Professor Ken Meier teaches an excellent professionalization course to prepare PhD students for the academic job market in public administration and policy. I signed up for the course during my first semester of the PhD program in the energetic, pre-pandemic times of 2019. Early in the course, Ken discussed the value of creating a student-run diversity committee. Many expressed interest, and the idea became an invitation. With the support of Dr. Meier as our faculty adviser, five students took up the challenge: Anita Dhillon, Jourdan Davis, Aeric Koerner, Rui Wang, and Chris Burks. I learned a lot from this team and remember fondly how we came together to ideate on white boards as we conceptualized our mission. I remain inspired by our work and want to share some of our story from the DEI Committee's first year:
I am excited to see where current and future students take this DEI Committee! We have worked hard in short time to stand up an organization that can serve as a strong support to students and a ready adviser to faculty. We are here to organize for a diverse, equitable, and inclusive culture at American University. I hope that each new cohort will join us in taking up the challenge. Christopher Tyler BurksChristopher Tyler Burks is a founding member of the DEI Committee. He served as chair during the 2021-22 term.
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AuthorsThese news articles are written by various members of the DEI Committee. Archives
February 2024
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