March 2022 D I and A Digest Header
Welcome, Spring!

Collectively, this is our favorite time of year. It’s when we swap out the snow boots for umbrellas and enjoy the longer and warmer days of spring. Thank you, Colorado, for gifting us with nearly 240 days of sunshine each year. Spring is also when students are in their final months of the semester and are eagerly awaiting E-Days, those last ski/board turns in the mountains and putting those finishing pieces together on their internship and job offers.   

In the spring, we ask all academic departments and participating major campus units to submit their annual DI&A progress report. These reports highlight the work being done across campus to foster a more welcoming and inclusive campus community via a culture of shared responsibility. These reports, rooted in data and metrics, also help us identify where more attention is needed and to celebrate successes. We cannot wait to share with you many of the initiatives that are moving the needle forward on campus when the 2021 Mines DI&A Annual Report is released later this semester!  

Welcome back from spring break, Orediggers! 

Dr. Amy E. Landis, Tammy Curry, Heather Houlton and Kelly Knechtel
Mines DI&A

Content This Month
Dr. Hudson receives $70k from Newmont to infuse equity into Mines courses and curriculum

Image of Dr. Derrick HudsonDr. Derrick Hudson, one of the Mines DI&A Fellows during this academic year, recently was awarded $70,000 from Newmont to support a major initiative entitled STEM Equity Fellows: Infusing Equity into Mines STEM Courses and Curriculum. The motivation and vision of this proposal seeks to support Mines faculty to conceptualize and develop academic curriculum to bolster inclusive teaching across most of the academic departments at Mines. These Fellows will be recruited from across the Mines campus. This funding will support the development of the Engineering Equity Center, which will be the hallmark program on the Mines campus and could become a model nationally for how to implement racially inclusive teaching at major STEM universities. This program will train faculty to incorporate equity issues into their course-specific learning outcomes, resulting in students who are better equipped to consider and design equitable systems.

Mines receives $100k to dig deeper into student retention

Newmont generously supports a cross-department collaboration to investigate the factors that affect Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) students’ retention and identify solutions. This project collaboration across DI&A, Admissions and Student Life aims to uncover some of the trends regarding retention of these populations. This deep dive will investigate some of the following factors via a combination of data analysis, qualitative and quantitative surveys and focus groups: 

  • Recruitment data (who applies, is admitted, enrolled) 

  • Financial Aid data (and debt) 

  • Mines programming and support mechanisms 

  • Co-Curricular engagement (e.g., clubs, sports, residence hall life) 

  • Curriculum support 

  • Mentoring 

  • Feelings of belonging 

VentureWell makes available $55k in grant money to faculty, staff and students

VentureWell Course & Program Grants (formerly called “Faculty Grants”) makes up to $30,000 available to faculty or staff at US higher education institutions to support curriculum that engages students in science and technology innovation and entrepreneurship. The application deadline is May 18. They are currently only accepting proposals for sustainable design or sustainable technology at this time; however, they will accept proposals on other topics in fall 2022. If you would like more information about either of these grants, you are welcome to join an info session hosted by VentureWell on April 12 at 1:00 PM ET.

Student innovator teams developing scalable solutions to large social, health or environmental challenges are encouraged to apply for up to $25,000 in catalytic funding under the E-Team Grant by May 4. Teams will also receive entrepreneurship training to identify pathways for their venture and innovation.

Department and campus unit diversity progress reports (option 1) due next month

It’s that time in the year when we ask all academic departments and participating major campus units to submit their annual DI&A progress report. A new template and two due date tracks were introduced this year based on the Mines DI&A general council’s feedback. If your campus unit or department’s diversity committee is satisfied with how you gather data and report impact, you are not required to switch to the new template. You are encouraged to review the updated criteria, however, to make sure your current practice captures pertinent information. Information captured in the progress reports is shared throughout the Mines DI&A Annual Report.

Due dates timeline: Option 1 

  • April 4: Draft Implementation Plan progress reports due to Mines DI&A. Submit directly to the DI&A OneDrive folder or email to diversity@mines.edu

  • April 18: Progress reports are reviewed, and comments returned to unit leads

  • May 2: Updates to progress reports made and submitted back to Mines DI&A and unit VPs/Supervisors

  • July 1: Final submitted progress reports reviewed by President Johnson

Due dates timeline: Option 2 

  • May 31: Draft Implementation Plan progress reports due to Mines DI&A. Submit directly to the DI&A OneDrive folder or email to diversity@mines.edu

  • June 13: Progress reports are reviewed, and comments returned to unit leads

  • June 27: Updates to progress reports made and submitted back to Mines DI&A and unit VPs/Supervisors

  • July 1: Final submitted progress reports reviewed by President Johnson

Not sure what timeline you’re following? Review the progress report timeline shared worksheet.

Nominate a colleague or peer for the 2022 DI&A awards

The annual award nomination window opened last month and runs through April 12. There are many outstanding faculty, staff, students and groups who are worthy of recognition. Consider highlighting their efforts by submitting a nomination not only to elevate their work across campus, but as a word of thanks. Award recipients demonstrate an exceptional understanding of diversity and inclusiveness as represented by their efforts to:

  • enhance inclusion through positive foster dialogue communication between people of diverse backgrounds,
  • promote an environment free from bias and discrimination,
  • raise awareness and lead initiatives that advance diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion,
  • support efforts in Mines DI&A Strategic Plan and/or
  • serve as a catalyst for change in the areas of diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion.
Women’s History Month luncheon wraps up a month-long celebration of women

Image of Dr. GonzalesIn March, the Women in Science, Engineering & Mathematics (WISEM) program sets aside time for all of campus to celebrate the achievements of women at the annual Women’s History Month luncheon. This year, Dr. Gonzales, a professor of History and Vice Provost for Diversity and Inclusion at Regis University is the guest of honor and Keynote. She is a member of History Colorado’s State Historian’s Council and in July 2021 was named by Gov. Jared Polis to serve as the Colorado State Historian. Born and raised in Denver, she and her family have deep roots in Southern Colorado and Northern New Mexico. Dr. Gonzales specializes in the history of the American West, with a focus on race relations and social and political movements. Her research interests include the land grant movements of Southern Colorado and the experiences of Chicano Vietnam Veterans. Join your colleagues and peers this Wednesday, March 30, 11:45 AM luncheon, 12:10 PM program in Friedhoff Hall. This is an RSVP event.

