Commitment to the UCI Black Thriving Initiative
The UCI Black Thriving Initiative recognizes and responds to anti-Blackness as an existential threat to our mission as a public research university. In depriving Black people of their full participation in society and in university life, anti-Blackness compromises UCI’s capacity to educate, discover, create and heal. It therefore demands a whole university response. This response relies on each member of our campus community linking their future to the success of Black students, faculty and staff as well as alumni and communities served by UCI.
The UCI School of Physical Sciences is committed to combating injustices through long-term commitments and creating an environment where Black students, staff and faculty can thrive. In upholding the campus’ commitment to the UCI Black Thriving Initiative, Black in Physical Sciences events were developed starting in 2020. These events offer the Black community in the department of chemistry, Earth System Science, mathematics and physics & astronomy the opportunity to connect with other Black individuals in an informal setting, meet colleagues in their field and exchange resources and ideas. If you have any questions, please contact the Office of Access, Outreach and Inclusion at aoips@uci.edu.
The Black in Physical Sciences Mentoring Program began in Spring 2022 and is an initiative that intends to connect current Physical Sciences undergraduate and graduate students with alumni. By supporting students on their personal and professional journeys, our intention is that this mentoring program will contribute to the sustainability and promotion of a thriving community of Black students and alumni at UCI. Please reach out to the Office of Access, Outreach and Inclusion (aoips@uci.edu) for more information about joining this program.
In spring 2022, the Office of Access, Outreach and Inclusion launched the “Celebrating Black in Physical Sciences” Colloquia Series where prominent Black physical scientists and mathematicians are invited to give a colloquium on their work. We plan to feature speakers in each of the four department areas (Chemistry, Earth System Science, Math, Physics & Astronomy. Speakers are provided an honorarium for sharing their expertise with the UCI community.