#LEADERSHIP
Jessica Aguilar is a fourth-year PhD Candidate in the Whiteman Lab who has created the inclusiveIB program for the Integrative Biology Dept. at Cal. She successfully applied for the funds to create and spearhead the program. Here is her description of inclusiveIB and what inspired its creation:
"I am passionate about developing skills to make science a better, more equitable place. I was inspired to create the inclusiveIB symposium in our department after attending the inaugural year of the iMCB symposium in our sister department, Molecular and Cellular Biology. This was one of the first events about equity and inclusion that I have attended where I left with new tools to contribute to a more inclusive science community. inclusiveIB is a one day symposium for the IB research community and Berkeley Natural History Museums (faculty, post-docs, graduate students, research staff). We will learn about equity/inclusion issues within STEM and build up our individual 'toolkits' that can be used to make our community more inclusive. This will build more community awareness around these issues and will help make the environment better for everyone."
"I am passionate about developing skills to make science a better, more equitable place. I was inspired to create the inclusiveIB symposium in our department after attending the inaugural year of the iMCB symposium in our sister department, Molecular and Cellular Biology. This was one of the first events about equity and inclusion that I have attended where I left with new tools to contribute to a more inclusive science community. inclusiveIB is a one day symposium for the IB research community and Berkeley Natural History Museums (faculty, post-docs, graduate students, research staff). We will learn about equity/inclusion issues within STEM and build up our individual 'toolkits' that can be used to make our community more inclusive. This will build more community awareness around these issues and will help make the environment better for everyone."