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Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Statement of the Carnegie Mellon University Department of Statistics & Data Science on Diversity

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are core values of the Carnegie Mellon Department of Statistics & Data Science. Diversity enriches the academic experience and provides a base for innovation and progress; we can only maximize our intellectual vitality and relevance in the world by fully embracing DEI, as articulated below, in all aspects of our work and departmental operations. Thus, we are committed to these objectives:

  • Learn: Learn from our campus and broader communities how to identify systemic racism and biases of any kind.
  • Develop: Identify, invest in and develop resources in our profession to create an inclusive and diverse professional community.
  • Implement: Continually reappraise and improve the effectiveness of our DEI efforts.
  • Communicate: Share openly our diversity and inclusion efforts.

These are living objectives that will evolve as our DEI efforts evolve.

Adapted from the American Statistical Association Code of Conduct and Dietrich College Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Plan, p. 2; see also CMU's DEI statement.

Other Resources

Diversity

We understand and value that every individual is unique. We see this uniqueness shaped by race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, age, physical abilities, religious beliefs, political beliefs and other life experiences and ideologies.

Equity

At CMU, we are intentional about identifying and eliminating barriers that have prevented full participation in and increased access to resources and networks for underrepresented groups across our student, faculty and staff populations.

Inclusion

We believe that every person at CMU should feel as though they belong here. We are learning how to involve more unique perspectives and actively invite participation from historically underrepresented groups in order to make our community a better place for all.

Progress Highlights

DEI Funds Raised

  • $600K raised from industry and private sources in last 3-4 years
  • Summer research at historically Black colleges and universities and Hispanic serving institutions (HBCU/HSIs)
  • Endowed research funds for women in data science
  • DEI networking events
  • High school data science camps (with Pittsburgh high schools)
  • Summer research at CMU supporting DEI
  • DEI scholarships

Summer Bridge Programs

  • Offering data science camps (e.g. Sports Analytics) that build on previous IMHOTEP program
  • Working with the Summer Academy for Math and Science, beginning summer 2022
  • Developing and seeking funding for summer bridge/bootcamp for master's students
  • Exploring including merging statistics with the ML summer boot camp

Event Sponsorship and Participation

Developing Educational Materials

Applying DEI-focused National Science Foundation (NSF) funding to build and study use of open-source educational materials in collaboration with major academic, sports and media partners.

Graduate Tuition Scholarships

Piloting DEI-focused industry-supported partial tuition scholarships for master's students.

Evaluating Policies and Practices

Assembling several working groups to analyze graduate admissions and recruiting for our master's and Ph.D. programs, as well as faculty recruiting.