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Winter 2018 Issue
Free Speech Diversity at UCI
DECADE P R E S S
Speaker SeriesDr. Charis Kubrin
Rethinking Crime and ImmigrationCriminology, Law and Society
Community Member SpotlightA Conversation with Autumn Holmes
Microbiology and Molecular Genetics
School-Based DECADE CouncilsDECADE Strategic Plan
DECADE PRESS Winter 2018 Issue
Free Speech Diversity at UCIJournal ClubDeveloping Speech Standards against Hate Speech on CampusMartín Jacinto
Community MeetingFree Speech and Hate Speech: Where is the line and what can we do?Nestor Tulagan
Recruitment CornerSara Villalta
DECADE Spring 2018 EventsCeazar Nave
DECADE Winter 2018in Pictures
Speaker SeriesDr. Charis Kubrin, Professor of Criminology, Law and Society“Rethinking Crime and Immigration”Michelle Zuñiga
Community Member Spotlight: Autumn HolmesMiles Davison
School-based DECADE Council News and Events
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OutreachCORNER
DECADE SPRING 2018 EVENTS
DECADE PRESS Winter 2018 Issue
By Sara I. Villalta
By Ceazar Nave
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Our annual DECADE Winter Social was a
success! Members of our community were able
to come together to enjoy each other’s company
and had an opportunity to get to know the
student council better.
Go to page 5 for pictures of
our events!
Community MeetingApril 19th, 2018 @ 4:00 PM
Journal ClubFirst Generation Graduate StudentsMay 10th, 2018 @ 12:30 PM
Speaker SeriesDr. Mark LawsonMay 17th @ 10:30 AMHumanities Gateway 1010
End of the Year Luncheonwith Vice Provost Frances Leslie & Vice Provost Doug HaynesMay 24th, 2018 @ 12:30 PM
End of the Year Pub NightJune 1st, 2018 @ 5:00 PMAntHill Pub & Grille
Know-How Sessions (To be announced)
Watch for finalized dates and locations in the Spring!
&
he Winter ’18 Journal Club generated a
productive discussion between members of
UCI’s administration, faculty and DECADE
student community about free speech on
campus and how it relates to the growing
diversity of the American campus. Dean of
Graduate Division, Frances Leslie, and Doug
Haynes, Vice Provost for Academic Equity,
Diversity and Inclusion, attended the event and
offered their interpretation of the situation and
an ear for student recommendations.
The goal of the Journal Club was to
generate a conversation between faculty, staff,
DECADE PRESS Winter 2018 Issue
Free Speech Diversity at UCI
Speech Standardsagainst Hate Speech on Campus?
JournalClubBy Martín Jacinto
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T and graduate students about the tension that
has arisen from issues pertaining to free speech
and race relations. Everyone was in agreement
that free speech is a cornerstone of American
campuses, but a crux of the debate was whether
free speech can be distinguished from hate
speech. The debate arose after a discussion
about controversial speakers who are invited
solely to demean racial and ethnic groups. Many
argued that the ambiguity in differentiating
both allows for controversial speakers and their
invitees to demean groups of students without
repercussions. The following questions from the
meeting were presented:
1. Are there standard criteria for inviting
guests that can be made apparent?
2. If there are, how may students be
involved in their development?
3. Are there standard criteria for
distinguishing free speech from hate
speech? What benchmarks are set to
prevent hate speech from campus?
5. What are the adverse effects that would
arise if UCI were to distance themselves
from controversial speakers who are found
to promote hatred?
The students agreed that it should be made
clearer to students, faculty, and administrators
what free speech means as it relates to life at
UCI on campus. In particular, how does the
university play a role in protecting and
regulating types of speech in the classroom or
in the university space in general? Clarity of
the university’s approach to free speech and the
limits of that approach are necessary—
especially in distinguishing between the
protection of free speech vs. hate speech on
campuses.
DECADE PRESS Winter 2018 Issue
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Contribute to the next issue of the DECADE Press!
Email Nestor Tulagan @ [email protected]
DECADEin pictures…
Winter 2018
Community Meeting Winter Social
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Journal Club Speaker Series
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DECADEin pictures…
Winter 2018
n January 25th, the Winter ‘18 DECADE
Community Meeting tackled issues of free
speech and diversity within the UCI campus.
