Black Professionals in Food and Agriculture was founded in October 2020 for the purpose of promoting the advancement and development of black professionals in the food and agriculture industry. All too often the voices and input of Black policy makers, congressional staffers, and industry representatives are excluded in the development of policies and programs that serve America’s farmers, ranchers, and producers. BPFA is committed to ensuring that those voices have a presence in the room and a seat at the table.

Make sure to visit their website and give them a follow on all social media platforms to stay updated on what BPFA is doing!

Did you miss the panel discussion on racial healing during the 2021 CFAES Day of Racial Healing? You can now watch it on our new YouTube channel!

We would like to welcome you to our new monthly DEI Spotlights! Each month we will be celebrating the diversity of the CFAES student body by highlighting one student (undergraduate or graduate) and one of our colleagues who are working to make CFAES and the community a welcoming place for all people. Do you know someone who you think should be featured? To submit a nomination for the DEI Student Spotlight and the DEI Faculty and Staff Spotlight, please fill out this form.

This month's DEI Student Spotlight features Gary Closs, Jr. who is a PhD candidate in the Department of Food Science and Technology. Gary also conducts research at the Center of Food Animal Health (formerly the Food Animal Health Research Program) and is training in food safety, microbiology, and animal health which will strengthen his ability to become a comprehensive scientist. After graduation, he plans to use the skills and knowledge he has learned to further the food and one-health fields while advocating for effective science communication.

This month's DEI Faculty and Staff Spotlight features Dr. Joyce Chen, associate professor in the Department of Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics, Chair-Elect for the President and Provost’s Committee on Women (PPCW), and member of both the CFAES DEI Action Council and Ohio State’s Task Force on Racism and Racial Inequities.

For a full list of our Spring 2021 webinars, please visit our professional development webinars page.

LOCATION: Zoom

DATE AND TIME: Wednesday, March 3rd, 1:00-2:00PM

What is diversity and why is it important? What is the difference between equality and equity? What does it mean to be inclusive? How do all of these things fit together to achieve justice? This 60-minute session will explore these questions and provide an introduction to diversity, equity, and inclusion so that attendees can better understand and engage in current social justice movements.

LOCATION: Zoom

DATES AND TIME: Monday, March 8th, 1:00-2:15PM

This 75-minute training provides an overview of best practices for recruiting a diverse candidate pool. Although this program primarily focuses on faculty searches, much of the content applies also to staff searches. Participants will examine the role that various forms of implicit bias can play in screening applicants and identify ways that intersecting social identities create an unlevel competitive job market. Strategies for targeted recruitment of historically underrepresented minority applicants will be addressed. CFAES requires that all individuals serving on a search committee complete this training every 2 years.

LOCATION: Zoom

DATE AND TIME: Thursday, March 11th, 11:00AM-12:30PM

Microaggressions are common, often subtle expressions of bias, many times initiated unintentionally and unconsciously that can have serious impacts on recipients including shortening a person’s life expectancy. In this 90-minute webinar, participants will learn how to recognize common microaggressions and the hidden, harmful messages they send. We will disentangle intention from impact and identify best strategies for responding when we accidentally initiate a microaggression.

LOCATION: Zoom

DATES AND TIMES: Thursday, March 11th, 1:00-3:30PM and Monday, March 22nd, 9:00-11:30AM

Presented by,

Stephanie A. Goodwin, Ph.D.

President, Incluxion Works, Inc.

Ever wondered “Why didn’t I say something?” after witnessing social bias—a stereotype, a prejudice or discrimination—that happened in your everyday life? Deciding whether and how to respond to bias is complicated. Understanding what motivates us to speak up, the challenges we face when doing so, and strategies for effective responding can help bystanders to bias better evaluate their options and select effective strategies. In this web-based workshop, attendees will first learn about bystander reactions to social biases and how these reactions can help or hinder decisions to speak up. Building on this understanding, participants will learn key strategies for speaking up that invite reflection and dialogue. Attendees will then be invited to apply these concepts to everyday incidents of bias though facilitated interaction and discussion.

LOCATION: Zoom

DATE AND TIME: Thursday, March 18, 1:00-2:30 PM 

To help create a more equitable environment and advance the professional interests of women faculty and staff, the College of Food, Agriculture, and Environmental Science is hosting the Ohio State Advocates & Allies for Equity initiative on Thursday, March 18, 2021, at 1:00 – 2:30 PM for a virtual session. You are invited to become an OSU Ally for Equity for your unit.  

Advocates & Allies is designed to bring men and men-identified individuals further into the gender equity equation by building a cross-campus network of Allies who share an understanding of the effects of implicit bias and systematic privilege and to introduce specific practical actions to help them better support women and people of all genders at the university. 

Your facilitation will be led by two Advocates, or senior faculty and administrative men from within OSU who already have a substantial record of supporting gender equity. They will guide your group through structured inquiry, discussion, and reflection to expose participants to ways of better identifying and behaving as Allies. In addition, the Advocates will share evidence-based knowledge, skills and strategies to effect positive personal, departmental and institutional change.

The Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) Heritage Month is a month-long celebration and uplifting of Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) identities, experiences, histories and cultures. The Ohio State University observes APIDA Heritage Month in mid-January through February. APIDA Heritage Month 2021 will take place between January 11th and February 12th. The theme this year is APIDA Heritage Month 2021: Our Time, Our Space, Our Place. This theme speaks to how APIDA communities' collective histories contribute to where they are right now, and how APIDA communities can use their histories and their hope for the future to shape our time, their space and their place in this present moment. They invite both APIDA and non-APIDA identifying individuals to engage with the community and programming to deepen the campus community's understanding of APIDA experiences!

For a full list of events click here.

Ohio 4-H Youth Development is launching a month of diversity education and resources during the month of February. Visit our website or our Facebook page for weekly topics that include belief systems, race and ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation, and abilities. All programs are self-navigated for Extension educators, volunteers, and youth to learn. Watch for “Did You Know?” posts, reading lists, setting inclusion challenges, and participate in “Where is it in Ohio?” Join us in being a true leader in #4Hequity!

For more information, please visit: https://ohio4h.org/

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