Office for
Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion

April 2023

Featured this month

• Frederick Honors College student receives Thornburgh Award
• Universities join forces during Sexual Assault Awareness Month
• 14 women set to share their journeys during ‘HerStory Slam’
• Pitt welcomes Afrolatinidad conference
• In case you missed it: Meet the University’s chancellor-elect

The end of the academic year provides an opportunity for us to pause and reflect on our progress. The work to make our University more equitable, inclusive, diverse, and accessible is an effort that must be ongoing. “Good enough” is never an acceptable standard, and we know that much work remains.

Still, we should recognize that we are making progress. At OEDI, we’ve added personnel to expand our outreach and programming, particularly in areas such as civil rights and Title IX compliance, and we’re working hard to listen to your suggestions for improvements to professional development, policy development, and broader University-wide commitments. We’re also taking action and responding appropriately.

As we work to make progress at Pitt, we must also be aware of the increasing number of attacks on equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility. There are some that deride these core values as “woke” or “politically correct,” and who want to push historically marginalized and under-represented members of society even further away from our communities of learning.

In many instances, they view society as a zero-sum game, where there must be winners and losers, and they would prefer to ignore and exclude people who don’t look, act, or think like them, because they believe it will help them preserve their wealth and privilege.

To be clear: Our communities will never become any less diverse. We are a global society and understanding, celebrating, and appreciating our differences only helps advance progress. Commitments to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility don’t just benefit some people; creating and promoting inclusive and equitable spaces benefits everyone in society, no matter who you are or where you come from.

It has been noted that progress is not always linear. Just as important, we must understand that progress needs to be defended, or else it can and will be reversed. When it comes to issues of racial, social, gender, and LGBTQIA equality and inclusion, we must remain unified in action and working to advance our values.

As Dr. King reminded us: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” Our willingness to stand up for justice will benefit all Americans in the long run.

One area in which we need to remain vigilant — especially in higher education — is in the prevention of sexual assault, abuse, and harassment. Nearly 1 out of 4 women report sexual assault or harassment in their undergraduate college years. Some groups — including people of color, indigenous students, and the transgender community — are at even higher risk for sexual assault.

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and it serves as a reminder that we all have a role to play in keeping our friends, family, and colleagues safe, both at the University and in the wider Pittsburgh area. If you’re able, take time to attend the Pittsburgh Universities Believe Survivors walk this Sunday (April 16), or one of the other educational and informational events planned this month.

Finally, on a happier note, if you’re like me, you’re appreciating the change in the weather and the feel of spring. To all of our students, good luck on your final exams and projects, and I hope you can find some time to enjoy the warmer weather. To our graduates, many congratulations on culminating your study: we are proud of you. Please know that Pitt will always be a home for you.

For faculty and staff, remember that OEDI will be here through the summer, and we’ll be hosting events to highlight and celebrate the values of equity, diversity, and inclusion across all of Pitt’s regional campuses. Stay well and stay in touch.

Sincerely,
Clyde Wilson Pickett, Ed.D.
Chief Diversity Officer
Vice Chancellor for Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion

Pittsburgh universities join forces April 16 to raise awareness of sexual assault

Five of Pittsburgh’s universities will come together this Sunday (April 16) to walk through the Oakland neighborhood and raise awareness of sexual assault.

The Pittsburgh Universities Believe Survivors March will begin at 11:45 a.m. at Carlow University on Fifth Avenue and proceed through Oakland to the University of Pittsburgh’s Posvar Hall.

There, on the patio, survivors of sexual assault will tell stories and share resources, said Carrie Benson, senior manager for prevention and education in the University of Pittsburgh’s Title IX Office. In addition to Carlow and Pitt, students, faculty, staff, and alumni from Chatham, Carnegie Mellon, and Duquesne universities also will participate.

Walkers are encouraged to wear teal clothing. Students plan to gather at Carlow before the beginning of the march to make signs and banners to carry as they walk, Benson said.

“It’s always important to support and believe survivors, and we’re excited to see students from different universities unite together to share the message that April is a time to be outspoken in our community of survivors and allies,” said Emma Schneck, an anthropology and molecular biology major in Pitt’s Frederick Honors College.

Read more

A Frederick Honors College student is the winner of the 2023 Disability Service Award from the Dick Thornburgh Forum for Law & Public Policy.

This $5,000 award is available each year to a University of Pittsburgh student whose service has made a difference in the lives of children and adults with disabilities.

Ian Neumaier, who is majoring in legal studies, law, criminal justice, & society, and philosophy, was honored for his work that focuses on providing integrative play solutions. Neumaier develops play equipment and games that allow both abled and disabled participants to enjoy healthy competition in a “come-as-you-are” environment.

