• Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Questrom

Questrom School of Business is committed to building a learning and working community that values and thrives on difference. We know that diverse teams increase financial performance, but that can only happen if every member of our community feels free to bring their whole selves to school and work and are empowered to share their ideas and opinions. Valuing different perspectives may be difficult but that is what builds trust. And trust is an essential component of a culture where people can thrive.

On this site you will find resources for faculty, staff, and students at Questrom and across the BU campus, notice of events, and reports and updates from the Questrom DEI Committee, Faculty in Residence, the Center for DE&I, and the Associate Dean for DE&I.

Upcoming Questrom Events

  • April 28th, 2023

    DEI Conference

  • April 18th, 2023 6:00pm (virtual)

    Equity Now Series presents Disability: Language and the Law

    Angélica Guevara, Assistant Professor of Business Law, Kelly School of Business, Indiana University.  At times, one does not realize when ableist language is being used. This talk will address such language and provide a crash course on some disability models to better understand the shortcomings of current disability anti-discrimination law, which is all the more relevant given the recent pandemic. Learn more here.

  • April 18th, 2023 4:00-6:00pm

    New Faculty Check In #2

    4:00-6:00pm. Hosted in the 5th Floor Lounge in Questrom.

  • April 10th, 2023 3:30-5:00pm

    The Transforming Teaming Workshop

    This is for anyone who uses teams in their classes and it is focused on helping teams be more equitable and effective.  The presenters are from WPI.  Faculty will come away with solid frameworks and tools to use with their teams.  Please register using this Eventbrite Registration Link.  This is a re-scheduled event (from Feb 28th.) This event will be hosted on 665 Commonwealth Ave (in the new Data Science Building!) CCDS 1750.

  • April 9th, 2023 11:59 pm

    2023 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award Nominations close

    The myQuestrom DEI Awards recognizes students, faculty, and staff who stand out as champions of diversity, equity, and inclusion at Questrom through their research, teaching, leadership, and community contributions.  All Questrom students, staff, and faculty members are eligible for a myQuestrom DEI award and any student, staff, or faculty member can submit a nomination. Self-nominations will also be accepted. Nominations must be submitted online using this form and must be received no later than 11:59 Sunday April 9, 2023.

  • April 3rd, 2023 12:00-1:30pm

    Questrom Roundtables

    Questrom Roundtables: an opportunity for us to have open and honest discussions about a topic that is relevant to our work and lives.  This isn’t a lecture and it isn’t a workshop.  It is a chance for you to engage with your colleagues about a headline in the news over lunch.  There is no right or wrong answer, it is an inclusive conversation and space.

  • March 29th, 2023 from 12:00-2:00 pm RM TBD

    Investing in our Social Capital: Practicing our Allyship for Staff

    In building a diverse and inclusive community, we have to approach “ally” as more than a noun, it is very much a verb.  Come learn from Alana Anderson, Assistant Dean for  Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at MIT Schwarzman College of Computing about how our individual actions can work to build our social capital and create a more vibrant Questrom.

  • March 29th, 2023 from 3:00-5:00pm RM TBD

    Investing in our Social Capital: Practicing our Allyship for Faculty

    In building a diverse and inclusive community, we have to approach “ally” as more than a noun, it is very much a verb.  Come learn from Alana Anderson, Assistant Dean for  Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at MIT Schwarzman College of Computing about how our individual actions can work to build our social capital and create a more vibrant Questrom.

  • March 27th, 2023 from RM TBD

    Investing in our Social Capital: Practicing our Allyship for Students

    n building a diverse and inclusive community, we have to approach “ally” as more than a noun, it is very much a verb.  Come learn from Alana Anderson, Assistant Dean for  Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at MIT Schwarzman College of Computing about how our individual actions can work to build our social capital and create a more vibrant Questrom.

  • February 8th, 2023

    New Faculty Check In # 1

    4:00-6:00pm. Hosted in the 5th Floor Lounge in Questrom.

  • November 29, 2022

    New Faculty Check-In

    4:00 – 6:00 pm. Location TBD

  • November 18th, 2022

    "When Women Lead" with CNBC’s Julia Boorstin

    Join us as CNBC’s Julia Boorstin discusses her new book When Women Lead. Location and registration link to follow.

  • November 16th, 2022

    myQuestrom Community Reception

    Join the Center for Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion as we celebrate and bring together our myQuestrom communities! Register Here!

