The Department of Computing and Mathematical Sciences is dedicated to the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion. We are a community that values and celebrates differences among our members and we strive to create an equitable and inclusive environment for people of all backgrounds. We value working in an environment that is diverse in terms of identity (this includes, but is not limited to, race, gender, sexual orientation, disability status, neurotypicality status, socioeconomic status, culture and family background, religion, political party affiliation, immigration status, social caste, nontraditional students, parental status, and first-generation students) and also in terms of perspectives and ideas. We strive to ensure that all members of the community, regardless of identity, are equitably empowered to achieve academic and research success.
We view a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion as a fundamental part of our mission as an academic department. This commitment is important to all aspects of our work in the computing and mathematical sciences. Our diversity makes us better educators and more effective at identifying and solving problems. An equitable and inclusive community allows our students, staff, and faculty to achieve their fullest potential. Every member of the CMS community is here because of their potential to contribute meaningfully to the most challenging and fundamental problems in the computing and mathematical sciences, and it is the mission of the department to create an environment where all community members can reach that goal.
We strive to create and sustain a diverse, inclusive, and equitable environment by taking concrete actions to increase awareness, reduce bias, and eliminate inequities such as:
- mitigating the effects of bias and explicitly considering a commitment to equity and inclusion in our admissions, hiring, and promotion processes.
- valuing, supporting, and recognizing members of our community who work on initiatives related to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
- maintaining a climate of inclusion through regular departmental activities that welcome diverse views and where individuals are free from personal attacks.
- supporting all members of our community, especially those who may face additional challenges in academia and society due to systemic injustices.
- leveraging our intellectual and material resources to broaden participation in the computing and mathematical sciences through outreach to communities that are underrepresented in STEM.
- designing courses, providing resources, and establishing department policies to be equitable and inclusive such that all members of the community, regardless of identity, are equally empowered to meet Caltech's standard of excellence.
- regularly engaging in self-reflection and assessment, both conversational and data-driven, to understand our blindspots and where we can take action to avoid implicit bias, reduce inequity, and improve inclusivity for people from all backgrounds, perspectives, and viewpoints.
Points of contact
We welcome feedback from the Caltech community around diversity, equity, and inclusion, and we encourage you to reach out to us.
Ombudsperson: Peter Schröder
Office hours: Tuesdays 2:00-3:00pm in Annenberg 306.
Please contact Professor Schröder via email in advance to reserve time to meet.
CMS Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Steering Committee
- Adam Blank
- Katie Bouman
- James Bowden
- Riley Brooker
- Isha Chakraborty
- Elijah Cole
- Sarah Dunbar
- Angela Gao
- Sydney Garstang
- Leah Griffith
- Emma Gurcan
- John Lathrop
- Albert Li
- Eric Mazumdar
- Claire Ralph
- Peter Schröder
- Roy Wang
- Robert Webber
- Adam Wierman
Beyond the DEI Steering Committee, the topics of diversity, equity, and inclusion are important focuses for many other groups within the CMS community including, for example, the CMS Undergraduate Advisory Council, the CMS Graduate Advisory Council, the CMS Partners Program Council, and Women* in CMS. Contact information for these groups can be found here.
If you have an idea for a new initiative or activity related to diversity, equity, and inclusion in CMS, we would love to hear about it. Please reach out to any of the DEI steering committee members above.