About SOLS JEDI Initiative
In 2020, Arizona State University School of Life Sciences (SOLS) created the Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) Initiative, including a Special Advisor to the Director and the JEDI Committee, to transform our institutional structures and culture to better support ASU’s Charter and improve wellbeing across our diverse community.
Our Mission:
School of Life Sciences JEDI Committee works across our school, Arizona State University, and national networks, to develop an inclusive and thriving community that reflects the sociodemographic diversity of our state and nation. The SOLS JEDI Committee works to ensure that human diversity, equity, and inclusion are foundational to decision-making, resource allocation, policies, and practices in support of our academic mission.
Our Vision:
The School of Life Sciences JEDI Initiative aspires to displace systemic prejudice to create a safe, inclusive and just environment where all community members can thrive, especially those from groups that have been marginalized in Life Sciences.
Building an inclusive community
Our director shares a message of commitment and hope for the future of Life Sciences.
News on diversity
News
School of Life Sciences awarded JEDI seed grants for inclusive STEM education initiatives
The School of Life Sciences, with others across The College, were awarded $9,550 for their interdisciplinary proposal “Natural Sciences INCLUsion DEpartmental (INCLUDES) Training Program,” and $10,000 for their proposal “RISE Teams: Improving Undergraduate Outcomes in Biology using Research for Inclusive STEM Education (RISE) Best-Practices.” These targeted initiatives will improve student outcomes in biology and STEM through inclusive curriculum, teaching and mentorship.
ASU center awarded JEDI seed grant to establish biocollections scholars program
The Biodiversity Knowledge Integration Center was awarded $10,000 for their proposal, “Biocollections JEDI Research Fellowship: Facilitating Equity and Inclusivity in Human-Nature Connections.” Scholars will complete a six-week summer research training experience, which will include a collaborative, curation-based research project and rotations between the core specialties of botany, entomology, vertebrate zoology and bioinformatics.
ASU faculty discuss equity and inclusion in STEM at virtual event
The College hosted a virtual screening and discussion of “Picture a Scientist” — a documentary film that chronicles the groundswell of researchers who are writing a new chapter for female scientists. The livestreamed discussion was led by Nancy Gonzales, provost pro tempore and outgoing dean of natural sciences, and Raychelle Burks, professor of analytical chemistry at American University in Washington, D.C., and one of the scientists featured in the documentary.
Tools and Resources
Centers, initiatives and programs
Stay tuned to learn more about how to get involved in JEDI programs and initiatives across the School of Life Sciences and ASU, including training programs, inclusive teaching fellowships, and national research opportunities.
Upcoming Events
Save the date for the JEDI/HMMI retreat, coming up on April 9 and 23! We also hope you’ll join us for listening sessions, discussions, and seminars. Full list coming soon!
Additional resources
We’ve compiling a set of resources for additional learning, perspective, support and involvement - both in and outside the ASU community. We will continue to update our spreadsheet, so continue to check back for latest book recommendations, article links and more!
Spotlight on inclusion
Member spotlight in the news
School of Life Sciences faculty members, Jeffrey Jensen and Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion committee member, Janet Neisewander, receive Outstanding Faculty Mentor Award.
Inclusive Teaching Fellowship Program
An initiative to train student and faculty member teams, and revise medium-enrollment and high- enrollment undergraduate courses, using evidence-based best practices in inclusive pedagogy and curriculum design. Inclusive Teaching teams will begin their work in Spring 2021!
Member spotlight in the news
ASU School of Life Sciences virologist and Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion committee member, Arvind Varsani pursues research of all kinds on all continents
The Research Inclusive STEM Education (RISE) Center
Promotes equity in the experiences of undergraduates in STEM through innovative education research conducted at scale, leading to the development of best practices for inclusive STEM education.