Welcome to the Alliance for Visible Diversity in Science!


          We focus on one central mission - to increase racial and ethnic equity within the research programs at Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) by recruiting, retaining, and most importantly, supporting graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, staff, and faculty members from underrepresented backgrounds.

NEW: A video summarizing AVDS's accomplishments can be found below.

March 2020 Newsletter


Refer to Calendar for details

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AVDS Announcements and Events

2020 AVDS Invited Speaker: Dr. Tirin Moore
AVDS is pleased to announce our 2020 invited speaker, Dr. Tirin Moore! Dr. Moore is a professor of neurobiology at Stanford University School of Medicine and an HHMI investigator. Dr. Moore's lab investigates the neural circuits underlying perception and cognitive function. Please join us for his talk: Neural Mechanisms of Stimulus-Driven Visual Attention on April 3rd, 12 PM in Vollum M1441.

Moore Lab webpage
Moore HHMI Profile
What:  Neural Mechanisms of
Stimulus-Driven Visual Attention

When:  April 3rd, 12 - 1 PM

Where: Vollum Institute M1441

AVDS and Women in Science PDX present: "Dolores"
Please join WIS PDX and AVDS for our celebration of Cesar Chavez Day on Tuesday, March 31st!  We will be watching “Dolores: A film about a rebel, activist, feminist and mother Dolores Heurta" from 5:30 – 7:00 PM in the Student Center Media Room in the OHSU Student Center. Snacks will be provided, all are welcome! The OHSU Student Center is located on the OHSU Marquam Hill Campus. The address is 722 SW Campus Dr, Portland, OR 97239.  Parking on campus is free after 5 PM. (Event Flyer)
What:  "Dolores" Documentary
Screening

When:  March 31st, 5:30 - 7:00 PM

Where: OHSU Student Center Media Room

OHSU Postdoc Community Discussion
Join us for lunch and discuss the unique challenges of postdoctoral researchers, brainstorm solutions, and strengthen the postdoc experience at OHSU! This event is a collaboration between AVDS, OHSU Fellowship for Diversity in Research (OFDIR) Program, and the OHSU Postdoc Society.   

(Event Flyer)
What:  Postdoc Community Discussion

When:  March 25th, 12 - 1 PM

Where: AUD 211 (Old Library)

AVDS Book Club
The AVDS Book Club will be starting How to be an Anti-Racist by Ibram X. Kendi. The next meeting is on March 11th 4 - 5 PM in BICC 123. CDI will be helping us to facilitate the discussion, purchase books and will be providing snacks. Thanks CDI! For the next meeting please read through Chapter 11.

Everyone is welcome at book club, including students from any of the schools or programs, staff, faculty, and post-docs. We don't require any previous reading to join, we only ask you have read the chapters that are posted for that date.

AVDS Book Club  Flyer
What:  AVDS Book Club

When:  March 11th, 4:00 - 5:00 PM
(and ongoing)

Where: BICC 123

How to access a copy of the book

Thanks to CDI there are 4 copies of How to be an Anti-Racist in the AVDS lounge on Vollum 1M! The copies are on the bookshelf next to the white board. Because there are more people who want to read the books than books available we're going to try a check out system.

You'll see a sign out sheet when you walk in along with some guidelines for checking books out. These are the guidelines:

1. During the day the books live in the Vollum (or if your lab isn't in the Vollum you  can also take them to your lab). If you take a book during the day please plan on reading it and then putting it back when you're done so someone else can read it. (don't take it for the whole day if you only plan on reading it for 30 minutes at lunch).

2. If you take a book out of the lounge check it out on the sign out sheet.

3. If you want to take the book home at night, sign it out when you're leaving and then return it the following day. If you want to take it for a weekend, return it the following Monday. Please do not take a book home for multiple days at a time unless it is the weekend.

4. The books are numbered (check the back cover), so when you sign out a book please write which number you signed out.

CDI has generously bought these books for us and has allowed us to put them in our lounge so we want to take care of them. We also want to make sure everyone who wants to read them has an opportunity to. Happy reading!

