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The College of Veterinary Medicine’s (CVM) Diversity and Inclusion Committee (DNIC) has put forward an actionable plan to improve and increase diversity and inclusion around the CVM. The plan was developed by the committee after considering multifaceted and extensive input from college faculty, staff, and students.
Illustration by Molly Murakami
The plan has three main goals: to diversify organizational composition, to foster an inclusive culture, and to build an inclusive organizational reputation. Specific objectives of the plan include focusing hiring processes around diversity, implementing regular communication updates between the committee and the CVM, and identifying and celebrating champions for diversity and inclusion around the College.
As part of their efforts to acknowledge those who are committed to developing the capacity of the CVM to celebrate, support, and realize the value of diversity and inclusion, the DNIC awarded one faculty member, one staff member, and one student with the inaugural Diversity and Inclusion Awards on Education Day. The awards recognized the significant accomplishments and innovation of each recipient in achieving and sustaining diversity and inclusion efforts within the CVM’s personnel, policies, programs, environment, climate, and constituencies.
The winners—Larissa Minicucci, DVM, MPH, DACVPM, associate professor in the CVM; Jessica McElmury, supervisor of the Primary Care Department; and fourth Illustrations by Molly Murakami year veterinary student Rae Richardson— were each awarded a $1,000 stipend. “Each of the faculty, staff, and student winners had clear and concrete examples of initiating or participating in programs working with diverse populations, or helping to create a more supportive environment here in the CVM,” says Dawn Foster, administrative director in the Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences Department and co-chair of the DNIC.
Since beginning her work on the DNIC, Foster says, “The phrase ‘diversity and inclusion’ is included in many more conversations. I’ve also noticed more willingness of individuals to act as allies for others or stand up for themselves, which is part of the culture we want to create.”