Latest News from ODEI
The University of Alabama at Birmingham will launch a new Inclusive Language course. The course, created and facilitated by the Office of the Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (ODEI), is designed to help students, faculty and staff become more inclusive in their communication, including presentations, lectures, research and more.
The Inclusive Language course is the latest addition to the Diversity Education curriculum. The 90-minute, instructor-led course is an interactive discussion that provides context on the benefits of inclusive language, the strategic approaches to the use of inclusive language, and interactive activities on how to use inclusive language in all forms of communication. The Cultural Awareness Building Blocks, Unconscious Bias, SafeZone, and Bystander Intervention courses are prerequisites.
“Being mindful and intentional in our written and oral communication is the foundation of bridging gaps between culture and identity and fostering respectful and civil relationships,” said Michelle Allen, Ed.D., diversity education director. “Using language that demonstrates cultural humility and inclusive excellence is accessible for us all and instrumental in the realization of our Shared Value: Diversity and Inclusiveness.”
Launched in tandem with UAB’s new Inclusive Language Guide, both the course and guide were developed to be educational tools and resources for ensuring that all of the diverse identities within the UAB Enterprise are respected and valued in all forms of communication. The intention is to assist faculty, staff, and student understand the impact of language that affirms rather than stigmatize underrepresented, marginalized, and subordinate identities.
The course launches September 1. Register here. If you have any questions about the course or the guide, email
View and download the guide here.
Eight individuals at the University of Alabama at Birmingham have been awarded the Faculty Success Grant by the National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity (NCFDD). The grant is sponsored by the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and covers the cost of the Summer 2021 Faculty Success Program.
The 12-week program is for faculty of all ranks who are looking for the perfect combination of empirically tested methods to improve research productivity through intense accountability, coaching, and peer support and to propel their work-life balance and personal growth to a whole new level.
The participants are:
Grace Jepkemboi, Professor, School of Education
Manoj Mahapatra, Assistant Professor, School of Engineering
Ejvis Lamani, Assistant Professor, School of Dentistry
Tamika Smith, Assistant Professor, School of Public Health
Kimberly Martin, Assistant Professor, School of Public Health
Jennifer Hamrick, Assistant Professor, Collat School of Business
Michael Pimentel, Assistant Professor, Collat School of Business
Mariliese Thomas, Assistant Professor, UAB Libraries
The Faculty Success Program will take place May 16-August 7, 2021.
UAB is an Institutional Member of the NCFDD. The organization is a nationally recognized community of over 450 colleges and universities that provides online career development and mentoring resources for faculty at all levels. For more information about, visit https://www.uab.edu/dei/about/faculty-resources.
Faculty, staff, students and administrators at the University of Alabama at Birmingham were honored during a virtual ceremony for their commitment to excellence in 2020 despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
“CSW Sees You,”, held Wednesday, April 21, was sponsored by the UAB Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion’s Commission on the Status of Women.
More than 60 individuals, units and departments were recognized during the ceremony. Katie Crenshaw, J.D., UAB’s Chief Risk and Compliance Officer, received the 2021 "Susan D. Marchase Outstanding Woman Administrator."
Sarah Nafziger, M.D., vice president for Clinical Support Services for UAB Medicine and director of Employee Health, received the inaugural “Commission on the Status of Women President’s Leadership Award."
Eight recipients of the “2020 Outstanding Women Awards” were also acknowledged during “CSW Sees You.” They are:
Outstanding Woman UAB Undergraduate Student
Ayla McCay
Outstanding Woman UAB Graduate Student
Carrie Leland
Outstanding Woman UAB Graduate Student
Callie Perkins
Outstanding Woman UAB Postdoc
Samia O'Bryan, Ph.D. - UAB Heersink School of Medicine
Outstanding Woman in the Community
Shelia Benson
Nevertheless, She Persisted Award
Stacie M. Propst, Ph.D.
The Becky Trigg Outstanding Woman Faculty Member
Amy Weinmann, Ph.D. - UAB Heersink School of Medicine
The Susan D. Marchase Outstanding Woman Administrator
Dianne K. Gilmer - School of Engineering
The UAB Commission on the Status of Women is dedicated to promoting gender inclusion and equity by supporting and improving options and opportunities for women at every stage of their education and career. CSW members support work-life balance initiatives, training and development of emerging leaders, and community outreach to improve the academic climate and work environment at UAB.
These efforts build on UAB’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion and are evidenced by the educational achievements of female students, the innovative teaching, scholarship and research by female faculty, and the professional advancement of female staff and administrators.
The year 2020 brought with it so many unimaginable challenges and unfathomable circumstances along with a comparable number of opportunities for members of the UAB community. Recognizing the year that we experienced was far from “normal,” CSW wants to honor and acknowledge all individuals and/or departments that went above and beyond to persevere in their efforts over the last 12 months.
View the acknowledgments below:
The University of Alabama at Birmingham will host “An Evening with Alice Walker” in honor of Women’s History Month on Thursday, March 18, at 5:00 p.m.
Walker is an internationally celebrated writer, poet, and activist whose books include many collections of short stories, children’s books, and volumes of essays and poetry. Walker made history as the first African-American woman to win a Pulitzer Prize for Literature as well as the National Book Award in 1983 for her novel, "The Color Purple." The award-winning novel served as the inspiration for Steven Spielberg’s 1985 film and was adapted into a New York City Broadway Theatre stage play in 2005.
This event is co-sponsored by UAB’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Student Multicultural and Diversity Programs, Institute for Human Rights, Commission on the Status of Women, African American Studies Program, UAB Graduate School, and the University of Alabama's Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, the University of Alabama in Huntsville's Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and Samford University's Office of Diversity and Intercultural Initiatives.
The virtual event is free and open to the public, but registration is required. Register at bit.ly/alicewalkeruab.
The University of Alabama at Birmingham will host individual screenings of “Picture A Scientist” during Women’s History Month. The film chronicles the groundswell of researchers who are writing a new chapter for women scientists.
The screenings, sponsored by the UAB Commission on the Status of Women, the Office of the Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Alabama ADVANCE, will take place on March 8, 9 and 10.
“Picture a Scientist” follows biologist Nancy Hopkins, chemist Raychelle Burks, and geologist Jane Willenbring as they lead viewers on a journey deep into their own experiences in the sciences, ranging from brutal harassment to years of subtle slights. Along the way, from cramped laboratories to spectacular field stations, we encounter scientific luminaries - including social scientists, neuroscientists, and psychologists - who provide new perspectives on how to make science itself more diverse, equitable, and open to all.
A post-screening panel discussion will be held on March 12 at 1:00 p.m. and feature UAB scientists who will discuss salient points from the film, explore the opportunities and challenges for women scientists, past, present, and future. The panel will delve into the psyche of scientists at UAB and identify what it takes daily to follow the science and create your path no matter the roadblocks that may arise.
Panelists include:
- Farah D. Lubin, Ph.D., Associate Professor, UAB Heersink School of Medicine;
- Ninecia Scott, Ph.D., Immunology T32 & Merit/IRACDA Postdoctoral Fellow, Microbiology Department - Orihuela Lab;
- Lori L. McMahon, Ph.D., Dean, UAB Graduate School;
- Lisa M. Schwiebert, Ph.D., Professor & Senior Associate Dean for Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs;
- Adrienne Starks, Ph.D., Moderator, STREAM Innovations, Founder and CEO
The virtual screening and panel discussion are free, but registration is required for each.
Register here for the “Picture a Scientist” Screening.
Register here for the panel discussion.