Pledge:

At the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Utah, we affirm our institution’s commitment to enrich the educational experiences and success of all members of our community, through promotion of equity, diversity and inclusion on our campus.

  • With Equity, we strive to ensure everyone has access to the same opportunities and resources. We recognize that barriers exist and we consistently engage in removing them for the people with marginalized identities.
  • With Diversity, we aim to build a department in which the members are from a multitude of cultures and experiences, including race, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, language, disability, veteran status, sex, sex orientation, gender identity, socioeconomic status, or any other real or perceived differences.
  • With Inclusion, we create a department culture in which members with different identities, especially individuals who are the minority, feel welcomed and valued. We support all voices and ensure all people feel they belong.

Biomedical Engineering Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) committee:

BME EDI committee is created to develop, guide, and advance initiatives that build and strengthen the educational, organizational, and institutional climate in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Utah with respect to equity, inclusion, and diversity. The committee is composed of department-wide representation from faculty, students and staff, reflecting diverse and inclusive perspectives. The EDI committee values and goals involve a commitment to:

  • Recruit people from diverse backgrounds from the student to faculty to staff levels
  • Retention of people from diverse backgrounds and support their success
  • Education and improved awareness of diversity-related issues
  • Inclusivity with representation in department decision-making and governance
  • Accountability through feedback loops
  • Community building, engagement, and interconnectedness

Some of our objectives include:

  • Recruit undergraduate and graduate students from schools rich in diverse populations
  • Seek funding for and develop fellowship programs that support the education and research training of diverse students
  • Provide an expert-led diversity training for department faculty and staff
  • Create and administer an annual survey of department students, staff, and faculty to identify issues and areas to improve
  • Collect historical data and prepare statistics on department trends to identify areas and populations most in need and to assess improvement

The committee is seeking feedback and new initiatives related to EDI efforts in the BME department. Please email the committee with any suggestion.

Resources

For a full list of EDI-recommended resources, click here.

Contact Us:

Jessica Kramer

Committee Chair, Assistant Professor

(801) 213-2039 | jessica.kramer@utah.edu

Hamid Ghandehari

Faculty Representative, Professor

(801) 587-1566 | hamid.ghandehari@pharm.utah.edu

Robert Bowles

Faculty Representative, Assistant Professor

(801) 581-2915 | robert.bowles@utah.edu

Ben Thomas

Staff Representative, Academic Program Coordinator

(801) 587-0723 | ben.thomas@utah.edu

Mahima Choudhury

Graduate Student Representative

Mahima.Choudhury@utah.edu