According to the 2012 Georgia Tech Climate Assessment Survey, some faculty, staff, and students expressed feelings of marginalization by gender, race, and ethnicity. In response to these findings, a Strategic Plan Advisory Group proposal was submitted in 2016 to launch the Diversity and Inclusion Fellows Program in an effort to accelerate cultural transformation.
With support from Institute Diversity and the ADVANCE program, the Diversity and Inclusion Fellows Program brings together faculty, staff, and students who individually and collectively advance their action, research, or teaching objectives while improving inclusivity on campus.
Primary Responsibilities
- Cultivate a network of ambassadors who will advance a culture of inclusive excellence.
- Create an environment where people feel safe, comfortable, and empowered to discuss diversity and inclusion.
Meet the Fellows
Program Activities
Initial ideas from the fellows include symposia, workshops, improv performances, surveys, mentorship programs, and journaling exercises focusing on the various dimensions and intersectionalities of diversity, including race, ethnicity, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, and disability.
“Diverse collaboration often sparks great innovation. Some of the teams’ ideas may be institutionalized and scaled to the broader campus community over time.”
— Magnus Egerstedt, professor and Julian T. Hightower Chair in Systems and Controls for the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, executive director for the Institute for Robotics and Intelligent Machines, and co-director of the Diversity and Inclusion Fellows Program
“This program is a bottom-up initiative, tapping into the creativity and diversity of thought of our campus community to crowdsource ideas that create long-term culture change.”
— Beril Toktay, ADVANCE Professor for the Scheller College of Business, Brady Family Chair and faculty director for the Ray C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business, and co-director of the Diversity and Inclusion Fellows Program
Institute News
- Diversity, Inclusion Fellows Celebrate Second Cohort (November 26, 2018)
- Diversity and Inclusion Fellows Program Application Period Opens to Select Third Cohort (October 1, 2018)
- First Cohort of Faculty, Staff, and Students Complete Diversity and Inclusion Fellows Program (January 5, 2018)
- Diversity and Inclusion Fellows Program Application Period Opens (October 4, 2017)
- Diversity and Inclusion Fellows Program Launches to Crowdsource Ideas That Improve Campus Inclusivity (April 13, 2017)
- Apply to Diversity and Inclusion Fellows Program (October 13, 2016)
