Resources
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If you need a listening ear, or just a place to start, schedule a meeting with me or stop by my Office Hours:
BE Office Hours: Tuesdays 1:30 - 4:30 pm ET
ChemE Office Hours: Wednesdays 1:30 - 4:30 pm ET
DMSE Office Hours: Thursdays 1:30 - 4:30 pm ET
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MIT’s entire student support network, is standing by, ready to assist folks who have been directly impacted by recent events. 
Click to learn more. 
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If you need to lighten your academic load, please work with your S3 or GradSupport dean who will coordinate with MIT Medical and ISO to ensure you remain in compliance with the terms of your student visa. Your dean in S3 or GradSupport can help with other academic concerns as well.
 
Associate Dean and Director of International Students Office (ISO) David Elwell and his team are prepared to support students in any way. 
 
 
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October marks the observance of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community history, and its connection to the history of the gay rights and related civil rights movements within the United States. The significance of this month is intimately tied to National Coming Out Day, October 11, which was already being observed around the world. October 11, 1987 is also the anniversary of the first march on Washington by LGBTQIA+ communities for queer rights. 
The National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights, also called "The Great March", held from October 8 through October 13 in 1987, was attended by over 500,000 people. The National March was the second of the marches, the first occurring in 1979. Frustrated with the federal government's slow response to the AIDS pandemic and the 1986 Bowers v. Hardwick decision, LGBTQIA+ communities marched on Washington to demand recognition of their civil rights. The first display of the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt, now the National Aids Memorial, was displayed for the first time on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., during the National March.
“The month now also includes Spirit Day on October 20, in which people around the country wear purple in support of LGBTQIA+ youth; Ally Week, a week in which allies against LGBTQIA+ bullying are celebrated; and the anniversary of 21-year-old Matthew Shepard's murder on October 12, 1998, which sparked the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act.”*
LGBTQIA+ Heritage Month traces its roots to 1994, when it was first commemorated by Rodney Wilson, a high school teacher in Missouri. The month was originally called Gay and Lesbian History Month, and was added to the list of commemorative months in a resolution forwarded by the General Assembly of the National Education Association (NEA) which followed with endorsements from Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, now the National LGBTQ Task Force, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) and other renowned queer and pro LGBTQIA+ organizations and communities.
Today, October is dedicated to the continued celebration and uplifting of the achievements, rights and visibility of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer icons and communities who have made extraordinary and quintessential contributions on a national and international scale.
 
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The “Good to Know” section of the DEI Newsletter highlights stories and events in current news cycles that directly impact members of the 
BE, ChemE, and DMSE communities — as well as resources to think 
through some of the accounts.
 
 
 
 
 
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DEI educational events, programming and opportunities hosted and color-coordinated by the departments: 
 
Biological Engineering (BE) 
 
 
Chemical Engineering (ChemE) 
 
 
Department of Material Science & Engineering (DMSE) 
 

 
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DEI Educational Opportunities made available through the ATLAS Learning Center. Classroom, Web-Bbsed and external vendor training options available for staff and faculty. 
 
 
 
Micro-Messages
This workshop is based on research conducted by Professor Mary Rowe here at MIT, and identifies the effects of small and subtle messages- both positive and negative- that can impact work performance and effectiveness. This workshop will identify those behaviors and explore practical and affirming communication skills that result in a more productive and inclusive work environment.
 
Objectives: Upon completion of the course, participants will be able to:
Identify behaviors that inhibit, devalue, and deter good performance in employees
Adopt and apply affirming strategies and behaviors that encourage and enhance performance in employees
Employ various communication skills and techniques to reinforce and reward good performance
 
 
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Each department's DEI Committee is dedicated to developing and aligning DEI efforts within the departments. Announcements, updates and contact information will be listed here.
 
 
 
 
 

 
Click the button below to submit feedback and/or DEI content for next month's newsletter
 

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