“Recently, I’ve provided programming, workshops, and teacher training sessions where I use — and teach others how to use — the process of iterative kinetic game invention and equipment design as a context around which to explore civic issues, policy, and injustice-by-design,” Neumaier says.

He says he’s “beyond grateful for being recognized” with the award, and thanked the Thornburgh Forum and Ginny Thornburgh in particular.

“I’m a ‘non-traditional’ student,” Neumaier says. “I’m considerably older than my classmates, and I’m autistic and manage several challenging health conditions. I feel very fortunate to be here at Pitt and to have connected with professors and advisors who seem genuinely invested in my success.”

Read more

More than a dozen women from throughout the University community — including students, faculty, and staff — will gather at Frick Fine Arts Auditorium on Monday (April 17) for the first-ever Women’s History Month “HerStory Slam.”

The event was postponed from March to allow more people a chance to attend and avoid schedule conflicts, said a spokesperson for the Women’s History Month committee.

The theme of the HerStory slam is about a pivotal moment in the formation of your identity: What was that moment you walked into your identity and said “Here I am!”

Scheduled to participate are Eva Ashbaugh, Honesty Baker, Megana Dwarakanath, Marilyn Fisher, Christina Frasher, Lynn Hicks, Rosalie Jones Moore, Anna-Maria Karnes, Lisa Lang, Tushita Mayanil, Roberta Mendona De Carvalho, Adriana Modesto Vieira, Shallegra Moye, Danielle Obisie-Orlu, Danielle Pierre, and Jennifer Ponce Cori.

Events begin at 6 p.m. and will include refreshments and a reception. Although the HerStory Slam is free, RSVPs are requested.

The Representations of Afrolatinidad Conference is being hosted this weekend at the University of Pittsburgh. The event is sponsored by the Afrolatinidad Studies Initiative; the Center for Ethnic Studies Research; the Office for Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion; the Department of Africana Studies; and the Department of History.

The keynote speakers are Kia Caldwell, vice provost for faculty affairs and diversity at Washington University of St. Louis, where she also serves as a professor in the Department of African and African-American Studies and the Dean’s Distinguished Professorial Scholar in Arts & Sciences; and Tanya K. Hernandez, the Archibald R. Murray Professor of Law at Fordham University School of Law.

Events are being held in the Frick Fine Arts Building and the O’Hara Student Center and include panel discussions on Afrolatinidad identity and culture throughout history; representations in media and film; gender and identity; and social justice.

The Afrolatinidad Studies Initiative is directed by Michele Reid-Vazquez, who also serves as founding director for the Center for Ethnic Studies Research.

For more information, visit the conference website.

Chance Wideman is OEDI’s new director of equity & inclusion programs. His goals include expanding the scope and variety of programming offered through OEDI, with an emphasis on more involvement from the wider Pittsburgh community as well as faculty and staff.

“Faculty often don’t get enough of a voice when it comes to programming,” Wideman says. “Students as well. I want to elevate what they need and want and focus on decision-making from the ground up, rather than top-down.”

Wideman joins OEDI from Pitt’s Division of Student Affairs, where he served as director of new student programs. He is a graduate of Robert Morris University with a bachelor’s degree in communications and a master’s degree in institutional leadership.

A native of Pittsburgh’s South Hills, Wideman worked as director of CCAC’s Homewood-Brushton Center before coming to Pitt. He is currently pursuing a doctoral degree at Duquesne University with a focus on social justice.

The new role at OEDI appealed to both his personal interests as well as professional research focus, Wideman says. “I really want to encourage a sense of belonging for people who are coming to Pitt, especially from under-represented communities,” he says.

Outside of Pitt, Wideman enjoys collecting items related to American pop culture — especially hip-hop — and fantasy football. He and his wife live in Pittsburgh’s West End with their 10-month old son. Wideman may be reached at chw246@pitt.edu.

Joan T.A. Gabel will become the 19th chancellor of the University of Pittsburgh in July 2023. She currently serves as the president and chief executive of the University of Minnesota System.

Under Gabel’s leadership, the University of Minnesota developed its first comprehensive systemwide strategic plan that resulted in record-setting graduation rates as well as higher annual research expenditures.

“I believe Pitt stands on the threshold of even greater accomplishments and achievements in the future under her guidance,” said Doug Browning, chair of the Pitt board of trustees. “She clearly reflects the vision, drive, experience, and understanding of the issues and complexities of leading a major research university.”

See Gabel’s first press conference at Pitt

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