The Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (PME) and the University of Chicago have numerous organizations and initiatives engaging with equity, diversity, and inclusion matters. They offer methods for reporting, student and faculty ombudspersons, and opportunities for our community members to become involved with EDI work.
Organization Leads Details National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), PME Chapter Susan Okrah Chapter established in 2020. Society for Women Engineers (SWE), PME Chapter Abigail Lauterbach Chapter established in 2017. Society for Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), PME Chapter Cyrus Zeledon Chapter established in 2020. PME Committee for Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Matthew Tirrell, Andrew Ferguson, Rovana Popoff, and rotating members Established in 2019 as a way of combining and sharing information, efforts, and responsibilities around diversity, equity, and inclusion. Initial members were those either who individually took initiatives to organize in this area or who had responsibilities in this area. Mandate to be refined. Women in the PME Sophia Huang, Ande Hesser - University of Chicago Diversity & Inclusion: All members of the University community are invited to participate in the work of promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion.
- Reflections on Race, A Multimedia Resource Guide: A collection of books, articles, and other resources that members of the University community said they would recommend to others.
- All Staff Diversity & Inclusion Meetings: Presentations by various staff diversity leaders and groups give attendees a chance to hear directly from some of the individuals driving these changes.
- Faculty Diversity Training—Searching for Excellence: This program provides concrete, actionable steps to improve the faculty search process.
- Diversity Training for Graduate Student Recruitment: Faculty and staff engaged in the recruitment process gain evidence-based actionable steps to improve the graduate recruitment, selection, and retention process.
- Ally Training Opportunities: Ally Training provides participants with tools and practices designed to support marginalized communities.
- Inclusive Pedagogy: The Chicago Center for Teaching (CCT) helps faculty navigate issues like diversity, stereotype threat, and bias in the classroom.
- UChicago Inclusion Workshops: The workshops combine behavioral science with improvisational practice to cultivate insights and interpersonal skills central to understanding and relating to one another across dimensions of diversity.
- Center for the Study of Race, Politics & Culture (CSRPC): CSRPC faculty affiliates, students, and staff have been committed to establishing a new type of research institute devoted to the study of race and ethnicity.
- The Center for Identity + Inclusion: This center creates intentionally diverse and inclusive communities, serving as a bridge-builder by engaging people of all backgrounds to ensure personal, academic, and professional growth and success.
- Biological Sciences Division—Diversity and Inclusion: This page lists events, news, and resources in the BSD around diversity and inclusion.
- Student for the Center of Gender and Sexuality—Women in Science: Organizes events that bring women faculty in the sciences together to share work, make connections, and build community
- University of Chicago Diversity & Inclusion: All members of the University community are invited to participate in the work of promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion.
- University of Chicago Policy of Unlawful Harassment & Discrimination
- UMatter—Student Resources for Resolution: This site provides information and resources about gender-based misconduct, and the University resolution process.
- Bias Education & Support Team (BEST): Bias is a pre-formed negative opinion or attitude toward a group of persons who possess common characteristics, such as skin color, or cultural experiences, such as religion or national origin. The University urges anyone who has experienced or witnessed a bias incident to report it to BEST.
- Perspectives: The Staff and Faculty Assistance Program (SFAP) is provided by Perspectives Ltd. to assist you and your family members with the challenges of daily living. The program is confidential, available 24/7 and provides Telephone/in-person counseling (office on campus with locations throughout Chicagoland and NW Indiana) among other services.
- UChicago Student Wellness: UChicago Student Wellness is committed to promoting the mental health and well-being of UChicago undergraduate and graduate students by providing accessible, high-quality, culturally sensitive mental health services. We also provide outreach and consultation to the University community.
Please see below resources on policy and reporting bias for PME community members.
Award description: The PME EDI Seed Grant program provides small internal awards to support initiatives that contribute and are aligned with the PME EDI Mission. All PME personnel (undergraduates, graduate students, post-docs, staff, faculty) are eligible to submit proposals. Partnerships with external non-PME personnel and organizations are permitted.