  • November 2nd, 2022

    Inclusive Pedagogy Workshop

    Join us from 4:00-5:15pm in HAR 424, register here!

  • October 19, 2022

    Conversations in the Headlines

    12:00 – 2:00 pm. 4th floor dining rooms

STUDENTS

Academic Mentoring

Academic Mentoring provides Questrom students with an initiative led by our faculty in residence to promote relationships and community building between faculty and students. Topics are geared towards intentional communities to support the academic development of all students. Conversations topics are selected with intentional communities in mind, but all sessions are open to all students. Previous sessions include: Meet & Greet Your Faculty, Tips for Success, Imposter Syndrome & Personal Identity in Business, and the First Gen Experience.  Questions? Contact Dionne Lomax, Faculty-in-Residence, at dlomax@bu.edu.

Questrom Ascend Fellowship

Ascend is a program to help undergraduate students develop a sense of belonging at the Questrom School of Business, by providing a support system through mentorship from upper-level students, faculty, staff, and alumni.

 Ascend Fellows foster their personal and professional growth through engagement with inclusive leadership skills, financial education, and career exploration informed by the lens of students’ individual identities.  Foundational to the program are conversations centered on race, class, and how professionals from historically under invested communities navigate business. All students are welcome. Current Ascend Fellows come from diverse backgrounds, including students who identify as Black, Latine, Hispanic, Indigenous, Pacific Islander, Asian, Biracial, Mixed Race, Multiracial, and First-Generation College Students. Questions about the Ascend Mentor-Mentee program can be sent to Nejaat Ibrahim, Graduate Assistant for the Ascend Fellowship at n1brahim@bu.edu

Community Receptions

Every year, the Center for DEI hosts myQuestrom Community Receptions for students, staff, and faculty.  These events create the time and space for students to get to know each other and learn about the resources available to them in an informal way. The receptions deepen the connections between the undergraduate and graduate populations to create more ways to connect across programs and build a stronger community within Questrom.  Previously held receptions have welcomed international students and scholars, first gen college students and graduates, and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color.

Current Dialogue Series

CURRENT is an open, biweekly dialogue series that will feature timely, relevant topics for the Questrom community, moderated by trained facilitators. In the past, we’ve explored the ethical challenges in vaccine distribution, business responses to racial inequity, and much more. As DEI becomes a bigger part of what’s required to be effective in the workplace, CURRENT offers a low-stakes space to build confidence discussing complex issues, hone your skills around DEI, stay informed on current events, and build community.

Questions?? Contact Barbara Conant at baconant@bu.edu.

Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Conference

Questrom’s Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Conference is an annual fall event that focuses on diversity as a business advantage, bringing together the Boston University community, industry leaders, and students to share their perspectives on diversity in business. This conference is a collective effort from multiple student-run graduate clubs as well as a committed group of graduate students who serve on the planning committee.

If you are interested in joining the planning committee or learning more, please contact us using the form below.

Global Connections

Global Connections is a student-led organization open to all who are curious, respectful, and share the same goal of creating the best International Student experience at Questrom. Global Connections holistically supports the specific needs of international students by:

  • Amplifying all student voices and leveraging their experiences to build a more global learning environment
  • Delivering practical and tailored resources to meet international students’ unique needs, ensuring they are fully prepared to achieve their goals upon graduation
  • Creating a strong sense of belonging and community at Questrom, a place that international students can call a “second home”

Questions?? Contact Ramit Chawla at ramit@bu.edu.

myQuestrom Student Advisory Board

The myQuestrom Student Advisory Board brings together leaders from each of the undergraduate and graduate myQuestrom student clubs to discuss opportunities for collaboration, promote events, and gain support and buy-in from peers. This board also has the opportunity to engage with and provide input on Center-wide initiatives.

Questions?? Contact Courtney Hsu at cohsu@bu.edu.

Every year, the Center for DEI helps to prepare and send groups of graduate and undergraduate students to various national conferences and case competitions, where our students get to meet with top companies from around the globe.  In addition to our featured partnerships below, we’re proud to send students and teams to the following annual opportunities:

Questrom students can request funding to support events and initiatives that help the mission of career exploration, networking, and skill development by applying to the Questrom Career Exploration Fund.  This fund is currently managed by the Feld Center so please reach out to questromcareers@bu.edu with any questions.


