ERC Strives to Create an Inclusive Culture Across Multiple Locations
The NSF-funded Engineering Research Center (ERC) for Advanced Technologies for the Preservation of Biological Systems (ATP-Bio), co-led by the University of Minnesota and Massachusetts General Hospital, hosted a slate of in-person and virtual events to facilitate the creation of an inclusive culture and sense of community across all Center institutions.
Creating an inclusive culture across multiple institutions in different locations presents challenges that can create barriers to an inclusive community. The events provided multiple ways for the members of the NSF-funded Center to learn about inclusivity, fostered collaboration, and increased the sense of belonging for faculty, staff, and trainees.
The slate of events were coordinated at the University of Minnesota, Massachusetts General Hospital, the University of California, Berkeley, and Carnegie Mellon. In addition to the virtual events, each site hosted an in-person event that included ATP-Bio faculty, staff, and trainees.
The focus on inclusivity included collaborating with an external evaluator and actively fostering partnerships among the Center’s research, engineering and workforce development, and diversity and culture of inclusion pillars. Additionally, the Center’s mentor education program—Research Experiences for Undergraduates—and one of the virtual Diversity and Culture of Inclusion Café gatherings focused on creating inclusive lab spaces.
