History
The Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging was established in 2018 after considerable input from community members and research on best practices. Below is the timeline of events that led to the creation of the office and the steps we have taken thereafter.
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December 2024 |
Lizette Ortega joins The Office for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging as the Senior Program Manager for Student Development. |
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Fall 2024 |
The Office for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging hosts two foundational symposia: Beyond Western Approaches: Recognizing Indigenous Traditions in Engineering and The Ivy Collective for Inclusion in Engineering Doctoral Symposium. |
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Spring 2023 |
Facilitated Conversations, Focus Groups, and Data Walk programs were conducted with stakeholder groups within the SEAS community responding to the Campus Climate Survey |
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November 2022 |
Edward Alexander joins the SEAS community as the Assistant Director for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging |
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October 2022 |
Report from the Second SEAS Campus Climate Survey was released |
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May 2022 |
Paula Nicole Booke joins the SEAS community as the second Assistant Dean for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging |
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April 2022 |
SEAS’ Second Campus Climate Survey was administered |
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September 2021 |
SEAS DIB Launches the DIB Fellows Program |
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September 2021 |
SEAS DIB launches the Post-Baccalaureate Program |
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September 2019 |
SEAS Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging Strategic Plan released |
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May 2019 |
SEAS Committee on DIB presented a strategic plan to Dean Doyle |
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September - December 2018 |
Community discussions about the climate survey results |
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September 2018 |
SEAS Campus Climate Survey Report was released |
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August 2018 |
Alexis J. Stokes was hired as the Director of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging and the Office of DIB was established |
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June 2018 |
SEAS Committee on DIB submitted its first set of recommendations to Dean Doyle |
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April 2018 |
SEAS Campus Climate Survey was administered |
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November 2017 |
SEAS Committee on Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging was established |
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September - November 2017 |
During her first months at SEAS, she conducted a listening tour to begin learning about the SEAS priorities, goals and concerns as they relate to making the school a more diverse and inclusive place for students, faculty, staff and researchers. She met with members of the community and compiled a list of strengths, challenges, and opportunities. The report can be found here. |
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August 2017 |
Alexis J. Stokes, the SEAS Diversity and Inclusion Engagement Launch Senior Manager, started through the Harvard University Administrative Fellows Program. |
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June 2017 |
The task force submitted a report that highlighted current initiatives to increase the representation of females and underrepresented minorities across the SEAS community, and presented recommendations to improve diversity and inclusion in the School. As part of a continuous, long-term process of building and improving a culture of openness, caring, and community at SEAS, Dean Doyle implemented two of the recommendations for immediate action: hire an Administrative Fellow to develop long-term interventions and retain and expand the Task Force to include members of the undergraduate, graduate, faculty, and postdoctoral researcher populations. |
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February 2017 |
Dean Doyle echoed that commitment when he named the SEAS Diversity Task Force in the spring of 2017. SEAS' task force was charged to “examine our current diversity ethos and suggest how we may improve it as well as serve as conduit to the University Task Force.” |
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September 2016 |
President Drew Faust’s Presidential Task Force on Inclusion and Belonging was convened to ensure “that Harvard continues to attract the most talented people from all walks of life and creates an environment where we can be our best selves.” |