Eligibility: All PME personnel.
Submission window: Rolling (no deadline).
Duration: Flexible – can be a one-time event or support a program for up to one year.
Award size: Up to $1000.
Allowable expenses: Funds must be utilized to advance EDI activities benefiting PME. Support cannot be used to support normal operating activities, personnel salaries, or dissertation research projects.
Evaluation merit criteria: Proposals will be evaluated by an awards subcommittee of the PME EDI Committee according to the following criteria:
- Potential of the proposed activities to advance equity, diversity, and inclusion and positively impact the PME community
- Organization, rationale, and quality of the proposed activities along with articulated objectives, and definitions and mechanisms to measure success
- Qualifications and suitability of the PME team (and non-PME external partners) to execute the proposed activities
- Appropriateness of the budget for the proposed activities
Proposal preparation: Proposals should be prepared using this template and submitted via email to pme_edi@uchicago.edu.
Program implementation: Funded proposals must be implemented within one year of the award and run for an implementation period of no more than a year. Funding recipients are required to submit a terminal evaluation of their program and present their findings at an annual EDI meeting.
Contact: Prof. Andrew Ferguson, Deputy Dean for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion: andrewferguson@uchicago.edu
Related programs: The Office of the Provost administers a number of grants to advance the campus-wide Diversity & Inclusion Initiative. The Physical Sciences Division maintains a PSD Inclusive Climate Grant program for PSD personnel.
Applying for grants and fellowships is a critical skill in every graduate student's professionalization by providing the durable skills necessary to become independent grant seekers and competitive applicants in the future. The resources provided by UChicagoGRAD will enable you to become well versed in navigating databases and curated lists of awards, assessing fellowships and fit, and preparing a competitive application. To access the links below, as well as other information and fellowship opportunities, please self-enroll in the Canvas course page.
- Diversity Fellowships - All Fields
- Diversity - Discipline-Based Awards
- Diversity - Dissertation Write-Ups and Postdoctoral Opportunities
Please note that the lists at the above links are not exhaustive of all Diversity and Inclusion fellowships available to students. For more opportunities, search databases by personal identity characteristics, and relevant keywords. (Tips on searching for fellowships)
Students may also schedule appointments with UChicagoGRAD for individual fellowship advising.
Student Ombudspersons are responsible for understanding relevant student resources, policies, and processes, and for offering peer support for navigating those resources, policies, and processes should a grievance or conflict arise. Their role is not to take sides in a conflict, to serve as an advocate, to conduct investigations, or to engage in adjudication. Instead, they will be a confidential and informal resource for students who are interested in discussing and addressing any PME-related concern or difficult situation.
The specific duties of the PME Student Ombudsperson are:
- to be available to peers bringing forward problems, issues and complaints;
- to be knowledgeable about resources and policies relevant to students;
- to sort out the relevant facts and issues associated with a complaint;
- to refer complaints to the appropriate deans within the PME and/or to offices within the University;
- to suggest remedial steps in the settlement of a complaint;
- to work with the student and the appropriate administrator or faculty member in seeking a satisfactory resolution;
- and to call attention to any injustices and abuses of power or discretion.
The PME Student Ombudsperson(s) can be used as a first step, last resort, or at any point in a grievance. The University of Chicago Office of the Student Ombudsperson is also a resource for PME students who would prefer to work with someone outside of the division. In addition, PME Faculty Ombudspersons work with the entire PME community -- staff, students, and faculty.
- The current PME faculty ombudspersons are Professor Andrew Ferguson and Professor Chong Liu.
- The current PME student ombudspersons are Joey Federico, Sophia Huang, and Adarsh Suresh.
For more information on the EDI Committee and its work or to propose a new EDI initiative or event, please contact the Vice Dean for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at pme_edi@uchicago.edu or reach out to any of the current PME EDI Committee Members.