Two Mines women featured in new Smithsonian Exhibit

Images of Dr. Jenny Brigs and Sarah Wilson next to their statues as part of the If Then She Can - The ExhibitEarlier this month, Emilie Rusch, Director of Communications, penned a short article featuring Dr. Jenny Briggs, a fire scientist and Assistant Dean of graduate studies at Mines and Sarah Wilson, a robotics engineer, former competitive skier and Mines (and University of Denver) alum who are included in the largest display of statues of real women ever assembled in one place, now on display on and around the National Mall in Washington, D.C. to mark Women’s History Month. The #IfThenSheCan – The Exhibit, is a collection of 120 life-sized (and bright orange) 3D-printed statues that portray a diverse coalition of women working in STEM. Jenny and Sarah, who are both participants in the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) IF/THEN Ambassadors program, had a chance to see their statues in person earlier this month.

Request for proposals for K-12 STEM outreach program

As a STEM-focused university, Mines is interested and engaged in K-12 outreach activities. These activities introduce students to STEM topics and career opportunities, they support and develop K-12 teachers and they enhance the visibility and reputation of our university. These activities happen organically at Mines, driven by individual faculty, staff and student organizations. These are often supported by external grants, donor funds or investment of personal time.

With a few exceptions, most of these activities are concentrated geographically within a short distance of Golden and we have little insight to how they translate into students enrolling at Mines.

Through a grant provided by the Colorado School of Mines Foundation and other donor support, funding is available for a few innovative pilot projects that have the potential to expand the geographic reach and impact of Mines’ STEM K-12 outreach activities. Proposals are due to the Office of the President by way of Tammy Strange presoffice@mines.edu by March 31. Decisions will be made by April 15.

Mines women recognized at annual Colorado Women’s Day luncheon

Student Taryn Tucker holding her Outstanding Young Women in STEM awardEarlier this month, three Mines students, Taryn Tucker (MS, Mechanical Engineering), Azlan Tubbs (BS, Applied Mathematics) and Abigail Meyers (MS, Chemical & Biological Engineering) were recognized as Finalist at the Colorado Women’s Day luncheon for two state-wide awards: Outstanding Women in STEM presented by the NREL Foundation and the Outstanding Young Women in STEM (age 19-25). Taryn Tucker was awarded the Outstanding Young Women in STEM award for her leadership in 2020-2021 as the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) President, the largest SWE collegiate section in the country, and for starting a campus-based STEM outreach event for middle school girls. Diana Rogozyan, an Arvada West High School student, was also the recipient of the Outstanding Young Women in STEM (under age 18) award for her active leadership with DECtech at Mines.

Funds of Knowledge film screening and workshop

The April 4th event focuses on the work of Arielle Rainey, a recent Mines graduate with a Humanitarian Engineering Sciences Master’s degree, who studied engineering education and examined how the concepts of belongingness, identity and funds of knowledge affect retention and recruitment of underrepresented groups in engineering. The event is held in-person in Berthoud Hall, 243 at 1:00 PM or virtually. Food will be served. RSVP to help ensure enough is available.

April is national poetry month

Join HASS and the Hennebach program in celebrating award-winning poet Roger Reeves’ new book, Best Barbarian—a mesmerizing second collection from Reeves (King Me) reflects intergenerational racial trauma and personal tragedy with a remarkable balance of acute feeling and lyrical precision. These poems powerfully allude to the ways in which racial atrocity is sewn into the fabric of America. His poems move across time and space, referencing the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in 1963 Birmingham, all the way to a biblical fable of a man named Ezra as Reeves’ guide, encountering the spirits of formerly enslaved people and giving voice to the impulse of rebellion against the white supremacist state. The event is held in-person on April 7 at 5:30 PM in CTLM 102 or virtually. Contact Dr. Seth Tucker stucker@mines.edu for Zoom access information.

Take Back the Night: Shatter the silence, stop the violenceTake Back The Night Flyer Thurday April 28th at 6:00 PM, Kafadar Commons. 

During this one-night event, SAIL, the Office of Institutional Equity & Title IX, SAAVE and Betsey’s Friends Peer Educators collaborate on Take Back the Night to raise awareness of sexual assault during sexual assault awareness month (April). The event includes a survivor safe space, story sharing and a Keynote performance from Ebony Stewart, an international poet and performance artist. You are invited to share your story in advance or join the recognition event on April 28 at 6:00 PM, Kafadar Commons.

Contribute to next month’s Mines DI&A Digest

Help us highlight the work you or your department is doing across campus to support DI&A at Mines by submitting a brief article to next month’s Mines DI&A Digest. Submissions must be received by the first week of the month in order to make it in that month’s Digest.

Save the Dates 

Hyperlinks = virtual meeting access information. All times are Mountain Daylight Time.  

As always, we welcome your ideas, thoughts and feedback at diversity@mines.edu.
Thank you for being a member of an inclusive Oredigger community and an advocate and ally for positive social change.

Diversity, Inclusion and Access