The annual National Black MBA Association (NBMBAA) Conference & Exposition convenes members, corporate and university partners, and some of the world’s most sought after thought leaders  for a week of exploration in the areas of education, leadership, career opportunities, and networking connections that enable professional development. More than 10,000 professionals travel each year to gain access to opportunities that only our national conference can offer.  The National Black MBA annual conference typically features both a graduate and an undergraduate case competition.


Prospanica seeks leaders prepared to step into the future and lead change within their corporations and communities. At the annual Prospanica Conference & Career Expo, you’ll find networking events, development opportunities, and a career expo with the country’s leading companies. These three days will sharpen your leadership skills and connect you to the community who can launch the next stage of your career.


The Reaching Out LGBTQ MBA & Business Graduate Conference (also known at the ROMBA Conference) is the world’s largest annual conference for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) graduate business school students. The ROMBA Conference provides future lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender leaders from around the world the opportunity to network, learn, and improve their skills so they will emerge stronger and more confident in the business world. Leading businesses partner with the conference to show support for the LGBTQ community and recruit top level talent.

Boston University Diversity Statement

Boston University’s founders opened its doors to all students without regard to religion, race, or gender. Building and sustaining a vibrant community of scholars, students, and staff remains essential to our mission of contributing to, and preparing students to thrive in, an increasingly interconnected world.

We strive to create environments for learning, working, and living that are enriched by racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity. We seek to cultivate an atmosphere of respect for individual differences in life experience, sexual orientation, and religious belief, and we aspire to be free of intellectual parochialism, barriers to access, and ethnocentrism.

Success in a competitive, global milieu depends upon our ongoing commitment to welcome and engage the wisdom, creativity, and aspirations of all peoples. The excellence we seek emerges from the contributions and talents of every member of the Boston University community.

There are many resources and offices at BU to support students.  As it relates to diversity and inclusion, we hope you’ll find the following particularly helpful:


Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground

The Thurman Center was founded in 1986 to preserve the legacy of Dr. Howard Thurman, who spent his life working to break barriers that separate people based on race, culture, religion, ethnicity, gender and sexual identity. It currently serves as BU’s cultural hub and emphasizes the importance of stepping outside your comfort zones to build relationships and share experiences with others. The center offers are a wide array of cultural programs, lectures, discussions, films, events and resources for all members of the BU community to attend.


Newbury Center

The Newbury Center opened its doors in January 2021 with the goal of fostering the holistic success of first-generation students at Boston University. It aims to offer programming and services designed to ensure that first-generation students experience the same well being, belonging, self-efficacy, and academic accomplishment as their continuing-generation peers. Specific initiatives include support for navigating through the financial aid system, making the best use of academic resources and taking full advantage of internship opportunities.


Center for Anti-racist Research

The Center for Antiracist Research was founded with the mission to convene researchers and practitioners from various disciplines to figure out novel and practical ways to understand, explain and solve problems of racial inequality and injustice. It fosters exhaustive racial research, research-based policy innovation, data driven advocacy campaigns and narrative-change initiatives. Members of the Boston University community can apply to be part of The Center Affiliates Program which is building out a network of faculty and graduate students engaged in anti-racist research.


Faculty and Staff Community Networks

The aim of the FSCNs is to foster and promote a healthy and supportive culture for individuals engaged with issues related to diversity, equity, inclusion, justice and full participation within the BU community. The list of networks includes: Allies & Advocates Faculty & Staff Community Network, Faculty & Staff of Color Community Network, LGBTQIA+ Faculty & Staff Community Network and Staff and Faculty Extend Boston University Disability Support.


Student Activities Office

Boston University has over 450 student organizations and the SAO can help students find peers who share their passions and interests or even get the ball rolling to create an entirely new organization. These organizations include a variety of identity based clubs that BU students can sign up for and join.


BU Hillel

The mission of BU Hillel is to inspire, educate, and empower Boston University students to lead meaningful, joyous Jewish lives.


Marsh Chapel

Marsh Chapel is a place for all, an interdenominational ministry at Boston University preaching a gospel of grace and freedom, a responsible Christian liberalism. They cherish common faith, common ground, and, especially, a common hope.


FACULTY & STAFF

  • Anti-Racist Pedagogy

    As Boston University drives forward its commitment towards anti-racism, its faculty share strategies on how they integrate this commitment within their curriculums. Discussion topics include mapping implicit bias in STEM education, anti-racist curriculums for Spanish courses, racial justice as religious practice and more.