AVDS Board Game Night
AVDS is hosting board game night on Friday, March 13th at 6 PM in Vollum 4M. Games will be supplied but feel free to bring your own! Snacks provided.
When: March 13th, 6:00 PM

Where: Vollum 4M (use elevators)

AVDS Happy Hour
AVDS happy hour is the only campus happy hour open to ALL students, faculty, and staff. Bring your own pint glass and help save the planet!
When: March 27th, 5:00 PM

Where: RJH Atrium

Call for Program Liaisons
Campus Events

Book Talk: "Training for Change" with Dr. Alisha Moreland-Capuia
Training for Change offers an integrated training and coaching system to facilitate change in systems that serve youth (education, healthcare, and juvenile justice). The book provides a comprehensive overview of the neurobiology of fear, brain development, trauma, substance use, and mental health, structural bias and environmental factors that pose a threat to healthy brain development.

Training for Change will be of interest to graduate and advanced undergraduate students and researchers in the fields of cognitive psychology, criminology, public health, and child and adolescent development as well as parents, teachers, judges, attorneys, preventative medicine and pediatric providers.

Dr. Alisha Moreland-Capuia is Executive Director of the Avel Gordly Center for Healing and Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, OHSU School of Medicine. Learn more about Dr. Alisha Moreland-Capuia’s work at www.dralishamorelandcapuia.com

Event Registration
What: Training for Change Lecture

When: March 12th, 3:00 - 4:00 PM

Where: BICC Gallery
External Events

Youth Engaged in Science and OMSI Brain Fair
The OMSI Brain Fair is this Saturday March 7th. Youth Engaged in Science is looking  for volunteers, so see if you can snag a volunteer slot! (Event Flyer)

Youth Engaged in  Science is also seeking 10 to 12 volunteers for a school group visit on March 10th. Contact yes at ohsu [dot] edu to volunteer.

WO:KE Presents “Hair-itage: Untold Truths and Myths About Hair Culture"
"For too long, Black people have been subjected to manipulative social constructs, disrespect and racial discrimination as it relates to their natural Hair-itage, styles and hair textures. Hair-itage will dive into the lives of individuals to discuss spatial awareness, common misconceptions, hair appropriation, navigating corporate america and celebratory hair practices that are common in the Black community.
Although our typical format consists of breakout groups for intimate discussion, Hair will consist of an immersive panel with personal perspectives of individuals from diverse backgrounds."

Event Registration

What is WO:KE PDX?
"WO:KE” Working to Overcome Kultural Education. WO:KE is a community organization focused on developing cultural competency through compassion, curiosity and dialogue to foster a global WO:KE collective."

WO:KE PDX was founded by Faith Wilson, an administrative coordinator of the Summer Equity Research program through the Center for Diversity & Inclusion at OHSU.

More info

Event Cancellations
An event advertised in our Feb newsletter, Kimberlé Crenshaw's lecture at Reed College has been postponed.
More Info
 
Things to keep in mind
  • CDI is seeking Nominations for the Diversity and Inclusion Awards (OHSU Now)
  • The Office of Graduate Studies Awards is seeking nominations for a variety of awards. The deadline is March 31st; apply here.
  • The Central Student Services are offering a series of casual drop-in lunch and learn sessions for all students, faculty, and staff. This is an excellent opportunity to meet the service providers, learn more about their offerings, and ask any questions you may have. The series starts in March and runs every other Friday until June in Mac 2201 from 12 -1 PM. Everybody is welcome, no registration required.
  • ODFIR and the OHSU Postdoc Society are hosting a Research Writing Group.
  • On Track! OHSU has planned dozens of visits to area middle and high schools. Please check the calendar on O2 for all the dates and contact Katie Lenahan at ontrack at ohsu.edu for more information.


    • ​A snapshot of why active racial inclusion in the sciences is important:

    What I have learned from these experiences about surviving as an underrepresented minority in the sciences is that many such students do not take proactive steps to reach out, seek help, and get answers to concerns they have. They wait for someone to come to them. But they must learn how to reach out in order to survive. For institutions, creating a culture of inclusion and a space for these students to air their thoughts is a great help."

    ​​– Erich Jarvis, Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center