The Future of Biology 2 (FOB2) Steering Committee was convened in the fall of 2020 with a charge to “consider effective interventions and programs, to investigate areas for growth and development, and to make recommendations for concrete action” and “to develop recommendations that help guide the planning and development of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) initiatives across the life sciences, at the departmental, college and campus level.” The Committee was led by Co-Chairs Diana Bautista and tyrone B hayes included faculty representing life sciences departments from across campus:
Greg Aponte, Professor of Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology
Diana Bautista, Professor of Molecular and Cell Biology
Stephanie Carlson, Professor of Environmental Science, Policy and Management
Michelle Chang, Professor of Chemistry and Chemistry and Biomolecular Engineering
Gian Garriga, Professor of Molecular and Cell Biology
Eva Harris, Professor of Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology
tyrone B hayes,Professor and Co-Chair of Integrative Biology
Arash Komeili, Professor of Plant and Microbial Biology
Sanjay Kumar, Professor and Chair of Bioengineering
In total, the Committee met 20+ times in a variety of formats. The Committee reviewed the diversity, equity, and inclusion strategic plans for the participating departments, reviewed campus data and reports, and discussed external efforts and publications. The full committee also met with campus subject matter experts to develop a greater understanding of current efforts and best practices. At the end of the fall 2020 semester, the Committee self-selected into three groups based on constituency groups: undergraduate students, graduate students, and faculty. These groups met to discuss and prioritize previously surfaced areas (or ideas) for further investigation. Discussions were supported by the use of a rubric to evaluate ideas based on impact, cost, and potential for implementation. The resulting report provides recommendations for advancing diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging for students and faculty at several different levels of intervention.