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Professional Staff Organization

2021 DEI Forum

NOTE: PAST EVENT – please see PSO Events for current events!

2021 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Forum: October 20-21

The UW Professional Staff Organization (PSO) joined with staff across the campuses of UW to host a forum, by staff & for staff, on issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion at UW and beyond.

  • Our goal was to create an intersectional space to come together to share ideas, to network, and to build collective capacity to advance anti-racism and social justice efforts across UW and beyond: including intersecting aspects of identity such as race, ethnicity, ability, age, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and religion. The primary audience of the DEI Forum was UW staff; faculty and students were also welcome to attend!

Details of the 2021 DEI Forum:

  • Took place on October 20, 12:30-4:30pm; and October 21, 9am-1:30pm
  • Held on Zoom – recordings and slides will be posted under each session soon!
  • Check out the Mural Board, where attendees shared ideas and experiences.
  • Did you attend? Please let us know how it went for you–fill out the event survey!

Sessions

 

October 20, 2021

 

Welcome, check-in, how we got here, and where we hope to go.

Speaker:

White supremacy cultural norms manifest in organizations and are performed by individuals through defensiveness, perfectionism, individualism, paternalism, one right way thinking, etc. By understanding how these norms show up, practitioners can better identify and disrupt these norms in their daily practice.

Speaker:

Erica Barton (she/her), HR Manager for Organizational Learning & Development, Housing & Food Services

Presentation:

Panelists:

  • Joanna Ames, Residency Education Specialist
  • China Hardison, Program Operations Specialist, General Surgery
  • Susan Marx, Vice Chair of Finance and Administration
  • Kelsey Pullar, Research Coordinator, Surgical Outcomes Research Center (SORCE)

Presentation:

2:25-2:40pm BREAK

UW is launching a new Title IX online course, Husky Prevention and Response, for all employees and new students in Fall 2021. In this session, individuals will consider how they can be involved in violence prevention efforts while learning more about how the new course will enhance the ability to contribute to respectful work and learning environments, recognize sex- and gender-based violence and harassment, utilize bystander intervention, and respond with care when an individual discloses.

Speakers:

  • Kiana Swearingen, Deputy Title IX Coordinator for Education and Prevention, University of Washington
  • Elizabeth Wilmerding, Violence Prevention & Advocacy Program Manager, University of Washington Bothell

Presentation:

Preview of the next day, and opportunity to provide reflections on what we’ve heard, learned, and plan to do next.

Speakers:

Ronda Rutherford, Foster School of Business

This workshop is an introduction to somatic abolitionism. You will learn about how racism has historical and intergenerational effects not just on our minds and societal systems but also in our body. The racial trauma that is carried with each generation impacts our nervous system even in small interactions happening now. This workshop will introduce some practices to help metabolize and discharge some of the trauma held in our body.

This workshop is intended for BIPOC folks and will be centering BIPOC voices. For white bodies interested in this work I would encourage those folks to read “My Grandmother’s Hands” by Resmaa Menakem.

Speakers:

Andrea Salazar-Nuñez, Ph.D., Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity, University of Washington

This session was not recorded.

 

October 21, 2021

 

Hear about some of the resources and communities at UW regarding DEI.

Speakers:

  • Tierra Johnson, Program Coordinator, Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity
  • Ebonee Anderson, Diversity Recruiter, UWHR

Presentation:

Program directors and staff representatives from collaborative UW-Seattle programs will share how they assessed their student-facing programs with an equity lens. Learn how building community can address issues of representational equity, resource equity and equity-mindedness.

Panelists:

  • Scott Pinkham, College of Engineering Office of Inclusive Excellence, Minority Scholars Engineering Program
  • June Summers Hairston, Ed.D., Director of the Pacific Northwest Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (PNW LSAMP) In Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM); Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity, University of Washington
  • Zachary McKinlay, Undergraduate Diversity Services, Foster School of Business
  • Paul Metellus, College of Education Brotherhood Initiative
  • Lisa Peterson, Office of Research, UW GenOM Project
  • Todd Sperry, Director, TRIO McNair Scholars Program, UW Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity
  • Teri Ward, Director UW Health Sciences Center Minority Students Program

Presentation:

University work is often accomplished collaboratively, and many of us struggle with how to truly foster group spaces that embody shared values and actively encourage equitable interactions and contributions to the work. This workshop builds on the concept of Emergent Strategy as identified by adrienne maree brown and will offer concrete ideas for how to develop meetings, committees, and cross-campus collaborations that succeed because community is central to the work.

In this session, the co-chairs of UW’s Title IX Training and Education Working Committee will share lessons learned from their intentional design and execution of a new committee structure. The committee leadership is invested in the additional revolutionary work to produce conditions within the committee that mirror the healthy communities we want to see flourishing across our campuses. As such, the co-chairs set out to implement a group structure that is a horizontal power model grounded in social justice and activism strategies.

