Diversity Leadership Council celebrates inclusion efforts across the university

Since the Diversity Recognition Awards began in 2003, the Diversity Leadership Council has celebrated the efforts of more than 200 individuals and groups in Hopkins who are partnering with the community, making their fields of research more diverse in subject matter and representation, and creating a welcoming community. and inclusive workplace. This year’s awards ceremony was held on Monday, May 8, and recognized the contributions of 15 individuals and two groups.

With initiatives such as the First and Second Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion Roadmaps, the continued development of ambitious goals, and the creation of campus resources that encourage the community to explore their identities, Johns Hopkins is poised to continue moving forward in its inclusion efforts -both in large, university-wide efforts and in smaller, individual involvement.

“Johns Hopkins can only excel in creativity, innovation and research if it is supported by a community of diverse leaders, backgrounds and voices,” says Katrina Caldwell, Chief Diversity Officer of JHU and Vice Provost for Diversity and Inclusion. “The university administration may provide the roadmap for diversity, equality and inclusion, but it is the people at Hopkins who will take the lead in achieving those goals. These awards are an important reminder that that pursuit is a daily effort.”

James Calvin, professor of management and organizational practice at Carey Business School, added: “The university has made great strides throughout its history in the areas of diversity, equity and inclusion, but the effects have been particularly noticeable in the last 20 years. It is an honor to work with individuals within the university who are committed to welcoming people of different experiences, identities and abilities.” Calvin was the inaugural recipient and namesake of the James Calvin Award for Excellence in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, which was created to recognize community members who go beyond their daily DEI-focused work.

Image caption: Ikshu Pandey, center, was recognized for her disability advocacy and for her service on the Disability Inclusion Advisory Committee

Image credit: Will Kirk / Johns Hopkins University

Stacey Marks, diversity program manager at the Whiting School of Engineering, received this year’s James Calvin Award for Excellence in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. As founding chair of the Staff Access and Inclusion Committee for the Diversity Leadership Council, Marks was recognized for her steadfast support of staff through advocacy over the past six years, particularly conducting interviews and workshops to address the needs of the understand staff and facilitate reporting on staff composition. .

“I am so pleased to have been able to give a voice to university leadership and now we have a deep commitment to making changes for the advancement of workforce initiatives,” says Marks. “Leadership and advocacy can be uncomfortable at times, but collaborating with university partners and colleagues has helped pave the way for real and lasting change.”

Ikshu Pandey, a junior studying materials science and engineering at Whiting School, was recognized for her disability advocacy and for her service on the Disability Inclusion Advisory Committee.

“One thing I’ve learned from working in disability advocacy is that it’s never too early to use your platform and take up space or amplify the voices of your community,” says Pandey. “Sometimes it feels like society pigeonholes us and limits its expectations of us depending on our race/ethnicity, but that’s why DEI is especially important for younger student populations. The sooner people start to embrace their identity, self-advocacy and intersectionality recognizing , the easier it will be to work towards a truly just future.”

The Diversity Leadership Council, which hosted the May 8 awards ceremony, is made up of students, faculty, and staff from across Johns Hopkins who are committed to supporting the university’s goals of diversity and inclusion. The 15 individuals and two groups recognized at the ceremony are:

• Teresa Johnson, Laboratory of Applied Physics
• Lorraine Smith, Bloomberg School of Public Health
• Tina Suliman, Bloomberg School of Public Health
• David Breier, Johns Hopkins University Press
• Diem Bloom, Johns Hopkins University Press
• Hsin-Ya Tang, Education School
• Christina Harnett, School of Education
• Ikshu Pandey, Whiting School of Engineering
• Tilak Ratnanather, Whiting School of Engineering
• Fadil Santosa, Whiting School of Engineering
• Jeremy Brown, Whiting School of Engineering
• Misha Kazhdan, Whiting School of Engineering
• Stacey Marks, Whiting School of Engineering (James Calvin Award for Excellence in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion)
• Jerrell Bratcher, Development and Alumni Relations
• Juana Hollingsworth, University Executive
• The HOLA Executive Committee, Laboratory of Applied Physics
• The Center for Design and Technology Learning, Whiting School of Engineering