Department of Plant Biology Statement on Community The Department of Plant Biology at the University of Georgia is dedicated to creating an open, inclusive, and supportive intellectual environment for our community of students, postdocs, faculty, and staff. Together, we aim to identify and address fundamental challenges in plant and fungal biology that cross traditional disciplinary boundaries.The PBIO Committee on Inclusive Excellence includes faculty, staff, graduate students, and postdocs who meet monthly to review strategies for the recruitment and retention of members of our academic community while fostering a welcoming atmosphere for all in our department. * The committee invites members of the PBIO community to submit anonymous comments, concerns, and suggestions HERE. * To report instances of discrimination or harassment, please contact the Equal Opportunity Office. PBIO Initiatives and Resources Field safety Field safety shared gear closet: Check out the full inventory of items available here. Please familiarize yourself with the protocol for using items, and the sign-out sheet before signing out an item. Field safety e-zine by Kottler et al. 2023. Diversify STEM coffee hour All are welcome! Please contact the committee to be added to the email list for coffee hour announcements. Branching Out speaker fellowships Student speakers have shared their science and scientific journeys at the University of North Georgia, Fort Valley State University, Morehouse College, Cal State Pomona, and USC Aiken. UGA Initiatives and Resources UGA First-Gen Student Success The University of Georgia Office for Student Success and Achievement celebrates the accomplishments of our First-Generation students who chart new pathways for their families and communities. First-Gen students demonstrate resilience and innovation in navigating institutional spaces. We seek to affirm your experiences and hope this webpage provides a launching point for locating useful resources and finding community within the UGA family. McNair Scholars Program The TRIO Ronald E. McNair Scholars program prepares selected UGA undergraduate students for graduate study at the doctoral level. Each year, up to 25 McNair Scholars are selected to participate in both academic and summer activities. The goal of the McNair Scholars Program is to increase the number of underrepresented students in doctoral programs. Funding is provided by the U.S. Department of Education’s Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program as part of the Federal TRIO program. Training Opportunities Trainings received in our department from UGA and beyond: UGA Dawg Ally Training The Safe Space program at UGA is a three and a half hour training for faculty, staff, and students who are interested in learning about gender and sexual identity, homophobia, heterosexism, and how they can provide support and work toward being an ally for the LGBT community. Upon completion of the training, participants may be issued a Safe Space sticker for their office space as a visible indicator to visitors that they are LGBTQ affirming. UGA Certificate of Diversity and Inclusion The Certificate in Diversity and Inclusion (CDI) engages UGA faculty and staff in building capacity to contribute to and sustain a diverse and inclusive campus environment. The CDI is offered in partnership with the Human Resources Training and Development Department and other diversity-related offices and programs across the institution. To view program offerings and sign up for trainings, login to the PEP portal and search “CDI”. Optimizing the Power of Mentoring (OPM) 101: University of Minnesota, Clinical and Translational Science Institute The OPM 101 module defines different types of mentoring models that are applied in research settings, summarizes the roles and responsibilities of research mentors, outlines steps for navigating the core phases of a mentoring relationship, offers strategies for supporting mentees' intellectual, professional, and psychosocial development, and includes online activities designed to help address specific mentoring challenges. External users can create a guest account with the University.