The co-chairs incorporated concepts from “Emergent Strategy” by Adrienne Maree Brown, and ensured committee members felt equal ownership and responsibility for the work. This approach is vital because of the work of the committee: building tailored sex- and gender-based violence and harassment prevention and response education for the UW community.

Some specific recommendations that we will share with participants include:

  • Integrating Emergent Strategies into the development and implementation of collaborative work
  • Facilitating conversations about committee structure, goals, and accountability
  • Making space for committee members’ strengths and growth edges
  • Practices for allowing all committee members to share their expertise and opinions
  • Utilizing innovative and collaborative decision-making processes

Session participants will be encouraged to enter the session thinking about spaces that they can transform through the implementation of some of the strategies to be shared. At the end of the session, they will be asked to commit to two specific strategies that they intend to implement in the future.

Speakers:

  • Kiana Swearingen, Deputy Title IX Coordinator for Education and Prevention, University of Washington
  • Elizabeth Wilmerding, Violence Prevention & Advocacy Program Manager, University of Washington Bothell

Presentation:

11:25-11:40am BREAK

This interactive workshop is designed to encourage UW stakeholders (e.g. students, staff, faculty, etc.) on how to create and expand mentoring opportunities across the campus.  Participants will leave this presentation with a solid understanding of how mentoring supports the UW Diversity Blueprint, what it takes to be part of a quality mentoring program and how they can work with others to make this happen.

Speakers:

Dr. Terryl Ross; VP Anti-racism, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion; Goodwill of Olympic and Rainier Region

Presentation:

Discuss what we heard and learned, how we can take action, what is next, and what we can address in our next DEI Forum, February 2022.

Speakers:

DEI Forum Planners

Speaker Bios

Learn more about our speakers:

Joanna Ames, Residency Education Specialist

Joanna Ames provides the General Surgery Residency Program with operational oversight of the program’s key programmatic requirements and management of essential education events, including recruitment. Joanna is also a founding member of the Department of Surgery Staff Anti-Racism group as well as a member of the GME Program Administrator Advisory Council. She enjoys being able to engage with her colleagues and work on improving the systems in which we operate. Prior to coming to work for the Department of Surgery, Joanna worked in the non-profit field for 12 years, first in fundraising and then for a non-profit dental group, where she worked her way up to the position of Assistant Director. Originally from Portland, Oregon, Joanna earned her bachelor’s degree from Gonzaga University.

Ebonee Anderson, Diversity Recruiter, UW HR

Ebonee Anderson is the DEI Recruiting Consultant with the UWHR- Total Talent Management. In her current role she is charged with the responsibility of helping with the design, development, and implementation of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) focused recruiting and sourcing strategies and programs. She has already proven herself to be integral to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion work across the University and sits on the UW Diversity Council.

Erica Barton (she/her), HR Manager for Organizational Learning & Development, Housing & Food Services

Erica Barton has worked in university campus housing since 2003, and is approaching completion of her EdD from Northeastern University. Her doctoral research is focused on examining how white supremacy cultural norms impact organizational learning. Erica works and lives by two core values- curiosity and belonging.

China Hardison, Program Operations Specialist, General Surgery

China Hardison’s career spans a total of 24 years, starting as a medical assistant, then surgical coordinator and on to her current role as is a Program Operations Specialist for the Colorectal and Emergency General Surgery sections of the Division of General Surgery, Department of Surgery, School of Medicine.  She has worked in the Department of Surgery for 2 1/2 years.  China is a member of the Department of Surgery Diversity Council and Anti-Racism Workgroup.  She has also been involved in creating and implementing the Promotions Pathway.  She is passionate about working with her peers on recruiting and retaining BIPOC staff and faculty as well as creating a UW culture centered on inclusivity and providing safe spaces for people to be fully valued and supported.  She enjoys reading, cooking and listening to music.

Tierra Johnson, Program Coordinator, Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity

Tierra coordinates events, planning, and programming for the Diversity Council and related to the UW Diversity Blueprint, as well as for those related to staff recruitment and retention. She contributes to the work conducted on staff diversity recruiting and retention strategy-building for the University. Tierra ssembles information for and maintain campus-wide inventories of diversity training/workshop providers and other diversity-related topics.

Susan Marx, Vice Chair of Finance and Administration

Susan Marx, MBA, PMP, is the Vice Chair of Finance and Administration for the Department of Surgery, School of Medicine. Susan has held the role for nine years, with cumulative experience in UW Medicine for twenty-five years. Susan is passionate about process and systems improvement, and how culture impacts systems. The Anti-Racism Workgroup is a staff-led team, where Susan’s role is to empower and embrace change, and to remove barriers to improvements. Susan received a BA from the University of Notre Dame, and an Executive MBA from the University of Washington Foster School of Business.

