About 200 UCOP colleagues and guests participated in the second annual UCOP EDI Conference, which took place at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center in Chinatown.

On October 8 and 9, 2024, the UCOP Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Department hosted the second annual UCOP EDI Conference at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center (OACC) in Chinatown. About 200 colleagues convened to participate in the day-and-a-half conference centered around the theme “Building Together.” This theme set the tone for welcoming attendees with diverse perspectives to come together in a safe space, united in the goal of building and advancing EDI and anti-racism at UCOP.

Yvonne Li, EDI Divisional Workgroup lead for the Secretary of the Regents, was among the attendees attending the conference for a second time. “This year’s event signaled a new era of understanding, curiosity, and effort at UCOP, which reinforced the idea that EDI work is to be shared by all — and that its benefits are to be reaped by all,” she said.

UCOP leaders, staff and guests participate in the second annual UCOP EDI conference.

Conference highlights

Perspectives from Nathan Brostrom

Executive Vice President and Chief Finance Officer Nathan Brostrom, executive sponsor of the Asian Pacific Islander Staff Association (APISA) and EDI Council, provided opening remarks. He encouraged attendees to consider the connection between their work and the event venue located in Chinatown, Oakland; Oakland has a long history of social justice activism. He also shared how his life experiences as a member of a multi-generational, multi-racial family helped him to understand the importance of offering supportive and safe spaces for everyone to candidly share perspectives and ask questions.

Perspectives from Rachael Nava

Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Rachael Nava opened the second day of the conference by emphasizing the need for thoughtful and steadfast leadership. She cautioned attendees against assuming that equity would arise without collective, intentional action. She also acknowledged our progress toward advancing an EDI culture at UCOP, praising divisional workgroup efforts to develop objectives in line with President Drake’s priorities and the UCOP Strategic Framework and highlighting the new UCOP EDI Council, which will evaluate divisional initiatives, propose new strategies, promote cross-divisional learning and measure progress.

Navigating discrimination online

In a compelling conversation with Yvette Gullatt, vice president for Graduate and Undergraduate Affairs, vice provost for equity, diversity and inclusion, and chief diversity officer, UC, Safiya Umoja Noble of UCLA discussed her research on how internet search engines can reinforce racism. She also shared personal experiences of navigating discrimination throughout her journey in higher ed.

Experiences of advancing EDI in higher education institutions

Staff Advisor to the Regents Andenet Emiru of UC Health participated in a panel with two external speakers to share their experiences of the day-to-day demands of advancing EDI and anti-racism in higher education institutions and navigating moments of fatigue and joy in this work.

Sharing progress via Divisional EDI Workgroups

Representatives from the Divisional EDI Workgroups highlighted their work and current priorities during the Divisional EDI Workgroups Showcase. “It is exciting to witness the development of infrastructure via these workgroups, in alignment with the UCOP EDI Unified Framework, to drive lasting change,” said EDI Department Director Lalitha Sankaran. “The engagement our leaders and colleagues have demonstrated throughout this conference is a clear indicator of the progress we are making, as a community, toward making UCOP an inclusive workplace for all.”

Exploring EDI in the workplace

Both days of the conference gave attendees an opportunity to choose from expert-led workshops and Real Talk sessions that explored EDI in the workplace. First-day topics included building allyship, psychological safety, interrupting systemic bias, inclusivity in meetings and self-care. The second day included performative equity, building an equity lens, bridging divides in a divisive world, equity vs. equality, EDI in people management and practicing anti-racism.

“I was impressed by everyone’s openness and candor,” shared Ken Feer, EDI Divisional Workgroup lead, Academic Senate. “Our colleagues’ willingness to learn and grow was marked and welcome.“

Download an agenda for a full listing of topics and facilitators.

For questions about the conference, please contact edi@ucop.edu.

Acknowledgements

Thank you to the following colleagues whose efforts made this conference meaningful and contributed to its overall success:

Conference planning team

• Dina Mouris, Operations Liaison, UCPath
• Epiphanie Marquez Gillette, Associate Chief of Staff, UC Legal
• Matt St. Clair, Chief Sustainability Officer, UC Finance
• Shirley Bittlingmeier, Executive Director, IT Client Services, Information Technology Services; Chair-Elect Asian Pacific Islander Staff Association (APISA)
• Stefani Leto, Principal Policy Analyst, Academic Senate; Co-Treasurer President’s Advisory Committee on the Status of Women
• Tony K. Yang, Project Policy Analyst, UC Health; Past Chair, APISA

EDI Department staff

• Anne Marie Ferruzzi, EDI Business Partner
• Dennis McIver, EDIB Program Manager
• Natalie Rios, Administrative Officer

EDI conference staff

• Barbara Heilmann, Senior Event Planner/Supervisor, Building and Administrative Service Center (BASC)
• Deb Gruen, Senior Event Planner, BASC
• Jamie Frick, Senior Event Planner, BASC
• Nigel D’Souza, Volunteer Photographer

Speakers and panelists

• Amber Johnson, Assistant Vice Chancellor and Chief of Staff, UC Berkeley
• Andenet Emiru, Director of External Partnerships and Projects, Center for Data-Driven Insights and Innovation, UC Health; and Staff Advisor to the Regents
• Annie Prozan, Director of Talent and Organizational Development, UCOP
• Dena Bullard, Senior Director, Health Sciences and Workforce Innovation, UC Health
• Élida M. Bautista, Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer, Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley
• Jann Murray Garcia, Clinical Professor Emerita, Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing, UC Davis
• Jen Nguyen, Coach and Consultant, Evolve Coaching
• Jennifer Laflam, Dean, Sacramento City College
• Kristin Nicole Dukes, Chief Diversity Officer, San José State University
• Mia Settles-Tidwell, Author and President/CEO, Set-Up for Success,
• Mikael Villalobos, Associate Chief Diversity Officer, UC Davis
• Nathan Brostrom, Executive Vice President and Chief Finance Officer, UC
• Pamela Chao, Interim Dean, American River College
• Rachael Nava, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, UCOP
• Safiya Umoja Noble, Professor, Department of African American Studies and Department of Information Studies, UCLA
• Stacy Thomas, Educator, Evolve Coaching
• Yvette Gullatt, Vice President for Graduate and Undergraduate Affairs, Vice Provost for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, and Chief Diversity Officer, UC

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