In 2018, Biology graduate students launched the Biology Diversity Community (BDC), a cross-disciplinary, student-driven group that fosters peer support for underrepresented students and unites a network of individuals throughout the Biology community. The BDC focuses on creating a space for individuals and groups to communicate their varying perspectives to the MIT community and beyond, and to discuss how to navigate barriers as graduate students.
To contact the BDC, email bdcgroup@mit.edu. For more information, please visit our website.
Organizers
- Ana Tsai, Biograd Class of 2021
- Cesar Dominguez, Biograd Class of 2019
- Christian Loyo, Biograd Class of 2019
- Juana De La O, Biograd Class of 2019
- Julia Dierksheide, Biograd Class of 2020
- Manraj Gill, Biograd Class of 2018
- SaRa Kim, Technical Associate
For information on past members, please visit our website.
Events
The BDC hosts a variety of events throughout the academic year. After the success of #ShutdownSTEM in June 2020, the BDC implemented a Diversity Seminar Series in the Fall of 2020 and a more casual Coffee Series in the Spring of 2021.
With these events, our mission is to highlight diverse voices and to continue department-wide conversations about race, gender, diversity, equity, and inclusion. We aim to engage the MIT community in educational discussions, disrupt biases and systems of oppression, and build a community with opportunities to learn how individuals’ unique identities influence their experiences.
Previous Events
- Coffee and conversations: Codeswitching and authenticity
- Professors and Pizza: MLK visiting scholars Brandon Ogbunu and Wasalu Jaco
- Ice cream float department social
- Coffee and conversations: Identity and student experience
- Panel on Creative and social outlets for community building
- Special seminar on voting
- Community seminar with first-generation graduate students
- Seminar with Darcy Gordon: Building inclusivity in higher education
- Panel and discussion with visual artists working at the intersection of science and art
- Interactive workshop on spoken word poetry with Lupe Fiasco
- Showcase with exhibits and performances to celebrate artists in the MIT Biology Community