Zachary McKinlay, Undergraduate Diversity Services, Foster School of Business

I am Zach McKinlay and I was born and raised in Tacoma Washington. I studied Sociology at the University of Washington where I graduated in 2012. Currently I work as the Program Manager for UDS (Undergraduate Diversity Services) where I work to empower, build community, and advance underserved students within the Foster School of Business at UW Seattle.

Scott Pinkham, College of Engineering Office of Inclusive Excellence, Minority Scholars Engineering Program

Scott Pinkham, M.Ed (Nez Perce) is an Assistant Director in the College of Engineering where he leads the Minority Scholars Engineering Program.  MSEP seeks to build a diverse, equitable and inclusive community for students so they will persist to graduation in engineering.  He has also served on the Seattle School Board where he strove to raise voices of underserved/marginalized communities seeking an equitable education for their members.  More information at https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottpinkham/

Kelsey Pullar, Research Coordinator, Surgical Outcomes Research Center (SORCE)

Kelsey Pullar, MPH, is a Senior Project Manager in the Surgical Outcomes Research Center (SORCE), Department of Surgery, currently leading trials that focus on patient-centered outcomes in diverticulitis and ovarian cancer. She has been working with teams within SORCE and across the Department of Surgery to try to integrate demonstrated effective anti-racist strategies and tools in hiring and retention to address systemic inequalities often baked into or reproduced in seemingly neutral processes and institutions.

Dr. Terryl Ross; VP Anti-racism, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion; Goodwill of Olympic and Rainier Region

Terryl has over 30 years related to DEI and has spent most of his career in higher education.  He received his doctorate from the UW College of Education and is a former employee of UW.

Andrea Salazar-Nuñez, Ph.D., Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity, University of Washington

Dr. Salazar-Nuñez is a psychologist committed to social justice and providing psychotherapy from a multicultural/racialized lens. Much of her work has been centered on developing skills to uphold diversity and inclusion and foster a holistic healing space. She identifies as a Liberation Psychotherapist and a Somatic Abolitionist practitioner. Specialties include in working with women, people of color/BIPOC, and individuals with marginalized identities (including undocumented). Clinical areas include anxiety, grief, relationship issues, career counseling, identity exploration, inter-generational conflict, intersectionality, imposter syndrome, racial fatigue, racial trauma, sexual trauma, and emotion focused work.

June Summers Hairston, Ed.D., Director of the Pacific Northwest Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (PNW LSAMP) In Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM); Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity, University of Washington

June Hairston has been serving as Director of the PNW LSAMP for five years as of January 2022. This Tri-State Alliance is comprised of 5 four-year institutions, which each have a 2-year partner community college that serves as a direct pipeline for transfer students interested in STEM majors.  June has been working at the University of Washington for 37 years, assisting thousands of students matriculating to degree, and beyond.

Kiana Swearingen, Deputy Title IX Coordinator for Education and Prevention, University of Washington

Kiana has worked in the anti-violence field for over 15 years and in higher education for 7 years. Her work is centered on intersectional and trauma-informed prevention and response to sexual harassment, relationship violence, stalking, sexual exploitation, and sexual assault. She believes that a successful approach to preventing violence must engage all individuals as agents of change, give communities practical strategies to build healthy environments, and analyze the structures and policies that perpetuate and exacerbate harm.

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kiana-swearingen-b0b756a9/

Teri Ward, Director UW Health Sciences Center Minority Students Program

Teri Ward is Director of the Health Sciences Center Minority Students Program (HSCMSP), a division of the Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity whose mission is to develop and/or increase interest among underrepresented minorities and disadvantaged students to pursue health-related professional and biomedical/behavioral research careers. She is Co-Investigator of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded Stipends for Training Aspiring Researchers (STAR) program which nationally supports the research training of underrepresented minority and disadvantaged undergraduate and graduate/professional students in the health, biomedical, and behavioral sciences.

Elizabeth Wilmerding, Violence Prevention & Advocacy Program Manager, University of Washington Bothell

Elizabeth Wilmerding (she/her/hers) has been working in violence prevention for the past ten years, in both campus and community settings. She strives to bring a lens of social justice and community accountability to her work. She is currently on the Leadership Council of the Campus Advocacy and Prevention Professionals Association (CAPPA) and on the Board of the Organization for Prostitution Survivors.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-wilmerding-b8911724/

Sponsors

The DEI Forum is thrilled to have received funding from the UW Diversity Council! Learn more about the other units and organizations behind this effort:

Department of Surgery

Evans School of Public Policy and Governance

Foster School of Business

Kelly Ethnic Cultural Center

Professional Staff Organization

UW Bothell Information Technology

UW Tacoma Professional Development Center

UW Tacoma Staff Association

Whole U

SAVE THE DATE FOR THE NEXT FORUM: April 20-21, 2022!