Category Archives: Justice Equity Diversity Inclusion

CESI/JEDI Spring Lecture Series: An Anthropology of Homelessness, Unsettlement, and Colonization in Seattle TODAY

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Check out the CESI/JEDI lecture series event on April 13th, 1:30pm – 2:20pm PT on Zoom. The lecture is entitled“An Anthropology of Homelessness, Unsettlement and Colonization in Seattle”

This lecture reviews the most current reported state of homelessness in the US, particularly focused on the Pacific Northwest and Seattle. There will then be a discussion about some of the connections between colonization, unsettlement, homelessness and political representation. The conversation ends with a visible, but often unwritten, account of vehicle residency in Seattle that shows how social forces of home-lessness, un-settlement and re-colonization intersect in Seattle’s public parking.

Dr. Graham J. Pruss received his PhD from the University of Washington Department of Anthropology in 2019 as a US National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow. In the fall of 2020, Dr. Pruss joined the Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative at the University of California San Francisco’s Center for Vulnerable Populations as a Postdoctoral Scholar. His research has focused on the intersecting social constructions of homelessness, vehicle residency, political representation, policy, health and social service care.

UW Disability Equity Project: Participate in a Study on Disability Equity and Inclusion

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A research team from the Disability Studies Program, The D Center, and the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine is looking for volunteers to participate in a series of research focus groups and/or interviews to help co-create a disability allyship training curriculum. This project is funded by the UW CLIME competitive small grants program. 

They are recruiting UW students, staff, and faculty who have a disability, physical or mental health condition, a chronic illness, or are d/Deaf to contribute to a research project on disability, equity, and inclusion on the UW campus. The team is still recruiting individuals who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). 

You may be eligible, if you:  

  • Are 18 years or older 
  • Are a student, staff, or faculty member who attend or work at UW at least part-time. 
  • Identify as having a disability, physical or mental health condition, chronic illness, or are d/Deaf. 
  • Identify as Black, Indigenous, or a Person of Color (BIPOC)

If you decide to participate in the study, you will be asked to be part of a 60-90-minute virtual focus group with your fellow students, staff, or faculty members. You can also request to complete an individual virtual interview. Each participant will receive a $30 electronic gift card after completing the focus group/interview. 

If you are interested in participating in the study or have any questions, please contact our research team at uwdisabilityequity@uw.edu or visit their website to meet the research team and learn more. 

They are interested in learning :

  1. how you perceive your academic and/or healthcare experiences, considering campus attitudes and the social or physical environment
  2. how you experience ableism or discrimination on UW campus
  3. how you experience allyship, advocacy, and community at UW.  

All study information will be kept confidential. Captioning and ASL interpretation can be provided. Additional accessibility needs will be solicited upon participant confirmation.  

CESI/JEDI Spring Lecture Series – Lecture 1 on Apr 15

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CEE 420, the Construction, Energy, and Sustainable Infrastructure (CESI) group of our department, and the Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) committee is hosting a series of lectures speaking about infrastructure, vulnerable populations, international development, and inequities.
As scheduling would have it, there will be two of these next week. The first will be on Thursday, April 15th at 1:30 pm, where CEE’s very own Dr. Faisal Hossain will present his talk, How are Dams Changing our Rivers in Developing Regions?  Dr. Hossain’s work has improved the lives of millions of people around the globe; come and learn about one of the many amazing things that is happening in our department!
Get the Zoom link here.
Learn more about next Thursday’s talk by continuing to read.

Continue reading →

Confronting AAPI Racism During Covid-19 Seminar TODAY at 11 am

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The MolES DEI committee is hosting a discussion with UW School of Social Work faculty Dr. David Takeuchi and Dr. Jane Lee TODAY  (3/29) at 11 am PST to examine anti-AAPI racism and the pandemic. This seminar will explore the rise in hate crimes, the implications of the Atlanta shooting last week, and allyship with AAPI communities. The event will be a moderated discussion followed by an open Q&A session.

Register and learn more about the event here. 

About the speakers:

Dr. Lee’s program of research focuses on reducing health disparities among racial/ethnic and immigrant populations. She studies the unique role of migration-related processes in shaping health behaviors and identifies novel approaches to reach and engage immigrant groups.

Dr. Takeuchi, a sociologist whose research focuses on health and help-seeking among racial, ethnic and immigrant populations, is associate dean for faculty excellence. In this position, he identifies ways for faculty, researchers, and doctoral students to establish new research programs, enhance career trajectories and uncover new scholarship opportunities.

The College of Engineering will be announcing additional programming about this topic in early spring quarter.

Racist Crimes Against Asian and Asian American Communities

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A message from Department Chair Laura Lowes:

CEE community members,

Most of you have heard of the terrible events in Atlanta last week, when a gunman shot and killed eight people, including at least six women of Asian descent. We grieve for their loss, and stand in support of Asian and Asian American communities.

This form of hatred and bigotry is not new; it has a long and shameful history in our nation. Nationally, anti-Asian hate crimes have increased during the past year. In Seattle, two predominantly Asian American churches have repeatedly received anti-Asian hate messages, including an incident last week.

We condemn these racist attacks, we mourn the victims of these hate crimes, and we stand firmly in support of our Asian and Asian American colleagues, friends, and neighbors.

In the last year CEE has heightened efforts to create a diverse, equitable and inclusive community for all, including our Asian and Asian American faculty, students, staff, alumni and friends. If you are looking for new ways to contribute to this effort or have specific concerns that you would like to share with our JEDI leadership, please visit our JEDI website here.

This last year has been challenging for all. Hopefully, this week of spring break will provide you an opportunity for rejuvenation and renewed energy to work towards increased justice, equity, diversity and inclusivity in CEE and beyond as well as to advance your academic, professional and personal goals.

CAP Meeting with Mechanical Engineering Department on Mar 10

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What are you still wanting to learn or change about how we are promoting diversity within our department?

The CEE Action Planning (CAP) group is partnering with the Mechanical Engineering Students for Against Racism (MESAR) group to hold a community meeting on Wednesday, March 10 from 4-5 pm. This meeting is a result of growing interdepartmental interactions and the realization that, as a department, we can learn from and work with other departments to make both CEE and the College of Engineering a more just, equitable, diverse, and inclusive environment.

The zoom link to the meeting is here.

What is a community meeting? What can you expect from this meeting?

Community meetings are an opportunity to have discussions around diversity, equity, justice, and inclusion among and within our departments. We will have small breakout discussions to learn about progress and challenges within our departments related to diversity and inclusion initiatives.

Who is involved in these meetings?

This meeting is for anyone within the CEE community who wants to connect with people within our department and learn strategies for promoting DEI. This is a great opportunity for anyone in CEE to not only get up to date about who and what CAP is but also learn about what other departments (specifically ME) are working towards.