The Knight Campus Graduate Internship Program will host the 8th Annual Inclusion Symposium. This year's theme, “Using Your Voice: Intentional Inclusion,” focuses on fostering meaningful action toward diversity and inclusion within the scientific community. The half-day event will feature invited speakers, a panel discussion, student speeches and multiple networking sessions. 

This year's keynote speaker is André Isaacs, associate professor at the College of the Holy Cross. Isaacs is a Black and Queer scientist, well-known for blending pop culture with education. With over 500,000 followers on TikTok, he creates popular videos with his students featuring smooth dance moves alongside chemistry experiments and history lessons, often sporting a rainbow-patterned lab coat. This charming approach strengthens his bond with students while promoting inclusivity, trust, and a growth mindset. It also serves to demonstrate that science is for everyone, regardless of identity or appearance. For more insights, check out a recent conversation we had with Dr. Isaacs about his unique approach and thoughts on inclusivity in science.

Peter Schwarz (He/Him) will delver the opening remarks. Peter is the Optical and Algorithm Engineering Manager at Redwire Space. A Knight Campus Graduate Internship Program (Optics track, 2017) alum, Peter has worked in biomedical optics, chemical warfare agent detection, and the design and testing of space-bound telescopes.

The symposium will also include a panel discussion with esteemed experts:

• Maria Dulay is a senior research scientist & lab manager at Stanford University’s DeSimone Lab, and director of Stanford's Center for STEMM Mentorship. Dulay is also an advocate for a respectful and transparent academic culture.
• Midhat Farooq is senior careers program manager at the American Physical Society. Her work is driven by a commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice, and she specializes in mentoring and career development for students and early-career scientists.  
• David Degnan is a KCGIP Bioinformatics alum and bioinformatician at Pacific Northwest National Labs. He develops web tools and statistical analyses for multi-omics data applied to environmental and human health problems.
• Bashar Haidar is a KCGIP Optics alum and current employee at Intel, where he contributes to the development of world-changing technology that improves the life of every person on the planet.
• Jess Nelson is a KCGIP Semiconductors alum and technical product support engineer at Applied Materials. Their inclusive approach, which engages peers, faculty and staff equitably and accessibly, fosters the kind of community we aspire to create.

The Inclusion Symposium wraps up KCGIP’s summer Inclusion Workshop series, which was held on Tuesday nights following Professional Development and Orientation Week in June. The series serves to empower students with tools to build the foundational knowledge, empathy and emotional intelligence necessary to become inclusive leaders and allies. In addition to the keynote and panel discussions, the symposium will feature student speeches, providing a platform for emerging voices to share their perspectives on intentional inclusion. The 8th Annual Inclusion Symposium underscores KCGIP’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. This year, the workshop series and event were opened to Knight Campus doctoral candidates from the Department of Bioengineering. By bringing together students, alumni and professionals, event organizers endeavor to build a community of leaders with empathy, knowledge and emotional intelligence to drive meaningful change in their fields. 

The 8th Annual Inclusion Symposium is scheduled for Friday, August 23. André Isaacs' keynote will begin at 3:30 p.m. and will be available via livestream in the Beetham Seminar room. For more information or inquiries, please contact us at kcgip@uoregon.edu.