Dear Colleagues,
Welcome to our debut Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in Research section! My name is Essie Torres, and I am the director of strategy for research diversity workforce and community partnerships in the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research (OVCR). My role is to build an equitable and inclusive research environment within the OVCR and across Carolina.
Over the past few months, I have led this effort by conducting listening sessions to hear from a diverse group of stakeholders with a focus on DEI-related efforts within our research enterprise.
My goal is to use this information to develop a road map to an integrated and unified approach that effectively supports continued progress in achieving DEI goals in research.
This DEI in Research section will be a dedicated outlet to showcase our diverse research community and highlight DEI training opportunities. It will also provide updates and share exciting news regarding initiatives and activities.
One exciting initiative is our DEI in Research (DEIR) Certificate Program. Launched last year as a pilot for members of the OVCR organization, the program will foster a new standard of inclusion, sensitivity, and intentionality within the Carolina research community. The DEIR certificate has been met with tremendous success and will be made available to our wider research community soon.
Our office will also be involved in this year’s University Research Week by hosting an event that focuses on data equity. By incorporating an equity lens to everyone who works with data we can change common practices of data use to advance equity and prevent harm to vulnerable communities.
The OVCR is committed to supporting efforts that foster and continue to build equitable community partnerships, diversify the scientific workforce, and lead system-level changes that will support inclusive and equitable research practices and environments.
I look forward to our continued commitment in implementing DEI initiatives across our research enterprise and the opportunity to highlight our progress and opportunities here!
Sincerely,
Essie Torres