Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Statement
My Background
I am a Hispanic and white cis-gendered woman who grew up in a middle-class household. I was raised by my single-mother until my wonderful stepfather entered our lives. I am the first person in my family to go to college and get a Bachelor's degree. My experience of applying to and attending university was confusing, and I often didn't know what I was supposed to be doing. I have experienced sexism in academic settings. However, I am aware of other aspects of my identity that grant me privileges that others do not have. For example, English is my first language, which is a common language in academic settings. I am a documented citizen and do not have to worry about being deported. My parents paid for most of my undergraduate degree, leaving me with only a small about of debt when I graduated. When applying to PhD programs, I was fortunate to have a supporting partner, flexible job, and encouraging mentors.
As I have taught and interacted with many individuals, my approach to teaching and communicating is grounded in my experience as a social worker. I’ve learned to make the subject engaging for the learner and meet the person where they are in the moment. For example, a student may have never practiced or learned a skill that I plan to assess. Thus, taking the time to teach them that skill is critical. I’ve also learned to show the person that I care about their learning and success beyond the classroom through direct and open communication. I am also explicit about the criteria for assessment to ensure equity in accessibility, understanding, and grading. I’ve learned to be creative and try different techniques for learning and communication. For example, as a social worker, many of the individuals I worked with were non-verbal, and it was important to me that I learn how they communicate with others so that I could communicate with them. I’ve learned that my experience is different from that of my students, so I am vulnerable with my students and open myself to learn from them.
I recognize that I have made and will make mistakes, and I continuously work to educate myself and provide resources for my students. My current practices and plans for promoting diversity and inclusion as a Teaching Assistant, Assistant Instructor, and Mentor pervade over three areas: research, teaching, and service in academia.
Promoting Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in My Research
In my research program, I publish the deidentified demographic results of the “About Me” survey for each of my courses to Canvas and incorporate the data into the following semester’s syllabus. Modeling and actively encouraging students to participate in open science is a primary goal of my research program as a mentor and collaborator. Most of my projects include cross-cultural comparisons. I work with collaborators from other universities, non-governmental organizations, and local communities to understand the cultural values, perceptions, and behaviors to formulate my research questions. I understand the value of interdisciplinary collaboration and recognize that students will not all follow a path leading to an academic setting. I work to apply my research to broader communities and public policies to support behavior change efforts beyond an academic journal or conference.
Promoting Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in the Classroom
As a teacher at the University of Texas at Austin, I employ methods from my previous experiences to ensure inclusion in my classroom and conversations. In my syllabus and course design, I utilize technology, including hyperlinks, Bookdown, Poll Everywhere, and Kahoot, to speak to different learning styles throughout the semester. Furthermore, I utilize Scholarship of Teaching and Learning best practices to incorporate creative and effective strategies in my lectures and assessments when developing my course syllabus. Throughout the semester, I provide examples of prominent leaders in psychology that are part of a minority group. Furthermore, each of my lectures highlights the strengths and weaknesses of diversity regarding the lecture topic so students are aware of these issues and understand their implications. In the future, I will participate in the Inclusive Classrooms Seminar through the Diversity and Engagement Center at the University of Texas at Austin.
Promoting Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Academia
I promote diversity, inclusion, and equity through engagement in service within the University of Texas at Austin. I take an upstream approach at various levels to make the changes I want to see in the field of psychology and higher education more generally. At a broader and more indirect level, I assist in recruiting job candidates for hire in the psychology department at the University of Texas at Austin. I assist in analyzing graduate student climate surveys to examine the needs of graduate students from the department and take this into account when recruiting faculty members. I do my best to attend job talks and lunches for job candidates so that my opinions are heard and valued by the department. For undergraduate and incoming graduate students, the level of service is more direct. Every semester I help recruit underrepresented and minority students to the graduate program by providing CV workshops and graduate school office hours to reach the students who don’t know what graduate school is like or can look like for them. I have co-founded the Psychology Undergraduate Mentorship Program at the University of Texas at Austin to foster relationships between undergraduate and graduate students and teach students skills related to psychological research. I recognized that the department did not have mentorship opportunities for graduate students outside of their lab. Moreover, undergraduate students did not have opportunities to hear from diverse graduate students. I further my involvement with undergraduate students in organizations that promote diversity in STEM fields, such as the Society for Advancing Gender Equity in STEM, Psychology Diversity Committee, and the Neuroscience Undergraduate Reading Program.
I truly believe diversity inclusion in my research, in the classroom, and in my time is critical for advancing academic and research success. Given the sensitive nature of the material, I foster an environment of trust, respect, and security, and it is critical that students 1) respect opinions and experiences different than their own and 2) be mindful of each other’s emotions and feelings in the classroom. When there is discomfort or offense caused by the material or a student in the classroom, I have strategies to alleviate the discomfort or address the situation. Students are welcome to discuss with me in a private setting or, if the situation is appropriate as a class. It is likely that there are multiple students in the classroom that feel discomfort, and a class discussion enhances the ability to not single out students and potentially educate others. Lastly, resources for how to report concerns related to diversity, equity, and inclusion are available on my Canvas pages.