Biochemistry Welcomes Everyone

  • The Department of Biochemistry is听committed to achieving excellence by promoting a culture of diversity and inclusion听for all students, staff, and faculty.
  • We seek to听foster an environment of inclusion听through the development of a supportive community of people with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives, which will serve as the foundation for teaching and learning.
  • We aim to听improve our recruitment, retention and success of all underrepresented groups听through a number of initiatives led by our departmental diversity and inclusion committee in collaboration with graduate and undergraduate cohorts.

Department Initiatives

DEI Climate at Biochemistry
Regular check-ins on DEI climate of the department
Department Events
Department DEI events and activities
Biochemistry Seminar speakers
Biochemistry invites diverse perspectives for its seminar series
Diverse and Equitable Hiring
Biochemistry supports best practices in diverse and equitable hiring

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Special Events

Check back here for upcoming events!

We post events as we become aware of them so if you have an upcoming event that everyone needs to know about, please let us know. Or听if you are simply wanting to be social - keep coming back!

Building A Strong and Diverse Student Community

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2021 Incoming Class听 听 听2021 incoming student class

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Biochemistry participates in...

The Colorado Advantage Program鈥�

The Colorado Advantage Program introduces students to the outstanding science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) doctoral programs at CU Boulder. The program invites听prospective applicants to CU Boulder during a weekend in the fall to learn about STEM doctoral opportunities, meet with faculty, tour research facilities and interact with current graduate students. Applicants for the program must be currently applying for admission into a STEM PhD program. The goal of the program is to recruit a diverse pool of candidates into CU Boulder鈥檚 STEM doctoral programs. *Biochemistry offers application waivers for prospective students considering the department for their doctoral program!

  • Provides introduction to graduate programs鈥�

  • Gives campus and lab tours鈥�

  • Sets up individual meetings with faculty and听students鈥�

  • Hosts workshops on application prep鈥嬧��

The CU Boulder听Inclusion, Diversity and Excellence in Academics (IDEA) Plan

  • The campus鈥檚 blueprint for diversity, equity and inclusive excellence. This plan听outlines goals for听climate,听infrastructure听and听leadership听as well as recommendations and actions, the result of five years of collaborative work across campus.

Training

Cross-disciplinary Science Fosters Community

Otto Kletzien/Batey Lab at 2020 Retreat

Otto Kletzien/Batey Lab at 2020 Retreat

Biochemistry bridges cutting edge fields鈥�

Training is provided in...

  • Single-particle听cryoEM鈥�

  • Advanced proteomics鈥�

  • Microscopy

  • Advanced imaging

  • Next-gen听sequencing and CRISPR screening鈥�

  • And many others鈥�

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鈥婼cientific diversity fosters training and听communication鈥�

  • Colleagues can support training each other on听new听methods

  • Collaborative atmosphere with shared听goals鈥嬧��

  • Enhances career development and agility

  • Robust connections with Boulder and Front Range bioscience companies

NIH-funded Training Programs

Biochemistry Lab

The NIH funds two T32 programs open to Biochemistry听graduate students鈥� in...

  • Graduate Training Program in Signaling and Cellular Regulation鈥�

    • 鈥�The Signaling and Cellular Regulation Graduate Training Program is an interdepartmental听effort between faculty in the departments of听Biochemistry and of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology听with the goal of听promoting听interactions between laboratories,听enriching perspectives and expertise, and providing听a wide pool of mentorship for graduate students.听

  • Molecular Biophysics Program鈥�

    • The Molecular Biophysics Program at the University of Colorado, jointly sponsored by NIH and CU, is a collaborative effort involving students, postdocs and faculty from five departments on the Boulder campus. Participants share a common interest in biological systems, and seek to understand these systems in terms of physical and chemical principles. The breadth of the program arises from 40+ affiliated laboratories in the Departments of:

  • The NIH has a longstanding interest in promoting听scientists from historically underrepresented听backgrounds鈥嬧��

  • Students apply for membership after choosing a听thesis laboratory鈥�

Mentoring

CU-sponsored Programs

Jennie Smoly Caruthers Biotechnology Building

Biochemistry participates in...

Summer Multicultural Access to Research Training (SMART Program)鈥�

  • 10 week听program鈥�

  • Stipends for both mentee and mentors鈥�

  • In-depth mentoring experience鈥嬧��

  • Member of CU LEAD Alliance to promote diversity and听equity鈥嬧��

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP)鈥�

  • Provides pay for undergraduates to do research and assistantships in labs

  • Committed to social justice and equity鈥�

The Wuttke-Beckman Scholars Program鈥�

Wuttke_Beckman

The Wuttke and Beckman Foundation Biochemical Sciences Research Award provides support for undergraduate students who are majoring in Biochemistry at the University of Colorado Boulder, in order to reduce financial barriers that may prevent students from obtaining appropriate research support. Recipients will be students who are pursuing research opportunities in laboratories of faculty members who are rostered in a science department.

  • Provides pay for听Biochem听undergrads鈥嬧�� to perform research in laboratories

  • The stipend allows selected students to conduct research in the lab of听their choice鈥嬧��

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Student Support Organizations

MASP Together We Rise听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听Photo montage courtesy of MASP

STEM Routes鈥�

  • Graduate student-led organization to听promote underrepresented individuals in the sciences at CU鈥�

  • Affiliated with SACNAS @ CU鈥�

  • UPLIFT research program:听8 week听shadowing,听16 week听research听experience鈥嬧��

MASP: Miramontes Arts and听Sciences Program鈥�

  • For 1st听gen undergraduates and those听from underrepresented backgrounds鈥�

  • Faculty seminars, study space

Biochemistry Student-Led Groups

June 2023 P2P Networking Event with Alumni
Graduate students network with Joan Marcano, alumnus + Aktiv Pharma Group at the June 2023 social.

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FLC

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI)

Science Community Outreach Program and Education (S.C.O.P.E.)

CTL

Peer-to-Peer Mentoring (P2P)

  • Biochemistry graduate students mentor first-year graduate students

CU Campus-wide Resources

CU Cafe Members
Inaugrual CU Cafe student group

College of Arts and Sciences Office of Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

CU Office for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

CU听Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance (OIEC)

Center for Inclusion and Social Change鈥� (CISC)

Center for African and African American Studies (The CAAAS)

  • A collection of diverse STEM trainees at CU鈥�

  • Promotes inclusivity and scientific excellence鈥�

  • Seminar series with distinguished scientists of color鈥嬧�嬧��

EMPOWERS @ BioFrontiers Institute

  • Queer in Science (Qsci)

Pride Office

Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE)鈥嬧赌�

STUDENT GROUPS:

Bring Your Own Gender (BYOG)

Out in STEM (oSTEM)鈥嬧赌�

Queer and Trans People of Color (QTPOC)

The Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA)

Biochemistry Department

All of us at Biochemistry are involved in creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment! Thank you to everyone for their part in building a strong and supportive community in Biochemistry!