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The Spotlight from Midwest Retreat, Summer 2024

Writer's picture: Lutfun NaherLutfun Naher

Midwest Retreat for Diversity in Chemistry (MWRDC), Summer 2024 at Bradley University, IL, was truly a welcoming and special experience. The retreat was founded by Dr. Robbyn K. Anand, an Associate Professor at Iowa State University, with the goal of increasing inclusivity, awareness, and positive change in our community. This retreat is completely organized by chemistry graduate students and hosted over 60 graduate students and postdocs from 11 different states in the US. Through this event, scientists were able to connect and engage with fellow scientists and professionals from diverse backgrounds and build connections in a warm and supportive environment. This year Der Vang, the CCDC Cultural Affairs Chair, Moriah Weese-Myers, the CCDC DEI/Education Chair, Manisha Sheokand, the CCDC Women's Initiative Chair, and Sainath Mohan Kumar, the CCDC Mentor/Outreach Chair have the opportunity to participate in the retreat. They shared their experience, thoughts, and some highlights from different scheduled events.

 

The fifth-year graduate student, Der Vang, mentioned that she found herself immersed in a wealth of knowledge and insights during the breakout sessions, inspirational speakers, panelists, and scheduled events. She believes that this retreat provided the perfect platform for continuous professional development, as well as resources and mentorship opportunities that will help her navigate her future in chemistry with confidence. Overall, she highly recommends it to chemistry graduate students.

 

Moriah Weese-Myers, a fifth-year graduate student, commented that the MWRDC was a phenomenal and empowering experience. She learned from many voices in the room and, in turn, felt more at home in their own skin as a nonbinary chemist. The major takeaways from this retreat included concrete information for fostering an equitable classroom, minimizing bias in research, advocating for oneself and others, and building a wider community of marginalized scientists.

 

Manisha Sheokand, a dedicated fourth-year graduate student, expressed her enthusiasm about the recent retreat, highlighting the uplifting and inclusive atmosphere that fostered meaningful discussions and idea sharing. She found it truly inspiring to connect with exceptional professionals and like-minded graduate students from various parts of the country, all united in their dedication to advancing scientific knowledge and championing equity and inclusion in STEM fields. She highly recommends attending next year's event and actively participating, emphasizing the invaluable opportunities for networking, learning, and contributing to the collective pursuit of excellence in science and inclusivity.

 

Sainath Mohan Kumar, a second-year graduate student, found the most intriguing aspects of the retreat to be the authenticity of the speakers and their willingness to speak their minds. Their honest stories and experiences felt extremely relatable. Specifically, Dr. Candi Hudson's keynote address set the tone for the retreat. Her story of achieving her doctorate and battling racism and insensitivity was inspiring. An important takeaway was that although we may have the right intentions, how we express ourselves matters. In conclusion, the Midwest Retreat for Diversity in Chemistry is a must-attend event for those looking to advance in their careers.


We appreciate and are grateful to Der Vang, Moriah Weese-Myers, Manisha Sheokand, and Sainath Mohan Kumar for sharing their experiences and valuable opinions with us.




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