diversity

BIPOC Farm Mentorship Program Application

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The Connecticut Department of Agriculture is soliciting applications from individual farms and/or non-profits to identify, host and mentor a BIPOC apprentice(s) for the 2023 season. The focus of the apprenticeship must be on specialty crops. Specialty crops are defined as “fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits and horticulture and nursery crops, including floriculture.”
The CT DoAg has up to $50,000 in funds to award in 2023. Funding for this initiative is from USDA’s Specialty Crop Block
Grant Program. Prospective mentors may apply for up to $5,000/apprentice to be spent between mid-May- September 29, 2023. 

The deadline to apply to be considered to be a mentor/host is Monday, May 1, 2023 at 4pm. Please apply using this Cognito form. Preference will be given to mentors who identify as BIPOC, but it is not a requirement. 

Please read the attached guidance document for complete details. If you have questions or need assistance with completing the application, please contact Cyrena Thibodeau at CT DoAg , Cyrena.Thibodeau@ct.gov or 860-895-3094

Click here to view the guidance document.

Click here to apply.

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CT Sea Grant Fellowship Opportunities

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Image by Judy Benson, Connecticut Sea Grant

Connecticut Sea Grant has announced new fellowship opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students!

  • To learn more about the Undergraduate Summer Marine Science Research Fellowship for Underrepresented/Underserved Students click here.
  • To learn more about the Coastal & Marine Economics Fellowship 2021-22 click here.

Diverse perspectives explored in new issue of Wrack Lines

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Learn about bringing more diversity to the sciences, environmental justice, the Shoreline Greenway Trail, a new diversity fellowship and the unique career of Bob Pomeroy with fish and fishermen across the globe in the Fall-Winter 2020-21 issue of Wrack Lines magazine.

With the theme of “Diverse Perspectives in the Environment We Share,” the issue highlights the contributions of writers and photographers from diverse backgrounds delving into topics that are local, statewide, national and international in scope.

This issue also launches the “Talk to Us” feature soliciting reader comments, many of which  will be shared on the CTSG website. Comments should be sent to Wrack Lines editor Judy Benson at: judy.benson@uconn.edu.

The entire issue can be found here.

Individual articles:

Editor’s column, contents and contributors

Bringing more diversity to the sciences starts in the classroom

Getting to know environmental justice scholar Gerald Torres

Bob Pomeroy: dedicated to improving the lives of fishermen and marine ecosystems around the world

Mile by mile, shoreline trail pieces together expanded coastal access for a variety of uses

Fellowship supports diversity in marine, coastal research

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Fellowship Supports Diversity in Marine, Coastal Research

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scallop shells on a Connecticut beachThree undergraduate students helping pave the way for greater diversity in the sciences have been chosen as the first recipients of Connecticut Sea Grant’s new summer undergraduate research fellowships for underrepresented and underserved students in marine and coastal scientific research.

UConn students Andrew Tienken and Larissa Tabb and Western Connecticut State University (WCSU) student James Hannon each will receive a $5,000 stipend to conduct summer research projects under the guidance of a faculty mentor.

“We are pleased to support more students in their pursuit of a career in the sciences and look forward to learning about the outcomes of their individual projects,” said Nancy Balcom, associate director of CT Sea Grant.

The program is designed to provide early career experience, training and mentorship to underrepresented minorities and socioeconomically disadvantaged students as well as students of color, indigenous students, members of the LGBTQ community and students with disabilities.

“This fellowship is the result of several years of visioning efforts that I was involved in within the National Sea Grant program which focused on enhancing diversity, equity and inclusion,” said Syma Ebbin, who led the creation of the program as CT Sea Grant’s research coordinator “Funding was made available from the National Sea Grant program for state programs to push this visioning agenda forward. The motivating idea is that in order to have greater diversity in marine and coastal sciences, more efforts are needed to engage and mentor students earlier on in their academic careers. This effort is being made to prime the pipeline, so to speak, so in the future there will be a greater diversity of highly trained individuals working in marine research.“

Tienken, Hannon and Tabb, who are all rising juniors majoring in environmental science, biology and marine science, respectively, said they are grateful for the support Connecticut Sea Grant is providing to help increase diversity in their fields of interest.

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A Message to the CAHNR Community

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Dear Friends and Colleagues –

The events of the past few weeks have brought sadness and outrage to communities across our nation. The senseless killing of black men and women demonstrates that as a nation, we need to make further and strong progress toward our aspirations of a diverse and inclusive society.

The College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources remains steadfastly committed to our goals of creating and supporting a diverse and inclusive environment for us all. In these troubled times, we must stand tall in our beliefs and redouble our resolve to ensure that all members of our community feel safe and welcome. We will continue to take multiple steps to promote diversity and inclusion throughout our college and our communities.

On behalf of the college and in cooperation with our Committee on Diversity and Inclusion, I want to extend my heartfelt sympathy to all who have been impacted by these senseless acts. I know that you share my commitment to supporting all individuals in communities across our state, the nation, and the world.

Best regards on behalf of myself and the CAHNR Committee on Diversity and Inclusion,

Indrajeet Chaubey, Dean

CAHNR Committee on Diversity and Inclusion
Maria-Luz Fernandez, Nutritional Sciences, Chair
Sharon Gray, Extension
Miriah Kelly, Extension
Beth Lawrence, Natural Resources and Environment
Michael O’Neill, Associate Dean, ex-officio
Sara Putnam, Communications, ex-officio
Farhed Shah, Agricultural and Resource Economics
Ellen Shanley, Allied Health Science
Brandon Smith, Animal Science
Young Tang, Animal Science
Beth Taylor, Kinesiology
Huanzhong Wang, Plant Science and Landscape Architecture
Xiaohui Zhou, Pathobiology and Veterinary Sciences