Psychology Committee on Equity, Inclusion, and Community Mission Statement

Psychology Committee on Equity, Inclusion, and Community at the University of Pittsburgh aim to increase equal representation, pride, inclusivity, community, and engagement with regard to traditionally underrepresented and minoritized groups within the psychological sciences research community. These groups are intentionally defined broadly and can relate to cultural backgrounds, religious, ethnic, racial, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, citizenship, language, economic, and health factors. It is critical that we actively maintain these values into all aspects of our work including student, faculty, and staff advocacy, workplace culture and climate, recruitment and hiring, funding opportunities, research populations, and research questions. We acknowledge and appreciate the eclectic ideas that come from a diverse work environment and want to foster diversity of thought, experience, and expertise to all facets of our work. An equitable and inclusive community creates a climate that enables individuals of all backgrounds to freely express and foster their identities to support achieving meaningful work and their greatest research potential so that we may advance individual pathways to higher education and subsequently culminate scientific research of the greatest caliber. The psychology department and larger academic community have systematically marginalized certain populations resulting in an overall lack of representation and consequential support for existing minoritized groups in academia . This committee aims to subvert this lack of representation and support through achieving five main goals:

• Targeted mentorship of and research opportunities for underrepresented undergraduate students in psychology
• Recruitment of underrepresented graduate students, faculty, and staff to the department
• Support for underrepresented graduate students, faculty, and staff through affinity groups and financial support for affinity-related conferences/training/events for graduate students
• Training for all students, faculty, and staff surrounding issues of representation and cultural awareness and sensitivity in research, mentoring/teaching, clinical practice, and academia as a whole
• Outreach to and collaboration with other departments, organizations, and committees that share like-minded goals

As the Committee and department grow, current subcommittees will develop and maintain these goals through the implementation of initiatives. New subcommittees will be formed as needed to create and propose new ideas on these issues and topics for the Psychology department to consider. The Committee will continue to evolve and be receptive to new ideas and proposals so that these exchanges follow in the current pursuit of representing all of the graduate and undergraduate students, staff, and faculty differences and similarities that are both recognized and appreciated.