Sanah Bhimani, Yale Physics graduate student and a member of Yale’s Wright Lab, has been awarded the Yale Physics Graduate Diversity Fellowship for 2022 to work with assistant professor Laura Newburgh on a departmental climate survey. This will include reviewing past surveys, obtaining funding for the survey, and identifying and working with an external and professional survey entity in developing and conducting the survey.
The fellowship is part of a pilot program of physics diversity fellowships for graduate students to promote student efforts in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) in the Yale Physics Department. The fellowship is awarded on a competitive basis following an application process and committee review.
Rona Ramos, graduate program coordinator in physics said, “Sanah’s department climate survey project will be an important feedback loop for the department to assess the changes that have happened in recent years. The demographics of our graduate student body has seen a remarkable change in the last few years, and the department has put forth many efforts to cultivate a department community that is welcoming and supportive of its members. A well crafted survey will be a great conduit to see if those efforts are paying off, and where we need to put in more work. Sanah brings a lot of experience and skill that will aid her in the execution of this project. I’m excited for Sanah’s project and for the essential information it will produce.”
Physics diversity fellows receive a supplemental stipend and are encouraged to add the distinction as a synergistic professional development activity on their CV. Fellows typically work 6-8 hours/week in a flexible schedule that fits with most coursework. Proposed projects should be of a scope that is appropriate for the time commitment in one semester and expand on or complement existing department activities. At the end of the semester, a short final report or presentation must be submitted.
For more information about the fellowship and its application process, please see the department website.