  • Class in the Classroom

    Boston University faculty discuss how differences in social class play out within our classrooms and present strategies on how to break these bounds, creating more inclusive classroom environments. Topics addressed include creating classrooms inclusive of first-gen students, engaging learners in the remote environment and more.

  • Building the Inclusive Classroom

    Boston University faculty share their perspectives on diversity, equity and inclusion within the remote learning landscape, while offering input on how to promote inclusive teaching. Topics discussed include minding power and privelge in the classroom, trauma informed practices in the age of COVID-19, advancing intercultural inclusive practice and more.

  • Diversify your cases with Culturally Popular names

    Common names differ across the world and in a university as diverse as ours, it is important to consider these differences when crafting classroom material. Here you can find a list of popular names from all over the world to aid in doing so.

  • Creating Business School Research that Positively Impacts Society

    The role that business schools and businesses play in creating positive societal impact is an important part of AACSB’s 2020 business accreditation standards, expanding into the business school’s scholarly work and how their intellectual contributions help to solve real-world challenges.

  • Class in American Society - Nikole Hannah-Jones

    Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones analyzed the question “where do we witness the manifestation of class within our society?” through the lens of education and housing, two of the most intimate areas of American life.

  • The Privileged Poor: Anthony Jack

    Dr. Anthony Abraham Jack will discuss how class and culture shape how undergraduates navigate college and shed new light on how inequity is reproduced.

  • Between Two Worlds: Jennifer Morton

    Determination, hard work and sacrifice are core ingredients in the story of the American dream. But philosopher Jennifer Morton argues there is another, more painful requirement to getting ahead: a willingness to leave family and friends behind. Join us for a conversation on the ethical costs of upward mobility.

  • Social Class a Global Perspective: Paul Farmer

    Medical anthropologist and physician Dr. Paul Farmer will examine poverty and justice from global humanitarian perspective in a conversation with dean and Robert A. Knox Professor at Boston University School of Public Health Dr. Sandro Galea.

  • A History of Class in America: Nancy Isenberg

    Historian Nancy Isenberg presents the history of the class system in America, extending from colonial times to the present.  Surveying political rhetoric and policy, popular literature and scientific theories over four hundred years, Isenberg analyzes the assumptions that liberty and hard work ensured social mobility within our nation’s history.

  • Incentivizing Faculty Diversity

    The lack of faculty diversity lies in the clash between the dual desire of universities to both increase diversity and satisfy their need for highly specialized professors, argues Katherine Newman.

  • What is Cluster Hiring?

    The practice can promote diversity and inclusion if institutions have a willingness to take a creative approach to faculty recruitment and retention, argues Elizabeth S. Chilton.

BU LGBTQIA+ Center for Faculty & Staff
Boston University’s LGBTQIA+ Center for Faculty & Staff engages the BU community to foster a sense of belonging and connectedness for LGBTQIA+ faculty and staff; increase the visibility of LGBTQIA+ resources, research, and scholarship; celebrate the contributions of the diverse LGBTQIA+ community at BU; and improve recruitment and retention of LGBTQIA+ faculty and staff in the development of an inclusive and equitable workplace.


Faculty & Staff Community Networks
The mission of FSCNs is to promote a healthy and supportive culture for all individuals and create a deeper sense of unity among individuals from underrepresented communities and their allies to ensure that BU remains a community where differences are understood to be a source of mutual power, insight, and effectiveness.


BU Women’s Guild
The BUWG is a network of BU women- and men- who are faculty, staff, trustees, and friends of BU who gather to network, explore wide-ranging issues, and support women graduate students at BU.


Women of Color Circle
The WOCC is an affinity groups for women of color who are members of the BUWG. The mission of the Circle is to enhance the diversity and inclusion within the Guild and create a space for women of color across campus to gain support and share resources and build allyships between the WOCC and BUWG communities.

DEI COMMITEE

In 2016, Questrom faculty voted to create a standing committee for DE&I. The Committee is comprised of faculty, staff, and undergraduate and graduate students whose mission is to build on the commitments of the University to “create environments for learning , working, and living that are enriched by racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity.” The Committee’s goal is to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion as core elements of academic excellence. They do this by collaborating with the Associate Dean for DE&I, faculty, staff, and students to develop and oversee initiatives that focus on diversity and inclusion.

