Students, Staff Earn DEI Certification

Congratulations to CEE students Lucinda Li and Delaney Snead and staff members Patricia Brainard and Michele Santillan. Li and Snead earned their Rackham DEI Professional Development Certificate, and Brainard and Santillan earned their CEE DEI Professional Development Certificate. The CEE DEI PD Certificate was modeled after Rackham’s with the goal of incorporating a CEE-specific component (e.g., environmental and/or infrastructure  justice) and offering it to all community members.

“The process to get the Rackham DEI PD Certificate is very straightforward and flexible with a variety of schedules,” Snead said. “It is an excellent program designed to equip participants with the tools they need to create and foster environments that are inclusive and open minded. With the certificate, I definitely feel more conscientious of the different perspectives, cultures, beliefs, etc. that influence my actions and those of others.”

Li added that she also found her experience of the process to be beneficial. “Through the Rackham DEI certificate, I reflected on how I can conduct research, teach, and do service that centers communities and underrepresented students in higher education,” she said.

“I would like to congratulate each of you on earning your DEI Certificates and for prioritizing your own deeper engagement with DEI knowledge and skill building with all that you have on your plates,” said CEE DEI Program Manager Katie Crawford. “Thank you to Pat and Michele, our first-ever CEE DEI PD Certificate recipients, for jumping into this new initiative, engaging in the process and providing feedback along the way to help those who will follow.”

CEE Unit Administrator Brainard also encourages CEE staff who are interested to participate in the CEE DEI PD Certificate. “This is an excellent way to lead by example and foster DEI in all we do,” she said. “Yet, this is but one milestone in the continuing process of learning more about DEI initiatives and being open to new experiences. It is not a conclusion, but rather a recognition of what we have done and knowledge that we need to keep making progress.”  

Crawford concluded: “The CEE certification process is for people at all levels of DEI knowledge, from those of us who are not familiar with what DEI is, to those of us who are deeply engaged in the work. Through the certificate, we hope that everyone will have the ability to bring a greater understanding about DEI to their personal and professional interactions.”

For more information about DEI certification, please visit the Rackham DEI Professional Development Certificate link or the CEE DEI Professional Development Certificate link, where there are details for those interested in pursuing the training courses.