Community
The Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science is committed to creating and maintaining an inclusive and supportive environment for all students, of every race, nationality, gender / sexual identity, and religion. With that, we know that diversity in our backgrounds and perspectives brings strength to our department and is central to our collective teaching, research, and outreach missions and our interactions across the University and the local community.
The CEMS Inclusivity Council has undergraduate students, graduate students, postdoctoral associates, staff and faculty members who are appointed by the Department Head. The Council is tasked to pursue efforts to create a more equitable and inclusive department. To do this, the CEMS Inclusivity Council:
- Hosts annual workshops to discuss inclusive teaching strategies to ensure all students and learning styles are considered in ChEn and MatS courses
- Initiates a bi-annual (formerly annual) department climate survey to test the temperature in the Department and to help with awareness of where changes need to be made
- Collaborates on outreach initiatives with Minds Matter and 9-12 teachers based on the idea that STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education should be accessible to all. Learn more about our outreach work below.
- Created annual Community Impact (formerly IDEAS) awards to encourage a welcoming and inclusive community in CEMS.
- Encourage CEMS faculty and staff to complete the University’s mental health training.
To share a comment or suggestion with the CEMS Inclusivity Council, feel free to email us.
Learn more about our Outreach Initiatives:
CEMS STEM Stories: Watch the videos!
Current graduate students John Dewey, Mauricio De Leo, Kristine Loh, and Maya Ramamurthy described their research, provided advice for high school students, addressed why they chose CEMS for their graduate education, addressed overcoming inequities in STEM, among other topics. Check out the videos below!
Science for All
Science for All is a group of University of Minnesota graduate students that supports and promotes STEM education in the urban Twin Cities community by visiting local middle schools and teaching hands-on science lessons with real-world applications. An overarching goal is to engage students in evidence-based science and experimentation derived from the scientific method.
Related Links:
MRSEC Outreach
The UMN Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) supports interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary materials research and education of the highest quality while addressing fundamental problems in science and engineering that are important to society. The MRSEC runs a comprehensive outreach program with activities designed to broaden participation in STEM at all levels from Kindergarten through college.
Related Links:
Teacher Professional Development Opportunities
The MRSEC Research Experience for Teachers (RET) is a program that allows K12 teachers to actively participate in current research with one of our faculty’s research groups and design standards-based classroom activities from these experiences. One of the RET programs is the Green & Sustainable Chemistry workshop for high school teachers.
Related Links:
Contact CEMS Outreach
CEMS outreach is conducted by a committee of the CEMS Inclusivity Council. Please contact this group for outreach information and opportunities with the CEMS department.