ABOUT

Kabrina Chang

Kabrina Chang

Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Cecilia Yudin

Cecilia Yudin

Director, Center for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Jeff Allen

Jeff Allen

Faculty in Residence
Dionne Lomax

Dionne Lomax

Faculty in Residence
Gina Powers

Gina Powers

Faculty in Residence
Cecilia Yudin

Cecilia Yudin

Director, Center for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Kabrina Chang

Kabrina Chang

Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Jeff Allen

Jeff Allen

Faculty in Residence
Dionne Lomax

Dionne Lomax

Faculty in Residence
Gina Powers

Gina Powers

Faculty in Residence
Ann-Marie Doble

Ann-Marie Doble

Graduate Assistant
Fidel GomezTorres

Fidel GomezTorres

Graduate Assistant
Rachana Krishna

Rachana Krishna

Graduate Assistant
Amy Bocos

Amy Bocos

Josué Pedroza

Josué Pedroza

Joel Pimentel Alves

Joel Pimentel Alves

Madison Miranda

Madison Miranda

Boston University Diversity Statement

Boston University’s founders opened its doors to all students without regard to religion, race, or gender. Building and sustaining a vibrant community of scholars, students, and staff remains essential to our mission of contributing to, and preparing students to thrive in, an increasingly interconnected world.

We strive to create environments for learning, working, and living that are enriched by racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity. We seek to cultivate an atmosphere of respect for individual differences in life experience, sexual orientation, and religious belief, and we aspire to be free of intellectual parochialism, barriers to access, and ethnocentrism.

Success in a competitive, global milieu depends upon our ongoing commitment to welcome and engage the wisdom, creativity, and aspirations of all peoples. The excellence we seek emerges from the contributions and talents of every member of the Boston University community.

There are many resources and offices at BU to support students.  As it relates to diversity and inclusion, we hope you’ll find the following particularly helpful:


Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground

The Thurman Center was founded in 1986 to preserve the legacy of Dr. Howard Thurman, who spent his life working to break barriers that separate people based on race, culture, religion, ethnicity, gender and sexual identity. It currently serves as BU’s cultural hub and emphasizes the importance of stepping outside your comfort zones to build relationships and share experiences with others. The center offers are a wide array of cultural programs, lectures, discussions, films, events and resources for all members of the BU community to attend.


Newbury Center

The Newbury Center opened its doors in January 2021 with the goal of fostering the holistic success of first-generation students at Boston University. It aims to offer programming and services designed to ensure that first-generation students experience the same well being, belonging, self-efficacy, and academic accomplishment as their continuing-generation peers. Specific initiatives include support for navigating through the financial aid system, making the best use of academic resources and taking full advantage of internship opportunities.


Center for Antiracist Research

The Center for Antiracist Research was founded with the mission to convene researchers and practitioners from various disciplines to figure out novel and practical ways to understand, explain and solve problems of racial inequality and injustice. It fosters exhaustive racial research, research-based policy innovation, data driven advocacy campaigns and narrative-change initiatives. Members of the Boston University community can apply to be part of The Center Affiliates Program which is building out a network of faculty and graduate students engaged in anti-racist research.


Faculty and Staff Community Networks

The aim of the FSCNs is to foster and promote a healthy and supportive culture for individuals engaged with issues related to diversity, equity, inclusion, justice and full participation within the BU community. The list of networks includes: Allies & Advocates Faculty & Staff Community Network, Faculty & Staff of Color Community Network, LGBTQIA+ Faculty & Staff Community Network and Staff and Faculty Extend Boston University Disability Support.


Student Activities Office

Boston University has over 450 student organizations and the SAO can help students find peers who share their passions and interests or even get the ball rolling to create an entirely new organization. These organizations include a variety of identity based clubs that BU students can sign up for and join.


CONTACT

BU Reporting Hotline
Boston University recognizes its obligation to employees and constituents to maintain the highest ethical standards.  If you have reason to believe that violations of Boston University policy or improper conduct has occurred, you should report your concerns through any of the following mechanisms.


Questrom Bias Reporting
We value feedback in all forms. In addition, if you have reason to believe that violations of Boston University policy or improper conduct has occurred, you should report your concerns. Please complete the form below to have your feedback submitted to the appropriate leadership.


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