In 2019, our Institute started a Team for Inclusion, Diversity and Equity (TIDE) to create a space for dynamic discussions and a supportive and equitable work environment for Institute employees. TIDE encourages all Institute members to come together to share resources and have open conversations and drive change towards diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in every aspect of our research and professional practice.

TIDE was initially led by Dr. Nicole Bowles and Jen Prissel, and it is currently co-led by Omar-Ordaz Johnson, Senior Research Assistant and Dr. David Hurtado, Assistant Professor. The Institute provides 10% Full-Time Equivalence (FTE) support for each of these two co-directors. All Institute members are invited to volunteer and lead TIDE discussions, and recent topics include discussions about OHSU’s Inclusive Language Guide, the film “Hidden Figures” and Queer identities and workplace equity.

TIDE is a collective effort towards consistently and explicitly accounting for the historical and cumulative burden of systemic racism and discrimination that continue to disproportionally affect Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) and LGBTQIA2S+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and/or Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, Two-Spirit, etc.) individuals today. This effort supplements the work of individual labs in this area.

TIDE’s Mission:

Our mission is to center DEI in our efforts to help advance the mission of the Institute while connecting its members. In doing so, we will create a space to learn from each other and apply our growing knowledge to inform our research and professional practice.

Areas of focus for group reflections and actions include:

• Research – The questions we ask, recruitment and study designs (e.g., how and of whom we ask our research questions), analyses (e.g., how we consider race, ethnicity, and gender as variables and in our equations/interpretations), products (e.g., how we orient messaging/content of our products) and dissemination strategies (e.g., with whom do we partner, how and to whom we deliver information/products).
• Research/workplace environment – Fostering a sense of place, psychological safety and belonging through an inclusive and open lab culture and education regarding race, ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation. This emphasis on safe spaces extends the environment of TIDE meetings to other areas of our workplace.

Actions:

• Monthly meetings and presentations open to all Institute members, emphasizing dialectical discussions of DEI-related topics.
• Annual survey to assess experiences of research staff and faculty regarding lab culture and Institute policies.
• Develop a reference guide and tools for implementing DEI topics into research tools.
• Assist with reviewing or developing new Institute policies to improve our research environments from a DEI perspective.
• Provide ad-hoc consultations or DEI-related workshops with specific labs or Institute members when needed.

To learn about our DEI initiatives at our Institute, visit our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion page.

Check out our Staff Spotlights, Institute and OHWC People’s pages to learn more about our faculty and staff.