Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
Diversity, equity, and inclusion are at the core of College’s identity, and these values are essential to achieving our vision of a healthier, safer, more equitable world for all in Georgia and the world.
Currently the most diverse college at UGA, the College of Public Health is working to create and maintain an environment that welcomes and supports all through intentional recruitment of students and faculty from underserved communities, building a more inclusive curriculum, and advancing research on issues of health equity and health disparities. We strive to conduct our work and practice with cultural humility and a willingness to learn and adapt to the needs of our students, faculty, and staff and the communities we serve.
Programs & Resources
College Committee on Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
The College Committee on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (CoDEI) is composed of faculty representatives from each department, as well as both undergraduate and graduate student representatives. The committee meets monthly and is charged with translating the college climate survey into action items by recommending policies and procedures that will meet the College’s intended goals.
Student Diversity & Inclusion Resources
A full list of diversity and inclusion resources at CPH and UGA.
For Students: Health Equity Fellows
Bridging service, research, and faculty-student mentorships, the Health Equity Fellows program launched in Spring 2021. Through a competitive process, CPH students were invited to propose a community project focused on health equity or the elimination of health disparities in a Georgia community. Five students were selected for the inaugural 2021 cohort. Learn more.
For Students: DEI Student Grants
The program, launched in Fall 2018 by the College’s Committee for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (CoDEI) supports student-led outreach addressing public health issues experienced by underrepresented or otherwise marginalized or underserved groups in Athens-Clarke County. Student teams gain experience writing grant proposals and project design, while also making an impact in their local community. Learn more.
Faculty: Certificate in Diversity & Inclusion
Offered through the UGA Office of Institutional Diversity, the Certificate in Diversity & Inclusion requires active engagement in six, three-hour seminar sessions for a total of 18 professional development hours. All College administrators, department heads, institute directors, faculty, and staff are strongly encouraged to earn their Certificate in Diversity & Inclusion.
To best facilitate accomplishing this goal, the College is working directly with the Office of Institutional Diversity to take advantage of their new program Pathways, which provides units with a pathway to have their employees go through the CDI curriculum. Through Pathways, the College is able to host four of the six required sessions of the CDI curriculum.
For Faculty: Faculty Reading Community
In Summer 2020, the Office of Outreach, Engagement, & Equity launched the first annual faculty reading community. The College’s faculty and staff read Krystle Cobran’s The Brave Educator: Honest Conversations About Navigating Race in the Classroom together and participated in facilitated discussion with the author.
Contact
Janani Thapa
Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Wright Hall, Health Sciences Campus
University of Georgia
Athens, GA 30602
jrthapa@uga.edu
Phone: 706.713.2700
Fax: 706.227.4503
