DI&A Celebration Poster Awards elevate departments and campus units for their contributions to DEIA at Mines
Last semester during the Celebration of DI&A, each academic department or administrative unit submitted a poster highlighting the most impactful DEIA activities they conducted over the past academic year. These efforts, programs and initiatives helped create a welcoming and inclusive campus community for all Orediggers during the 2023-2024 academic year.
We’d like to extend our warm congratulations to the 2024 DI&A Celebration Poster award recipients:
President’s Choice – Academic Department: Humanities, Arts & Social Sciences
President’s Choice – Administrative Unit: Trefny Innovative Instruction Center
Student’s Choice Award: Civil & Environmental Engineering
Best in Cultivating a Culture of Inclusion: Applied Mathematics & Statistics and Communications & Marketing
Best in Shared Responsibility: Arthur Lakes Library & Mines Museum of Earth Science
Best in Fostering Dialogue: Metallurgical & Materials Engineering
A special thank you to all the committee members who read and evaluated the posters. If you’d like to review the posters submitted to DEIA, please be sure to log into your Mines Office 365 account and navigate to this link.
Save the date for the 2025 Celebration of DEIA at Mines – March 11, 2025.
Four Orediggers comprise the latest AMI cohort
Mines will again sponsor four employees to attend the Academic Management Institute (AMI). AMI is a leadership development program tailored to women’s leadership; however, the criteria, qualifications and participation are not based on gender identity, but on a willingness to commit to advancing women’s leadership. We are pleased to introduce this year’s cohort:
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Savannah Allshouse – Senior Proposal Analyst, Office of Research and Administration
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Dr. Wendy Fisher – Teaching Professor and Director of Online & Professional Programs
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Emma Griffis – Director of Student Wellness Promotion & Education
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Lauren Salinas – Program Manager, Office of Undergraduate Studies
This year-long experience trains leaders who are building careers and contributing to colleges and universities in Colorado and Wyoming. At the end of their year, these individuals will recap their experiences and projects at the annual AMI spring luncheon sponsored by WISEM.
Wednesdays with WISEM returns this semester
You are invited to join us on October 9th for what’s to be another great edition of Wednesdays with WISEM sponsored by Chevron. This semester, we are honored to learn from Dr. Lakshmi Krishna who will speak on Fostering Belonging at Work and in Life. Dr. Krishna will share her journey from arriving in the U.S. as an international graduate student to her role as the founding Director of Mines Office of Undergraduate Research Scholars. Throughout her career, she has come to recognize the value of fostering a sense of belonging—both professionally and personally—as a key element of success and well-being. Drawing from her experiences, Dr. Krishna will discuss how cultivating belonging has shaped her identity and leadership. She will also offer a few ideas that attendees might find helpful in creating inclusive environments and building strong communities that support personal and professional growth.
The event begins at 11:45 AM in Friedhoff Hall and includes lunch. Your RSVP will help us estimate food, dietary needs and seating. Please submit your acceptance by 10/3.
W-MCA and EMPOWER merge for greater impact
On behalf of EMPOWER and the Women’s Mines Community Alliance, we are thrilled to announce a new partnership to better support women at Mines. This year, the groups will join forces to intentionally harness their collective resources, ideas and efforts, amplifying their impact for women on campus.
With a shared commitment to fostering professional development, networking and community building, as well as advocating for supportive policies, the groups are confident that their collaboration will enhance the support available to women at Mines.
Next year will mark the official launch of the newly combined organization. If you have any questions about this merger, please submit your questions. More information and updates to come as they grow together.
The next EMPOWER/W-MCA event is Tuesday, October 22 – Yoga, Meditation and Social, 4:00-6:00 PM, Isaacs Room and MEP lawn.
DEIA Learning and Development Day – October 15
Join the DEIA team for a full day of learning and professional development as they welcome the Justice Leaders Collaborative to campus on October 15th. The DEIA Day will include important updates by Dr. Kate Youmans for the priorities and direction of DEIA at Mines and two facilitated sessions by DEIA experts Greg Myers (he/him) and Lois McCullen Parr (she/her). The day-long event will include complimentary breakfast and lunch for all participants. Due to limited capacity for this opportunity, participation is by invitation only. Please check your inboxes to sign up and claim your spot before they are filled. If you are interested in attending this event, but haven’t received an email, please reach out to Heather Houlton at hhoulton@mines.edu.
Meet Dr. Andrea Borrego, Program Manager – Equity and Inclusion
Q: What are your responsibilities on the team?
A: I am the Program Manager for equity and inclusion with a focus on faculty. I am tasked with exploring ways to support faculty and departments to create a culture and community of equitable and inclusive experiences. One of my main tasks, which I am really enjoying, involves talking with faculty members and learning more about their journeys.
Q: How long have you worked at Mines? Please share a little bit of your professional background.
A: I have worked at Mines for almost two months now! I started August 2024. I have a BA in Psychology from the University of Notre Dame and a MS and PhD in Criminology and Criminal Justice from Arizona State University, so probably a little different than most backgrounds here at Mines. Prior to Mines, I was a faculty member for nine years and served as a department head for three of those nine years. During that time, I served on several DEIA-related committees, worked on climate surveys and supported women of color faculty and staff in academia in terms of experiences that have helped prepare me for this role. I’ve also sat on community advisory boards, collaborated across departments and colleges, as well as engaged in my share of curriculum and assessment work.
Q: Why does diversity, inclusion and access matter to you?
A: DEIA work is important to me because representation and advocacy matter to promote diverse thought and inclusive spaces. I have been one of a few in certain spaces as a Latina and first-generation college student throughout my higher education journey. Building a community of like-minded individuals was important for my growth, mentorship and support. I believe it has allowed me to connect with students and colleagues because I view individuals and experiences through a broader lens. Lastly, I believe DEIA work is important because there is always something more to learn or improve upon; I am reminded to check my privilege and consider someone else’s point of view.
Q: What are you looking forward to in your work this year?
A: I am looking forward to connecting with people across campus and learning more about Mines and the community.
Q: What is your favorite Golden or Denver-metro restaurant?
A: I enjoy trying new restaurants and all types of food, so I don’t frequent one place often enough to call it my favorite. I am always open to suggestions…and even better if someone wants to grab lunch at their fave spot with me!
Save the dates
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Hyperlinks = virtual meeting access information.
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10/9 @ 11:45 AM Wednesday with WISEM featuring Dr. Lakshmi Krishna
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10/15 @ 8:30 AM-4:30 PM DEIA Day, Friedhoff Hall
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10/22 @ 4:00-6:00 PM EMPOWER/W-MCA Yoga, Meditation and Social, Isaacs Rooms and MEP lawn
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11/13 @ 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM Autum Harvest Market, Student Center Grand Ballrooms
- 11/18 @ 12:30-1:00 PM Mines DEIA General Council meeting
- 3/11 @ all day Celebration of DEIA at Mines
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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.
