Culture, Engagement, and Impact Blog

The DPHS DEI Committee welcomes you to come as you are to this informal Connection & Conversation event. During which we will gather and discuss the events of the past month, including but not limited to: the eleventh and twelfth transwomen being killed by violent means so far this year; the anniversary of Breonna Taylor’s unjust death; the increase of hate crimes and harassment towards Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, including the Atlanta mass shooting which killed six women of Asian descent; and the protests sparked from Sarah Everard’s kidnapping and death.

We would like to express our strongest solidarity with the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. We denounce these repeated, horrific and racist attacks against our AAPI friends and family, and in particular yesterday’s violent attack against Asian Americans in Atlanta,Georgia. We are committed to addressing racism and xenophobia within DPHS and fostering a climate of diversity, equity, and inclusion in our department and across Duke. Everyone deserves to feel safe in their homes, communities and workplace.

The DPHS DEI Committee organized and presented comprehensive information on gender pronouns and gender identity. Check out the full presentation!

Please enjoy this useful, 18-minute video discussing Microaggressions in the Classroom.

The DPHS DEI Committee developed a 6-part DEI Foundational Training that has since been converted into LMS courses. If you'd like to learn more about the courses or get help with registering for the courses, contact Avalon McMullen. See the trainings.

  The DPHS DEI Committee developed a comprehensive infographic mapping out different pathways for reporting microaggressions and discrimination, complete with clickable links. View the infographic.

Rosh HaShanah (literally meaning “Head of the Year”) is the Jewish New Year—a time of prayer, self-reflection, and new beginnings. Those of the Jewish faith review their actions over the past year and look for ways to improve as individuals and as a community. The holiday marks the beginning of a 10-day period, known as the Yamim Nora-im (“Days of Awe” or “High Holidays”) and culminates  with Yom Kippur (the “Day of Atonement”).

The DPHS DEI Committee developed a survey to gather feedback from staff on the supervisors and faculty members they work with. The Committee recommends this survey be used as a template and integrated into the annual review process for both faculty and staff.

In 2019, the Imperial Building opened a Wellness Room with the intended purpose of providing a safe, clean and quiet space for new parents to pump breastmilk. The Wellness Room is located on the ground floor of the Imperial Building along the main hallway, between the freight elevator and reception desk. An online calendar was set up to allow individuals to reserve time in the Wellness Room in 30-minute increments, based on their schedule; to reserve the Wellness Room, individuals are to contact the Imperial Building receptionist and ask for a link to the Teamup calendar. Read on for more guidelines.

Dr. Meira Epplein and team study that the inconsistent and controversial association between H. pylori with CRC risk.