Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

The MIT Department of Biological Engineering (BE) values a diverse and inclusive community. It promotes a caring and respectful space where all members can take advantage of MIT’s learning, discovery, and personal growth opportunities.

DEI Working Groups

BE has working groups focused on creating an inclusive community, enhancing the educational experience, and outreach, engagement, and recruitment.

The DEI Hub brings together representatives from students, staff, faculty, postdocs, and other community members who meet quarterly. This group develops the DEI annual strategy, reports back to stakeholders, and responds to requests for information. They collect and study DEI strategies across departments and institutions. Additionally, they lead hiring initiatives and collaborate with DEI staff and consultants. They also coordinate with the School of Engineering Gender Equity Committee.

The Ethics Working Group is responsible for developing ethical codes of conduct for the BE community. They collaborate with undergraduate and graduate curriculum committees to integrate ethics into educational materials. Additionally, they assist students and faculty with specific ethical questions or guidance.

The Community Working Group plans events aimed at fostering a positive and inclusive environment in BE. They manage the BE seminar, event, retreat, and social budgets and set budgeting priorities. Their responsibilities include managing the seminar schedule, sending invitations, polling faculty, and narrowing down the ‘to invite’ list to ensure intellectual and background diversity. They also organize competitions for financial support to attend conferences and plan social events designed to promote faculty-student interactions and cater to different social preferences.

The BE Undergraduate Board and the BE Graduate Board consist of students elected to represent the undergraduate and graduate student bodies, respectively. They advocate for the student voice and build programs that support the student experience in BE.

The BE Application Assistance Program is a program that assists potential students interested in applying to the BE doctoral program and graduate school programs in general.
 
BE collaborates with MIT community partners such as the Institute Community Equity Office.