Biostatistics School of Public Health

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Diversity

Underlying all public health research and training activities is an appreciation of the effect that cultural and socioeconomic diversity have on the health of communities.

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Attendees of Summer Institutes listening to presentation

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Committee

The Department of Biostatistics Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Committee is comprised of students, faculty, and staff. We acknowledge that our students, faculty, and staff come from diverse backgrounds and experiences, and we recognize that these backgrounds and experiences strengthen our department.

Our goals include:

  • Creating a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment and community for all department members and visitors;
  • Promoting equity and diversity in the profession of biostatistics and more broadly;
  • Further supporting students, faculty, and staff academically and professionally. 

The committee is engaged in numerous committees including:

  • Reviewing admissions criteria and courses with an equity lens;
  • Running weekly teas to support community building and to discuss EDI-related issues in the field and society;
  • Engaging the department in readings around race and equity;
  • Interfacing with students and administration about any programmatic issues around equity diversity and inclusion.

There must be an understanding of the behaviors, attitudes, and policies that enable public health to work effectively in cross-cultural situations. We recognize that cultural and sociodemographic diversity enriches the process of discovery by engendering multiple modes of thinking about problems and communicating ideas.

Opportunities for enrichment accrue to those institutions that successfully cultivate diversity within their educational, research, and outreach activities. Schools that fail to achieve and maintain a diverse constituency of students, faculty, and staff risk becoming increasingly removed from leading-edge educational and research opportunities in public health and losing relevance in their communities. All regions of the country, including the Pacific Northwest, are becoming more diverse in racial and ethnic makeup.

As the problem of racial and ethnic disparities in health outcomes continues to grow, policymakers and the general public increasingly look to health professional schools to address these urgent and unacceptable circumstances. Because we are one of the few schools of public health in the Northwest, it is particularly important for us to be up to the challenge.

With the goal of fostering a diverse learning and research environment, we encourage you to become familiar with the School of Public Health’s Commitment to Diversity.  We have also provided a list here of several University sites for your benefit. If you do not find what you need, please contact us.