July 7, 2020
The Diversity Programs Office Update and Upcoming Events
The first half of the 2020 decade has been very busy with societal, cultural changes throughout the world, Kansas, KSRE and most specifically our campus. Although we have been working remotely and presenting programs virtually, the month of June has been just as busy as summers in the past. The DPO staff is in a continuous educational mode to increase the awareness of diversity and inclusion through our programs.
It is time for action as systemic racism is even more present on our campus. In the very near future, we will share programs for implementation in the area of inclusion and diversity. The goal is for all faculty/staff to feel safe in the educational setting.
In this update, you will see successful programming for the month of June 2020 and upcoming events for the month of July. For continued work area, we must address these issues at hand per race, ethnicity and equity. A quote by NBA legend, Kareem Abdul Jarbar during a recent interview, he says “Racism in America is like dust in the air. It seems invisible -- even if you are choking on it -- until you let the sun in. Then you see it's everywhere," His quote encompasses where we are today. It is time to “let the sun” in that we all see, understand and act to end racism.
The DPO Summer update includes:
- K-State Research & Extension (KSRE) Summer Research Fellowship participants are half way through their research. Please save the date of July 30 at 9:30 a.m. There will be a zoom invitation link sent out soon. Fellows will be giving a 10-12 minute presentation over their summer research. We hope you can make time to support our young scholars! Throughout the summer they have had educational seminars along with their research projects with selected mentors. For the month of July, the fellows will attend corporate seminars where they will learn about various agricultural companies, the importance of academic and preparation and most importantly diversity in the workplace.
- Due to COVID-19 health pandemic, we did not have the Nicodemus Educational Camp, which is normally held in June. Yet, we have been in constant contact with the Kansas Black Farmers Association (KBFA) and the Nikodemus Historical Society to plan for summer 2021. We would like to thank all College of Agriculture faculty and staff in the Dairy & Agronomy Farms, the Grain, Mill & Bakery Science Tour, KSU Community Garden, as well as our K-State MANRRS chapter for their support in the past. We are looking forward to summer 2021 and our continued partnership with camp founders Dr. Holmes, Dr. Counts, and other volunteers.
- MAPS: The Project IMPACT Summer Bridge Program and Kompass programs will take place in August 2020. Due to the COVID-19 health pandemic it was postponed and for the first time in 10 years it did not take place in its original format. We will have an abbreviated version of both programs prior to the start of the Fall 2020 semester. If you know of incoming multicultural students who are incoming freshmen and interested in the noted programs, please make Dr. Wiley aware.
- Join us as we welcome, Dr. Dan Moser, Associate Dean for Academic programs, as he starts the new era of Academic Programs. We also welcome Dr. Duane Dunn who will now serve as the interim Assistant Dean for Academic Programs after his tenure in Global Campus. Best wishes to Dr. Don Boggs as he retires as Associate Dean for Academic Programs, yet we are fortunate that he will share his time with the college until the end of the year in the department of Animal Sciences and Industry. Best wishes are also in order for Dr. Shannon Washburn as he starts a new career at the Ohio State University in the tenure as Department Head in the College of Agriculture. We will miss both and welcome the new era as well.
The College of AG Diversity Committee has been named and have plans to meet to start our implementation plan of inclusion and diversity success. Continued safety and health to our college of AG interns who are working on site or remotely during these unprecedented times. We are so proud of their perseverance! Looking forward to their highlights to share with our students in the fall.
Please continue to look for more diversity events as we continue to advertise. We appreciate your support. For more information about upcoming events, or to collaborate with the DPO, please call 785-532-5793 or contact the DPO staff Lonnie Hobbs, Jr., Keli Yungeberg or Dr. Zelia Wiley, Assistant Dean for Diversity Programs.