The kick-off meeting of the National Laboratory Women of Color Community Forum is scheduled for Wednesday, October 26, 2022, from 1 to 2:00 p.m. CT. The virtual gathering will be led by Valerie Taylor (Argonne National Laboratory) and will include opening remarks from Asmeret Berhe (Director, DOE Office of Science). All women of color and their allies from the national labs and DOE are encouraged to participate. Registration is required.
The National Laboratory Women of Color Community Forum is a community-driven forum aimed at fostering equitable and increased representation for women of color within the DOE national laboratory system. This initial meeting will include a discussion about the forum’s structure, goals and potential activities. Future meetings will be held on a quarterly basis or as determined by active forum participants.
Following an event entitled “Achieving Equitable Representation for Women of Color at Our Labs” held in March 2022 that drew over 500 registrants from across the laboratory system, the National Laboratory Directors’ Council (NLDC) endorsed the chartering of this forum to:
- Cultivate a system-wide community to foster networking, support, and informal mentoring for women of color at the national laboratories
- Increase integration with DEI efforts at the national laboratories
- Provide a venue for information exchange
- Serve as a resource for the NLDC and its working groups.
Doing world-class science depends on building a competitive, diverse workforce with a variety of talents and perspectives. This forum will focus on key issues affecting women of color at the national laboratories and similar institutions.
For more information, please contact nlwoc@anl.gov.
Sandra Charles is Fermilab’s chief equity, diversity and inclusion officer.