DEI In Practice

DEI In Practice

As evidence of how I've begun to do my part in promoting DEI, I will skip over what I consider to be minimum expectations for instructors in making the classroom as inclusive and equitable as possible for all students and adapting to the individual needs of the students based on their backgrounds. If I were not doing this as a teaching assistant or instructor, I would be failing my students. However, I will speak to some actions I've taken to go above and beyond these expectations.

Formally, I was invited to serve on a faculty search committee, and while the position was in a field that was outside my interests and expertise, I agreed to serve on the committee. Given my lack of knowledge and experience in this economics subfield, I sought to ensure a diverse set of candidates were applying and being considered for the position. I created job postings on The Sadie Collective membership forum to provide a community of qualified Black women with this opportunity. I also strongly advocated for high-quality diversity statements, when considering similarly qualified candidates, to remind the committee of the importance of advancing DEI in our department. Before starting my graduate program, representing an organization in the company I worked for at the time, I attended a career fair in Washington D.C. for undergraduate students from HBCUs, to recruit Black applicants to consider becoming a part of our team.

Also, as part of my efforts in my department, I have organized an informal group chat for graduate students who self-identify as a woman in the department. The purpose of this group is to provide women with a safe space to share their experiences pursuing their graduate education in a male-dominated department and field. In this group, I share personal stories I've experienced as an example to others and encourage them to share their own stories. I, along with other women, provide helpful career/academic information and support and encourage the group to share their positive experiences so we can celebrate with one another in our accomplishments. In the 2023-24 academic period, I formed and chaired a committee to formally launch "Women in APEC". This group continues to provide safe social spaces for women in the department but also provides programming for all gender identities to promote diversity, inclusivity, and gender equality and provide resources, mentorship, and opportunities for skill development.

Even as a student in the classroom, I do not shy away from initiating and engaging in discussions of race and other issues of inequality. I have not only spoken up to enlighten peers and instructors on the struggles that disadvantaged communities face, especially the Black community in America, but I have gone so far as to create a brief introductory presentation on Stratification Economics in a Labor Economics course, which left this perspective out of the discussions on economic theories of discrimination. Also, working in peer study groups with very different backgrounds from mine, especially international students, has made me hyperaware of my privileges growing up in the U.S. that many students do not have. I intend to use this knowledge to remain cognizant and considerate of those challenges and do my part to reduce them as much as possible.

Lastly, my entire research agenda is focused on promoting racial equity and justice in the United States. I am determined to investigate research questions that address differences in the inequitable outcomes between advantaged and disadvantaged communities, particularly through structures of racism. My priority for this work concerns the Black community, but I also want to incorporate other underrepresented and disadvantaged groups in my research to be inclusive in the pursuit of equity and justice.

Please visit the following page to read further on Monique's intended DEI engagement:

Plans to Advance DEI

Back to DEI Statement page