Last month, the UConn Health Graduate School Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee launched its new seminar series with an inaugural presentation by guest speaker Dr. Renata Schiavo, senior lecturer at Columbia University\u2019s Mailman School of Public Health. \u00a0Her talk on September 21 entitled \u201cThe Science of Trust: Implications in Educational Settings\u201d provided a background for the importance of trust in laying the foundation for the work of a university, or any organization, towards creating a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment benefiting all members of the community.<\/p>\n
\u201cDEI is about changing narratives and mental models to build trust and foster belonging. The key to advancing DEI is to implement participatory approaches to policy and intervention design, which should also include bias mapping and anti-bias training,\u201d explained Dr. Schiavo.<\/p>\n
The presentation offered an overview of trust as a hallmark of human interaction, then delved more specifically into how building trust is essential to DEI and organizational growth. The message resonated with many of the seminar\u2019s attendees:<\/p>\n
\u201cI found Dr. Schiavo\u2019s research and perspectives enlightening regarding the idea that initiatives promoting inclusion are more likely to succeed when belongingness and trust exist within the community,\u201d noted Dr. Helen Swede, Associate Professor of Public Health Sciences and leader of the PhD in Public Health program. \u201cShe suggested tangible pathways to achieve those two goals when, for example, developing a mentoring system for graduate students.\u201d<\/p>\n
Second-year Biomedical Science PhD student Brooke Dreyer, agreed. \u201cI thought the lecture was very insightful.\u00a0 I like how she suggested tailored action steps for different members within the community, from students to clinicians. I learned a lot about the relationship between trust, belongingness, and DEI initiatives.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat resonated most with me,\u201d said Professor of Medicine Dr. Anne Delany, \u201cis the idea that DEI needs to be a participatory process with emphasis on including and engaging students. Also, the concept that community engagement is a way to build trust in our institution and higher education in general, which may have the added benefit of increasing the pipeline of diverse students and faculty in the long run.\u201d<\/p>\n
In addition to the lecture, students, faculty, and staff also had an opportunity to spend time with Dr. Schiavo at the reception following, as well as in one-on-one meetings.<\/p>\n
\u201cI really enjoyed meeting students and faculty members and learning about their plans and commitment to advancing DEI within the institution via student engagement and new policies as well as opportunities and forums to continue the discussion on this important topic,\u201d Dr. Schiavo said. \u201cI was honored to be invited to give this lecture and contribute to the efforts of the Graduate School DEI Committee at UConn Health.”<\/p>\n
In addition to her work at Columbia University, Dr. Schiavo is the founder and board president of the Board of Directors of Health Equity Initiative; principal at Strategies for Equity and Communication Impact (SECI) principal; and Editor in Chief of Journal of Communications in Healthcare strategies, Media, and Engagement in Global Health.<\/em><\/p>\n The seminar was sponsored by the UConn Health Graduate School DEI Committee with the generous support of the School of Medicine.<\/p>\n