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Encouraging Diversity

NOBCChE Pittsburgh

Current Newsletter

Encouraging Diversity

Our department welcomes students of all backgrounds and identities. We are dedicated to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion both within our department and beyond, and are committed to making sure all students find the resources and encouragement they need to succeed.  Our department also fully supports and upholds the University of Pittsburgh policies on nondiscrimination and anti-harassment and all members of our department are expected to meet the standards of behavior described in the Chemical Professional’s Code of Conduct of the American Chemical Society.

In the Department

Our department supports a range of initiatives to help students of all backgrounds and identities find welcoming and supportive communities.

Students in our department are active members of the Pittsburgh chapter of the National Organization of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE), the Alliance for Diversity in Science & Engineering (ADSE) and the local section of the Women Chemists Committee of the American Chemical Society, among others. These organizations host a number of scientific and social events each year, which are announced in emails and fliers posted around the department.

We also have an active Diversity Committee, which is responsible for helping to develop and implement the department's overall diversity plan and serves as a point of contact for students with diversity, equity, and inclusion-related questions and concerns.  For more information about this committee, see here.  

The Department also runs an annual Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program that supports undergraduate students from diverse backgrounds for a paid summer (10-week) research experience.  Inquiries about the upcoming year can be directed to Prof. Kaz Koide (koide@pitt.edu) or the Diversity Committee (chemdiv@pitt.edu). 

In the Community

Our department is also actively engaged in outreach in the community.  One of our department's longest-running outreach programs is Saturday Science, which aims to give local students from underrepresented groups hands-on laboratory experience in chemistry. 

Members of our department also run regular outreach events with local schools, and participate in university-wide outreach programs.  Recent events include Homewood reading and Science Program, visits to local schools, participation in the Carnegie Science Center National Chemistry Week Celebration, activities with local scouting groups and participation in the anatomy fashion show (supports the Make a Wish Foundation).