RDEISE: 2022 Year in Review

December 30, 2022

As the year grinds to a halt and 2023 begins to crest on the horizon, join us for a look back at the highlights of the Racial Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Science Education (RDEISE) project in 2022.

This year, we brought you behind the scenes with the team working on the RDEISE clusters. We shared exciting updates and news, insights and personal stories from the RDEISE fellows, and more.

So, what were the highlights? Let’s recap.

The word “Winter” in large white text against a blue background. A cartoon person with short blue hair and a septum piercing sits on top of the letter E, reading a book. They are wearing a red scarf and a green and white suit. Snowflakes fall all around them.

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In January, we profiled New Pathways to STEM: Increasing Access & Opportunity in Science Education, an online panel discussion co-convened by Harvard in the Community, the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and LabXchange. The panel included RDEISE faculty steering committee member Dr. Joseph L. Graves Jr. and Mike Edmondson, vice president of Amgen’s Global Field of Excellence and global lead of the Amgen Black Employee Network.

For Black History Month in February, we invited RDEISE fellows Veronica Wylie and Ginger Jeffery to tell us what Black History Month means to them. “Black History Month is not merely a celebration of icons,” Veronica Wylie wrote. “It is an opportunity to expose people to the inherent value that we have as a people, and to put into action the principles upon which Black Excellence has been established.”

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The word “Spring” in large white text against a blue background. Pink, orange, green, and blue flowers bloom all around it. A cartoon person with a green afro, wearing a purple dress, yellow high-heeled shoes, and flowers in their hair, leans on the letter P.

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RDEISE steering faculty committee members Dr. Joseph Graves, Dr. Jamiella Brooks, and Dr. Ivory Toldson spoke in “The Power of Positive Influence,” a virtual panel discussion hosted by the STEM Funders Network in March. They talked about the importance of centering diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in course and curriculum design, representation in STEM, and more.

We went behind the scenes in April, and introduced you to the RDEISE Learning Design team. The team talked about how deeply DEI is embedded in the project, and shared tips for anyone interested in a career in learning design.

‍In May, we covered Racism, Not Race: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions, a book written by Joseph L. Graves and Alan H. Goodman and released in 2021. Their work draws on natural and social sciences to challenge the incorrect but prevalent assumption that race is based on biology and genetics.

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The word “Summer” in big white text against a blue background, surrounded by orange slices, big green leaves, and colorful confetti. A cartoon person with purple hair sits in a wheelchair next to a cartoon person with a black afro who is holding a loudspeaker striped in the Pan African colors: green, yellow, red, and black.

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Juneteenth, celebrated every June for the last 150 years, is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. We asked graduate research fellows from the RDEISE project to share what Juneteenth means to them and how they celebrate the day.

‍We shone a spotlight on web accessibility at LabXchange in July. Across a series of 4 blog posts, we covered accessibility in product design, inclusive language, accessibility in web development, and accessible design. We also got to hear from our head UX/UI designer, one of our editors, our dev team, and some of our graphic designers.

With many students heading back to school in August, we shared 10 pieces of advice and motivation from the RDEISE fellows, touching on everything from the importance of finding good mentors, to keeping an open mind when selecting courses.

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The word “Fall” in big white text against a blue background. Orange tree branches with orange leaves grow out of the corners of the image, and there are two yellow birds sitting on one of the branches and singing. A cartoon person with a black beard and short black hair, wearing a smart yellow sweater and green pants, leans against the second L, gazing up at the leaves above them.

Together with RDEISE fellows Mia Thornton, Brianna Holiday, and Veronica Wylie, we delved deeper into the profound personal roots of the RDEISE project in September.

In October, we announced that LabXchange is proud to be one of over 130 organizations joining Beyond100K to reach their goal - to prepare and retain 150,000 new STEM teachers in the US by 2032, with an emphasis on Black, Latinx, and Native American communities.

Ending the year on a high note, in November, RDEISE content development fellows Isis Dwyer and Taylor Spencer, and content development consultants Dr. Tina Lasisi and Udodiri Okwandu told us more about themselves, their work, and what the RDEISE project means to them.

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Written by

LabXchange RDEISE team