Diversity

Biomedical Engineering Department Statement on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

The Department of Biomedical Engineering, within the School of Engineering & Applied Science (SEAS) at Yale, strives to create an inclusive and supportive environment for all members of its community to learn and work together. We acknowledge, welcome, and celebrate our differences, including those related to race, gender, gender identity, nationality, immigration status, sexual orientation, religion, disability status, and socioeconomic status. Motivated by the understanding that research and education benefit from the involvement of all people, we are committed to broadening participation in our departments and in our professions. We are actively engaged in the recruitment, retention, and promotion of undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and staff from varied backgrounds to achieve this goal.

Our Commitment to DEI

Without diversity of perspective and expertise Biomedical Engineering would not exist. Our field depends on bringing together faculty from all areas of science, engineering, and clinical medicine to improve the lives of people facing medical hardship. It is our ability to share our diverse perspectives with one another and overcome differences in language, understanding, and experience that makes our work as biomedical engineers possible. Critical to our mission is having a community with a diversity of backgrounds and identities who know and care about the unique medical hardships that underrepresented groups face.

Guided by this mission, the Yale Biomedical Engineering Department is committed to creating an inclusive and supportive environment for all students, faculty and staff. Diversity (including but not limited to gender, race and ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, disability status, citizenship, socioeconomic status, and religion) in our department is instrumental to the career development, scientific research, and global impact of our community. As such, Yale BME strives to cultivate a supportive and inclusive community that contributes to the scientific success and wellbeing of all members, and that provides equitable opportunities for students and scholars of all backgrounds.

About the BME Department Committee for DEI

2020-2021 DEI Committee Members

Staff
Deanna Lomax

Faculty
Kathryn Miller-Jensen
Anjelica Gonzalez
Gregory Tietjen
Douglas Rothman

Postdoctoral Fellows
Laura Bracaglia

Undergraduate Students
Sarah Monahan
Matthew Windross

Graduate Students
Hao Xing
Laura Morales

Student Resources

Research Opportunities

Summer internships and research assistant positions during the academic year are available in many labs. We will be posting new information soon on research opportunities.

For students seeking a paid research assistantship, the Office of Graduate Student Development & Diversity offers fellowships to undergraduate students seeking summer research opportunities through the SURF (Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship) program.

Applying to Graduate School

Office for Graduate Student Development and Diversity (OGSDD)

The Office for Graduate Student Development and Diversity (OGSDD) is committed to building and maintaining a nurturing and caring community of scholars where students from diverse backgrounds and experiences are supported in their professional and intellectual goals and pursuits. If you are thinking of applying to Yale's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, please visit the OGSDD website for some things to do that will help you decide if Yale is a good fit for you and enable you to put together a strong application. For more information, please reach out to ogsdd@yale.edu. The staff and fellows at OGSDD are eager to meet you!

How to apply for the NSF (National Science Foundation) Fellowship
http://www.alexhunterlang.com/nsf-fellowship

Campus Resources for Current Students

Office for Graduate Student Development and Diversity (OGSDD) 

The Office for Graduate Student Development and Diversity (OGSDD) is committed to building and maintaining a nurturing and caring community of scholars where students from diverse backgrounds and experiences are supported in their professional and intellectual goals and pursuits. The staff and fellows of the Office for Graduate Student Development and Diversity (OGSDD) are invested in maintaining a caring and inclusive community in support of diversity and inclusion. We work collaboratively and proactively with every department or program to support students' needs, and we are eager to work with you to make your experience here personally and academically enriching. We encourage you to take full advantage of the programs that OGSDD provides. For more information, visit https://gsas.yale.edu/diversity. 

Student-Led Organizations:

Afro-American Cultural Center 
Asian American Cultural Center
Black Graduate Network
Jewish Graduate and Professionals
Korean Graduate Student Association at Yale
La Casa Cultural (Latino Cultural Center)
Mexican Student Organization
Native American Cultural Center
Office of International Students and Scholars
Office of LGBTQ Resources
Peer to Peer Advising for Graduate Students
Women in Science at Yale
Yale Biomedical Engineering Society
Yale National Society of Black Engineers
Yale Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers
Yale Society of Women Engineers
Yale South Asian Society
Yale Women's Center

Title IX Office

SHARE Center

Diversity in Biomedical Engineering Series

View more videos from the series on YouTube

DEI Training Resources

Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning

Effective approaches to teaching and classroom climate are founded on the same principles that drive diversity and inclusion: equal access and opportunity for all students to thrive, honest dialogue about important issues, and protocols for managing difficult, sudden, and emotional moments. Instructors can consider racial and socioeconomic awareness, checking for implicit bias, and developing inclusive classrooms, teaching strategies, and diversity statements. For more information on resources and strategies for understanding diversity and creating inclusive classrooms visit:https://poorvucenter.yale.edu/FacultyResources/Diversity-Inclusion

Support for the BME Asian and Pacific Islander Members

Recent tragic events have highlighted the history and recent surge of harassment and discrimination that the Asian and Pacific Islander communities face today. We write today to recognize your fear and pain, and express the outrage and solidarity of Yale BME against these horrific and senseless actions. The BME community finds its strength in our shared purpose and values of inclusiveness and acceptance across our diverse backgrounds. We actively oppose and will not tolerate discrimination and harassment against the Asian and Pacific Islander community or any other.

These events make even more vital the work of our DEI committee and our community at large to create an inclusive and supportive environment that empowers us to pursue positive changes. In addition, we want to point you to some helpful resources to reflect and educate ourselves:

PBS Documentary (Streaming Free) on Asian Americans Experience: https://www.pbs.org/show/asian-americans/?fbclid=IwAR2If1JogOCkfUtEofUKdHGlHe6cH62V5bm83IkPyQt8FN1lnlRXn5psnw8
Bystander Intervention Training (Free) by Asian American Advancing Justice and Hollaback: registration - https://www.ihollaback.org/bystanderintervention/
Yale Mental Health and Counseling: https://yalehealth.yale.edu/directory/departments/mental-health-counseling
Other on-campus support: https://belong.yale.edu/get-support
National Asian Pacific American Bar Association Legal Resources: https://www.napaba.org/page/HateCrimeResources