Ongoing DEI Initiatives
Diversity Commitee:
The Norris Center Diversity Commitee is made up of six people:
Emma Brown is an undergraduate Environmental Studies major who is interested in entomology. Emma joined the DEI committee to help make the Norris Center a place where anyone can participate and be an inclusive environment for all, as well as helping to create more opportunities for community involvement in natural history dialogue.
Elsie Carrillo is a graduate student in Rita Mehta's lab (Ecology and Evolutionary Biology), studying diving behavior in aquatic snakes.
Justin Luong is a graduate student in Michael Loik's lab (Environmental Studies), studying grassland restoration.
Francisco Hernandez is a UCSC student and environmental sciences major. Frankie believes that as we live through the challenging times of social justice, it is important for him to be a part of the DEI committee because it means being a part of an initiative that offers humble solutions to the current lack of representation in natural history.
Jasmine Regalado is a UCSC alumnus who majored in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. Jasmine has interests in mammalogy and ornithology, and is currently applying to veterinary school. Jasmine joined the DEI committee because as a Latina woman involved in natural history and ecology, she understands how disproportionate these fields can be. Jasmine wants to ensure all BIPOC folks not only have opportunities to be involved but also feel welcomed and represented in these areas of study.
Alejandra Rueda is a UCSC alumnus who majored in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology major. Today Aly works for DeAnza Community College in their student sucess department. Aly is interested in the DEI committee because she feels it is important and beneficial to include the community and students from different backgrounds. Aly is also putting together a screen-printed clothing website, full of insect and plant designs!
Ongoing Efforts to Improve DEI at the Norris Center:
- Raised $43,000 in student stipends in 2019 to enable URMs and first- generation students to work at the Norris Center
- Created, and offer yearly Webster Fellowships with the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History and the Bird School Project to engage underserved K-12 populations with natural history programming
- Created a display featuring the Norris Center’s diversity in staff, students and Currently on display in the Norris Center community room
- Sponsored inclusion training for all Norris Center interns and staff through the campus diversity coordinator
- Regularly sponsor Professional Career Development Program interns, a program targeted at career development for undocumented students. Previous student was in 2018.
- Creates, offers or sponsors five internships (available to up to 40 students per quarter), and numerous classes (engaging hundreds of students per year) with no barrier to entry, in which we give priority to students who have not had similar experiences in the past
- Hosts Natural History Symposia to build mentoring relationships between students, alumni and professionals to increase retention in natural history
- Formed internship focused on the racist and anti-racist past of natural history collections. The interns explore the history of natural history museums in order to learn not only how some people were systematically excluded, but also how museums are grappling with their pasts to right historical wrongs. The interns created a survey to better understand perceptions about DEI in the Norris Center community. Anyone in the Norris Center community is welcome to take the survey.
- Partnered with CAMINO to offer paid internships to students to resurvey Randy Morgan's plant and insect localities. The internship is purposely aimed to increase representation in field-based research by pairing field work with mentorship, housing stipends, and professional development activities in a cohort of peers.
