Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Corrine Yap: Uniform Convergence

On October 27^th, 2023, we welcomed Dr. Corrine Yap from the Georgia Institute of Technology for our Fall Duke Math DEI Colloquium. Dr. Yap performed a one-woman play called Uniform Convergence that took place in Physics 128. More than 60 people were in attendance, including undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and faculty at Duke Math, as well as colleagues and students from Duke Theater Studies and UNC Math. Everyone had a chance to connect with Dr. Yap at a reception following her inspiring performance.

Francis Su: Mathematics for Human Flourishing

On December 2^nd, 2022, we invited Dr. Francis Su, Benediktsson-Karwa Professor of Mathematics at Harvey Mudd College, through a seed grant awarded to Dr. Anna Nelson and Dr. Maggie Reagan from the Office of Faculty Advancement. The aim of the seed grant, titled “The Faculty-Student Math Series” was to build bridges and community between members of the mathematics department, including staff, undergraduate and graduate students, tenure track faculty, and postdoctoral faculty. Through this grant, a faculty-student book club read “Mathematics For Human Flourishing”, a book by Dr. Su aimed at showcasing mathematics as an innate human enterprise that builds virtues like love, perseverance, and creativity. Dr. Su gave a talk based on this book in Physics 128 with a reception beforehand to meet the speaker.

Chad Topaz: From Bytes to Rights: The Fight for Justice in the Era of Data

On March 28, 2024, we welcomed Dr. Chad Topaz from Williams College for our Spring Duke Math DEI Colloquium. Dr. Topaz is the co-founder of the Institute for the Quantitative Study of Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity (QSIDE), a research-to-action institute working at the intersection of social justice and data science. He presented several inspiring projects of the QSIDE Institute and possibilities to engage with this meaningful work. The department and broader Duke community connected with Dr. Topaz at a reception following his talk.

Math 232S:  Math, Ethics and Society

In 2022, former DEI members Dr. Demetre Kazaras (ARP) and Garrett Allen (undergraduate) proposed a new mathematics course for the Trinity curriculum titled “Math, Ethics, and Society”, which has an EI (ethical inquiry), STS (science, technology and society), and SS (social science) course code. The course is taught in the spring, and the first course was taught in Spring 2023 by Dr. Demetre Kazaras. The goal of the course is to have students engage in mathematical content and the ethical questions surrounding how mathematics builds and maintains engines of power through readings, discussions, and open-ended final project. In Spring 2024, Dr. Logan Stokols taught the course, assisted by graduate student Fernando Villegas.  You can find the course description here.

Directed Reading Program

The new Directed Reading Program (DRP) pairs undergraduate students with graduate student mentors for semester-long independent study projects. The DRP has committed to provide an inclusive learning environment; all students are welcome to participate in the DRP, regardless of mathematical background, coursework, or academic performance, and program organizers encourage students from groups historically underrepresented in/excluded from mathematics to apply.

The program is run by graduate students with minimal faculty intervention to provide a space for undergraduates to form meaningful relationships with our mathematics graduate students.

Trainings and Workshops

SOGIE (Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and Expression) Training

On January 26^th, 2024, the department partnered with the Duke Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity (CSGD) to host two P.R.I.D.E. trainings on sexual orientation and gender identity/expression. Session 1 was centered around the core concepts of language and identity, while Session 2 discussed allyship and action. Both sessions included mathematics-specific case studies, through which attendees could learn how to be an ally and create more inclusive mathematics classrooms and research spaces. The Duke Division of Student Affairs published this article about the training.

Restorative Justice Training and Bystander training

Before the start of the fall 2023 semester, 60 members of the Duke Math department engaged with Ada Gregory, Associate Director of the Kenan Institute of Ethics, who led a training on restorative justice and community building.  Restorative Justice is an ethical framework that focuses on building community through exactly these means—through shared values of respect, compassion and inclusivity put into practice. The session explored how to use bystander interventions with a restorative approach to address microaggressions:  microinvalidations and remarks and behavior from those we work and study alongside every day. This framework points to a need for a collective accountability for proactively shifting the work culture, so such incidents don’t reoccur and everyone can flourish. Department members discussed case studies and scenarios to create ideas about collective accountability for proactively shifting work culture so as incidents don’t reoccur and everyone can flourish.

Disability Training

In anticipation of the start of the Fall 2024 semester, over 50 members of the department attended a training led by Bryan Rusch on how to approach disability and accommodations through the lens of identity and individualization. Bryan is a fifth year PhD Candidate in Duke's Art History Program studying the history of medical design who also earned an undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering at Duke, and has engaged with disability advocacy, awareness, community and curricular initiatives throughout his time on campus. Bryan’s work is supported by Duke Student Affairs and the Duke Human Rights Center at the FHI, through the Disability Culture and Rights Fellowship. The training focused first on the definition of Disability and its historical development, and then opened up to a discussion of challenges and best practices, including assessment design, course policies, and Duke-specific resources such as Duke Access and Accommodation Services (DAAS). Bryan’s slides from the training can be found here

Feedback and Assessment

The DEI team is involved in a variety of data initiatives aimed at better understanding department climate and student experiences. Ongoing efforts include:

• Midsemester feedback: These small group sessions and surveys, led by Teaching Coordinator Kristen Gerondelis, give instructors the opportunity to hear from students and make adjustments in real time to better meet classroom needs.
• Teacher Course Evaluations: Since Fall 2022, all undergraduate math teacher course evaluations have concluded with a statement of the mathematics department’s commitment to fostering a positive, equitable, and inclusive environment, and asked students to rate their agreement with the following statement: “The instructor created a welcoming classroom that valued diverse identities and experiences.” Responses to this question are analyzed by the Teaching Coordinator and the DEI Team so that concerns can be flagged and raised with department leadership.
• Majors and minors climate survey: In Fall 2023, the DEI team sought feedback from undergraduate math majors and minors on their experiences and sense of belonging in the department. The DEI team is currently analyzing these data and will then follow up with department leadership with a status report and recommendations for improvement.

Sloan Faculty Champions 

Sloan Faculty Champions work closely with Graduate School staff and co-PIs of the University Center of Exemplary Mentoring to help Sloan Scholars integrate into the research community. The mathematics Faculty Champion is Professor Samit Dasgupta.