View Program - 63rd Annual Drosophila Research Conference

Within higher education institutions and the sciences is a lack of support, care, and safety for marginalized communities due to a history of systemic oppression. In order to change this, we need to take justice-based approaches for our diversity, equity, and inclusion work, including bringing people together to reenvision culture rather than hundreds of individual efforts. In decentralized institutions, which are common in higher education, we often do not connect across local (for example, departments, divisions, or units) efforts nor connect local to central administration where decision making occurs. By coming together and breaking down silos, we can gain power in a grassroots manner to lead to culture change across the organization. I will speak on how we can use collective action for institutional transformation using my efforts at Stanford University’s School of Medicine Human Resources Group as examples, specifically the efforts of the School of Medicine Staff JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) Collective. This model demonstrates one method as to how we can move from individual allyship to group co-conspiratorial work to challenge the institution for transformative change. I will also share my personal and professional journey to JEDI work, including transitioning away from Drosophila research to administrative staff JEDI positions.

Collective Action for Institutional Transformation