Karen Gordes, Courtney Jones Carney, and Rosemary Ferreira receive grants to advance Belonging (Be) and Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) at UMB.
The University of Maryland, Baltimore’s (UMB) Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (OEDI) has announced the recipients of its inaugural Be JEDI Innovation Grants, which support interdisciplinary projects or initiatives that advance Belonging (Be) and Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) at UMB.
The grant proposals needed to enhance Be JEDI at UMB through education, research, service, climate, or leadership outcomes, in addition to supporting and advancing the UMB 2022-2026 Strategic Plan, with a particular focus on Theme 3: University Culture, Engagement, and Belonging, as well as the integration of the Equity and Justice core values at the University.
The proposals also needed to involve at least two disciplines, schools, or units at UMB and include a combination of UMB full-time exempt staff and faculty in the creation of the project. A committee composed of faculty and staff evaluated project proposals in five categories: significance and impact; project leadership and coordination; organization and approach; budget and budget narrative; and sustainability.
“One of the strategies to improve and enhance climate, belonging, equity, diversity, inclusion, and justice is to focus on capacity building, collective action, and ownership,” said Diane Forbes Berthoud, PhD, MA, UMB’s chief equity, diversity, and inclusion officer and vice president. “Through the Be JEDI Innovation Grant, we have the opportunity to engage university champions and leaders in partnership with the Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion and our campus community in this effort. I want to congratulate all the award recipients and look forward to their excellent work to advance our University’s equity, diversity, and inclusion goals.”
The grant recipients are:
Karen L. Gordes, PhD, PT, DScPT, associate professor, University of Maryland Graduate School, and chief learning officer, Physician Assistant Leadership and Learning Academy, for the project “Faculty Educational Training Program: Fostering Inclusion Through a Trauma-Informed Pedagogical Framework.” Contributing faculty and staff members: Courtney Jones-Carney, DPA, MBA; Mary Jo Bondy, DHEd, MHS, PA-C; Shani Fleming, MSHS, MPS, PA-C; Shannan Delany Dixon, MS, CGC; and Mary Lynn McPherson, PharmD, MA, MDE, BCPS, CPE. Award: $10,000.
Courtney Jones Carney, DPA, MBA, executive director, Intercultural Leadership and Engagement; director, Intercultural Center; and program director, Intercultural Leadership Graduate Certificate and MS in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Leadership, Graduate School, for the project “Supporting University Culture, Engagement, and Belonging: Building EDI Micro-Credentials.” Contributing faculty and staff members: Patty Alvarez, PhD, MA; Shani Fleming, MSHS, MPS, PA-C; and Jessica Grabowski, MS. Award: $10,000.
Rosemary Ferreira, MEd, associate director, Intercultural Center, for the project “Critical Conversations Dialogue Program (CCDP).” Contributing faculty member: Dawn Schafer, LCSW-C. Award: $7,000.
(Read more about each project and the grant process at the Be JEDI Innovation Grant webpage.)
The funded projects will present progress to OEDI and other grant awardees six months after receiving the award. The results will be presented to the UMB community at a Be JEDI Innovation Grant convening in fall 2024.
The grant criteria, application, and process were created by Forbes Berthoud; Wei Ming Dariotis, PhD, assistant vice president, OEDI; and Reetta Gach, MS, MBA, acting program director, OEDI. Gach led the grant committee’s review/evaluation of the grant proposals and grant award recommendations.
The application for the 2024 Be JEDI Innovation grants will be available in mid-February.
(In photo, from left, Karen Gordes, Rosemary Ferreira, and Courtney Jones Carney)