Carnegie Mellon University

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

The Department of Physics at Carnegie Mellon is committed to creating an environment welcoming to all. The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) committee was established to proactively take steps to ensure that we move in this direction. The role of the DEI committee is to support the entire department in:

  • providing an inclusive environment in which all department members feel comfortable,
  • providing equitable access to opportunities, and
  • fostering a vibrant population of physics students, postdocs, faculty, and staff from a wide range of backgrounds.

All department members are essential to achieving these goals; the DEI committee brings in resources about best practices in DEI to support the department’s success. They draw on resources outside of Physics at CMU, for example within the university or the Mellon College of Science, or from professional organizations such as the American Physical Society (APS), and carry out physics-specific activities where appropriate.

The committee has adopted a “shared leadership” model that empowers all of its members to lead DEI initiatives and contribute towards achieving the committee’s goals. Ideally the committee will have representation from all career stages in the department (students, postdocs, faculty, and staff).

Definitions

Diversity

traits and characteristics that make people unique, including characteristics such as race, sex, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, religion, economic status, country of origin and citizenship, ethnic background, disability, career stage, and professional status

Equity

ensures everyone has access to the same opportunities

Inclusion

behaviors and social norms that ensure people feel welcome