Chemistry's DEI Committee
by Michelle Farkas
This year has been an exciting one for the Chemistry Department’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. Our members include undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and staff. One of our major goals for the year was to improve departmental cohesion through the hosting of events – we hosted end-of-semester dessert/study breaks for undergraduate students, a departmental international potluck event in January (co-hosted with the Graduate Chemists Association), and a departmental BBQ event at the end of the Spring semester. We held “Breakfast with the DEI Committee” during the graduate recruiting weekend to share information on resources and affinity groups at UMass Amherst. We have also been working with the graduate recruiting committee to implement more targeted recruiting to improve the diversity of our graduate students and application pool. We also hosted the first “Diversity in STEM” lecture in Chemistry, sponsored by PPG in mid-April. Professor Malika Jeffries-EL (Boston University) spoke on “Design and Synthesis of Organic Electronic Materials.” As part of her visit, she met with faculty, students, and members of the newly formed UMass chapter of NOBCChE (National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers).
UMass Amherst NOBCChE Chapter
by Neumiah Massenat
The purpose of the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers UMass Amherst Student Chapter is to increase the knowledge of people of color in chemistry, chemical
engineering, biomedical engineering, and related disciplines. This Chapter works to achieve scholarship and provide resources for career and professional development. This Chapter also intends to impact the local student community through professional and educational manners for the growth of underrepresented minorities in the chemical sciences and related fields. We hope to unite undergraduate and graduate students across the Five College Area to expand their passion for knowledge and science communication skills while building a valuable network for their future.