage
An EDIB webpage was developed by the committee to increase access and visibility of EDIB work and resources within and outside the department. Through collective reflection and effort, an EDIB page was successfully designed, to be launched in the fall of 2022.
- BIPOC Speaker Nomination Form
A survey form was developed to encourage the nomination of BIPOC speakers, and circulated throughout the department. This pilot initiative was intended to broaden our speaker networks and increase the diversity of our seminar series speakers.
- Speaker Invitation Note
A standardized note was drafted to be included in all future speaker invitations, designed to encourage speakers to consider addressing questions at the intersection of epidemiology, racism, and health inequity as they may apply to their presentation topic. The language is intended to invite presenters, even those whose research doesn’t directly intersect with EDIB-related issues, to think about their research through a DEI lens and to articulate the department’s priority on EDIB work.
- Standardized Recruitment Practices for Postdoc Fellows
In partnership with the Manager of Academic Administration’s lead, the committee made strides to improve the diversity of our Postdoctoral Research Fellows and their success. The department designed and implemented standardized recruitment policies and procedures to promote diverse and equitable Postdoc Fellow recruitment. In addition, the department developed a comprehensive on- and off-boarding program for Postdoctoral Fellows, which includes a 90-day check-in procedure, an annual “stay interview,” and an exit interview. These initiatives were designed to help set new employees up for success, welcome feedback about their experiences, and make improvements.
Committee Highlights from 2020-2021 Academic Year
- Committee established spring 2021
- Department-wide Climate Survey
An initial department-wide climate survey was conducted with the goal of better understanding the department members’ values, concerns, and priorities with regards to diversity, inclusion, and belonging. The survey aimed to gain insights into what DIB means to each member of the community and why they matter, as well as identify key areas of the department of personal importance and most improvement needed.
- Key Topic at Annual Faculty Retreat
“Diversity and Anti-Racism,” moderated by one of the committee members, was one of the key topics at the annual faculty retreat event. The participants in this group delved into various ways in which the department could focus its EDIB efforts, including admissions, teaching and mentoring, recruitment, and retention. The retreat successfully brought together our faculty to collectively discuss key EDIB issues and brainstorm ideas.
Questions? Email the committee (EPIDEPT@hsph.harvard.edu).
