Diversity Inclusivity Statement

Here is my personal statement on diversity and inclusivity that I submitted as part of my successful 2018 application to a Tenure-Track Position in Mathematics and Statistics at CSU Sacramento, where I now work. Several people praised the statement, so I’m posting it publicly with the hope that it will help others write strong statements.

Diversity and Inclusivity

A professor once said to me, “You are an outlier.”

The professor was referring to my diverse life experiences. After high school I enlisted in the Army and deployed to Afghanistan. 5 years later I returned to school at Shasta community college in Redding, CA, and then transferred to UC Berkeley. I worked in tech in Silicon Valley for a couple years, and then went to graduate school at UC Davis. At the beginning of each of the three steps of my higher education I felt alone and overwhelmed by challenges, yet I succeeded by using available resources and working hard. I was (and still am) an older than average, combat veteran, low income, first generation college student with a growing family who started at a rural community college.

The students at Sac State can relate to my background. According to the Office of Institutional Research, 30% of students are first generation college students. Of the math majors, most are low income, 30% are age 25 or older, and many are transfer students from California community colleges. I can serve as a role model for these students within the mathematics and statistics department. One practical way to share my background is to publish a short biography on my personal department web page that covers how I’ve struggled and overcome obstacles. Then anyone is welcome to share and read it.

Pedagogically, I incorporate diversity and inclusion into statistics classes in both how and what I teach. While lecturing, I speak clearly and carefully so non native speakers can understand. I have been practicing this for 10 years, because my wife and her family are from South Korea. When I teach data visualization, I show how to choose colors such that color blind people can still see the results. In written assignments I encourage students to understand and question assumptions and biases that may be hidden in data and analysis. Skepticism is not usually taught in statistics courses focused on methodology, but it’s vital in today’s world.

I use a private, class specific, online Q & A and discussion forum to supplement classroom activities and office hours. The forum becomes a repository of knowledge that all students can access at any time, even after the course is complete. It is inclusive because it allows students to speak up online, when they might not speak as much in person. Students can post anonymously to other students, but still identifiable to me. This lets them ask questions publicly without fear of judgement by their peers. The forum involves and validates student’s prior knowledge, because they can also answer questions from their peers.

I am especially interested in supporting Sac State’s student veteran population, because I know firsthand how difficult it can be to transition from the military into a college environment. At UC Berkeley I was an officer in the student veterans group, and now at UC Davis I volunteer regularly as a tutor at the Veterans Success Center. At Sac State I would continue my involvement by mentoring veterans through the Veterans Career Pathways Program. I have been in contact with the program coordinator, Maria Johnson, and she would be happy to have me on the team.