HELLO FROM ODIB
Our mission at the HKS Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (ODIB) is to advance the School's mission by strengthening and sustaining a respectful institutional culture that anticipates and celebrates diverse ways of learning, living, thinking, and working. We offer consultation and collaboration with centers and departments, staff, faculty, students, and alumni as part of a comprehensive approach to realizing the HKS diversity and inclusivity, access, and equity goals.
UPCOMING CAPSTONE EVENT
This February marks a significant milestone as we celebrate the 20th annual Public Policy Leadership Conference (PPLC). The three-day conference takes place every February. High achieving first- and second- year undergraduates from underrepresented and underserved backgrounds converge onto the HKS campus for professional development and networking opportunities, as they prepare to pursue graduate degrees in public policy and administration. During their time on campus, students interact with HKS students, faculty, and leaders in public service.
As a part of the PPLC 20th anniversary, we are hosting the first ever PPLC Alumni Reception as a part of the conference. If you attended the Public Policy Leadership Conference prior to your time at HKS, we invite you join us for this special event! The link to RSVP can be found here.
NEW ODIB ADDITION
Kimberly Salas Harris is the new Assistant Director for the Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging at HKS. In her prior role, she served as a diversity and inclusion leader at Marquette University and helped with outreach, recruiting, support, and education for the campus. She served on the Hispanic Serving Institution Initiative Steering Committee, Multicultural Committee, Diversity Advocates program, and co-leader of the Latinx Faculty and Staff Association. Kimberly’s intellectual interests include social and cultural analysis of education. She engages in critical dialogue around the intersections of race and racism, gender identity, social class, ethnicity, disability, and other areas where access and equity in higher education are important. Kim is a strong social justice advocate with a commitment to helping HKS community to engage and act around issues of diversity, inclusion, and belonging. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, exploring the outdoors, cooking Mexican food, and spending time with family and friends. Our office is thrilled to welcome Kim and have her join our team.
ODIB ON THE MOVE
These is just a taste of the many projects our office is spearheading or collaborating with centers or departments:
• Upcoming annual Boston Wide Women of Color in the Academy Soiree, with faculty and administrator women of color from across Massachusetts come together to network, share laughter, and make new friends
• In September, ODIB cohosted the 2019 Minority Faculty Development Workshop in partnership with Harvard’s John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and the City College of New York. We brought faculty of color from around the United States to our campus for a four-day conference to examine the intersection between technology and policy; implications of policy on academic engineering at institutional and national levels; and to develop actionable strategies to enhance the presence of underrepresented faculty in the policy arena.
• Introduction of diversity, inclusion, and belonging tools and skills development into the Human Resource’s New Hire Orientation and the Graduate Admissions Review Committee Orientation. These sessions have become a regular part of the both orientations and will continue to be refined over time.
• Re-launch of the HKS Diversity Committee (DivCo) featuring a working committee with equal committee representation across staff, student, and faculty constituencies. The committee meets on a monthly basis to identify DIB issues at HKS, host town hall meetings and other events to learn from the community, and provide advice and recommendations to HKS leadership regarding urgent diversity priorities and goals for the upcoming year.