Doerge Receives YWCA Greater Pittsburgh’s Ally Award
By Jocelyn Duffy
Media Inquiries- Associate Dean for Communications, MCS
YWCA Greater Pittsburgh has selected the Glen de Vries Dean of the Mellon College of Science Rebecca W. Doerge as the recipient of their 2022 Ally Award. Doerge will accept the award at the 2022 Equity Awards on Nov. 4.
The YWCA of Greater Pittsburgh’s Equity Awards honors leaders who advocate for and advance the group’s mission of eliminating racism and empowering women. The Ally Award recognizes a person or group for their role as an ally, advocate and champion to women of color and their contributions to bringing equity to Pittsburgh.
“It is such an honor to receive this award,” said Doerge. “Since becoming dean of the Mellon College of Science, I have made it a priority to create opportunities for underrepresented minorities in both the college and in science. Diversity in all forms is so important to any organization, and I am proud of the college’s commitment to do more and do better.”
Since arriving at Carnegie Mellon in 2016, Doerge has made diversity, equity and inclusion a priority for the Mellon College of Science. As dean, she made increasing diversity part of the college’s strategic plan. She instituted programs for recruiting and supporting students from underrepresented minority groups and for hiring a more diverse faculty and staff workforce. Most notably, she hired the college’s first associate dean for diversity, equity and inclusion, Michael Young.
Doerge also created a variety of programming aimed at educating and engaging the college’s community around issues of diversity, equity and inclusion. This included a series of workshops on issues in diversity and community events for Black History Month and Hispanic Heritage Month.
Doerge is a champion for diversity at the university, serving as an adviser to the Sankofa Alliance, an employee resource group dedicated to supporting career and personal development for Black employees.