Dina Newman: A Passion for Pluralism, Diversity and Inclusion | May 2024
Dina Newman, professor in the Thomas H. Gosnell School of Life Sciences and research director, Center for Advancing Scholarship to Transform Learning is the recipient of the 2023-2024 Isaac L. Jordan, Sr. Faculty Pluralism Award. It recognizes faculty for the work they do and the example they set in enhancing diversity at RIT. They might develop course curricula and use teaching methods that prompt students to develop a deeper understanding of diversity issues. They may do scholarly research on issues of diversity or develop programs to enhance the recruitment and retention of students or faculty and staff from underrepresented groups. Newman does all of the above.
Newman says, “I am honored to receive the Isaac L. Jordan Sr. Pluralism Award. I think it is wonderful that RIT recognizes people for their contributions to making this a more welcoming and inclusive place for students, faculty and staff. It says a lot about our values as a whole.”
Newman came to RIT in 2003. She says she first became involved in pluralism advocacy at RIT when she was a pre-tenure faculty and mother of two young children. She got involved with Women in Science (WISe) in the College of Science and liked the fact that it not only focused on making positive changes, but it also provided support by being around other women like herself.
Newman also cites her work with pluralism through the RIT Inclusive Excellence program in the College of Science. She was part of the leadership team that received a five year, $1 million grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute to develop the program here, and she served as a director of the program from 2018 to 2023.
The goal of the program is to focus on institutional change to get students of all backgrounds engaged in science education. Some key accomplishments during that period included holding discussion groups and events for faculty, staff and students to talk openly and honestly about race. They brought in well-known experts to talk about anti-racism and diversity, they held workshops on a number of topics based on inclusivity—from food insecurity to transgender issues to microaggressions (a session she personally led). Other activities included forming book clubs for faculty, staff and students and implementing other ways to explore DEI working with RIT’s Diversity Theater. The program funded over 40 undergraduate research fellows from underrepresented groups. This year the IE team (along with U-RISE) was awarded a $100,000 prize from the National Institutes of Health for Institutional Excellence in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility in Biomedical and Behavioral Research.
Once the grant ended, Newman continued to advocate for diversity and inclusion.
One person who wrote a letter of recommendation stated: “The IE grant period ended last year, and Dr. Newman worked tirelessly to make sure our efforts did not end with the grant. She worked with both Dean Maggelakis and Dean Hudson to brainstorm ideas to sustain the work that was started by our IE program. I am happy and proud to report that Dr. Newman’s efforts were successful, as two positions were created in the Dean’s office: Program Manager of Inclusive Excellence and Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the College of Science. Both positions were fully funded by the Dean’s office and have been going strong for over a year.”
The IE team helped create new language tenure and promotion policies. Self-appraisal forms now have a new section which allows faculty and staff to describe specific contributions to DEI initiatives.
Newman is a big advocate for students. Another person who wrote a letter of recommendation for this award stated: “Dr. Newman puts the “active” into active-learning and her students greatly benefit from her efforts!”
Newman incorporates DEI in her classroom, employing inclusive practices in a number of different ways, whether it is organizing her classes around peer learning and active learning or reworking her syllabi to be warmer and more inviting. Newman says it’s about making a real effort to bond with her students.
That bonding takes on many forms. Take the Genetics course, which is a foundational course for undergraduate biology curriculum. A nominator cites how Newman works to improve educational outcomes for students.
“Since taking on the role as genetics instructor in the spring of 2016, Dr. Newman has implemented research-backed, data-driven approaches to engage her students in deep learning of genetics concepts. In addition, she has adopted an “ungrading” approach for the high stake’s exams in her courses. She always makes a point to reach all of her students, often spending her office hours with students that need extra help.”
And for upper level Genetics related courses, the nominator writes:
“Dr. Newman’s curricula (in her upper level Genetics-related courses) include deep discussions and class activities about topics related to discrimination and racism such as eugenics (the pseudoscientific study of increasing the chances for the inheritance of “desirable” traits), nature vs nurture, neurodiversity and genetic determinism. It is easy to shy away from topics such as these, especially in the classroom, but Dr. Newman finds ways to challenge her students and encourage them to reflect upon their own ways of thinking and, hopefully, to challenge them to become more thoughtful and inclusive humans.”
Newman’s work continues. She is now PI of an NSF grant that supports four postdoctoral researchers in a fellowship program that incorporates inclusive practices. She is even helping to mentor one of them on a project that she says directly relates to pluralism--how physics faculty develop empathy for students and what prompts them to take actions on their behalf.
Newman was honored April 10th during the Celebration of Teaching and Scholarship Awards Program.