SF BUILD Leaders Influence Practice of Science as Ambassador Agents of Change

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Contact Info: sonny.vernard@ucsf.edu

A key component of SF BUILD II is the Ambassador Agents of Change initiative. This initiative was originally envisioned in the renewal application for BUILD II funding as a mechanism for disseminating evidence-based practices for creating affirming and inclusive environments in STEM. While these efforts are ongoing, Ambassador Agents of Change in SF BUILD have been called upon this July to influence responses to racism and anti-blackness in STEM. The growing awareness of these root causes of educational and health disparities, as well as the funding gap between Black and white scientists that sparked formation of the Diversity Program Consortium (i.e., the Ginther Report) have led to the following presentations, and an open letter, to national audiences:

“Combating Systemic Racism in Higher Education: An Open Letter to STEM from Faculty of Color,” Co-authored by Leticia Márquez-Magaña, PhD, Lead PI of SF BUILD and submitted to Science on July 8, 2020.

“Creating Culturally-Affirming & Inclusive Environments in STEM,” Presented by Audrey Parangan-Smith, Ph.D., Co-Director of SF BUILD at ASM Microbe meeting, July 27, 2020.

“Endemic Confounding: Anti-Blackness and STEM,” Presented by Kenjus Watson, Ph.D., Program Evaluation Director of SF BUILD to NIH Diversity Catalysts, July 30, 2020.

“Designing for a Just World: Blowing up Diversity and Inclusion,” Presented by Kelechi Uwaezuoke, DrPH, MPH, SF BUILD Assistant Director of Diversity, Inclusion and Community Partnerships for Disruptor Connection Series, July 31, 2020.

The Diversity Program Consortium Coordination and Evaluation Center at UCLA is supported by Office of the Director of the National Institutes of Health / National Institutes of General Medical Sciences under award number U54GM119024.
Need Assistance? Please contact our support team: info@diversityprogramconsortium.org .