One objective of the meeting involved providing
a forum of diverse views on issues regarding the
often blurry line between free speech and hate
speech, especially as they occur in multiple
college campuses and the nation at large. One
recurring theme of the discussion involved
issues of safety. Members expressed concerns
and frustration regarding campus events with
speakers whose views attack and illicit hatred
towards historically marginalized groups.
Beyond this, the community also discussed
issues regarding forms of resistance against
controversial rhetoric by invited speakers and
the role of institutions and members of the
campus community in responding to instances
of hate speech. Community members discussed
&Free Speech Diversity at UCI
DECADE PRESS Winter 2018 Issue
CommunityMeeting
Free Speech and Hate Speech: Where is the line and what can we do?
By Nestor Tulagan
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O
possible avenues of resistance. Suggestions
regarding quieter forms of resistance, such as
non-attendance and diversity-focused counter-
events, were balanced with suggestions for
more active protests and assembly, such as
walk-outs and picketing. The meeting also
delved into the ways in which institutions must
handle controversial events. Views ranged from
down-right rejection of speakers that have the
potential to jeopardize student safety to format
changes affording diverse speakers to defend
their respective positions and to dismantle
opposing arguments.
These conversations extend beyond one
community meeting. Discussions with serious
implications for the overall well-being of the
DECADE community will surely continue.
s part of the quarterly Speaker Series, Dr.
Charis E. Kubrin shared her research during
Week 9, where she questions the stereotypes
and assumption regarding immigrants and their
supposed propensity to commit more crimes
than other native groups in the United States.
Dr. Kubrin finds repeatedly, after systematic
analyses of demographic data, that the crime-
immigration link is either null or negative.
But for many, this is hard to believe. In
sharing her research, Dr. Kubrin has faced
criticism from those who disagree with her
findings. Dr. Kubrin has taken the time to talk
to those who oppose her views and never turns
down a reporter with the aim of breaking the
false link between immigration and crime.
Despite these efforts, lawmakers continue to
pass policies such as enhanced border security,
the travel ban, and the creation of a new office
in ICE called VOICE (Victims of Immigration
Crime Engagement), all built off of the false
notion that immigrants commit more crimes
than native groups.
DECADE PRESS Winter 2018 Issue
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A
Nevertheless, Dr. Kubrin is committed to
fighting the fight with her research and is
inspired to rethink what we think we know
about crime and immigration. To increase
critical thinking around the issue, Dr. Kubrin
has created a course at UCI for undergraduate
students. In the class, stringent immigrant
policies are discussed along with their
implications and collateral consequences.
Speaker Series
Dr. Charis KubrinRethinking Crime and Immigration
By Michelle Zuñiga
COMMUNITY MEMBER
his quarter, we wish to recognize Autumn
Holmes, a PhD candidate in the Department of
Microbiology & Molecular Genetics. Autumn’s
research focuses on developing anti-viral
therapies to treat patients with picornavirus
infections. Outside the lab, she has been
actively involved in DECADE and sciencecommunication activities in the OC community.
Check out our conversation with Autumn below!
What got you involved in DECADE?
I got involved in DECADE after hearing about it
from previous council members. They
encouraged me to come to meetings. I was also
motivated to get involved after reading an
article on the phenomenon of implicit bias and
how it impacts hiring practices in science.
In what DECADE Services did you
participate?
I served as STEM Co-Chair from 2014-2015 and
helped launch the Know-How Sessions seminar
series for underrepresented undergraduate
students. I also served on the Biological
Sciences DECADE council and currently serve
By Miles DavisonSpotlightDECADE PRESS Winter 2018 Issue
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A Conversation with Autumn Holmes
T
on the School of Medicine (SOM) council. We
recently hosted a Meet-and-Greet between SOM
students and DECADE faculty mentors and are
in the process of organizing a Faculty Lecture
Series with Dr. Gabriel Vargas, a highly
successful PhD alumnus of UCI.
What has DECADE provided you during
your tenure at UCI?
DECADE has been a tremendously positivespace for me in terms of cultivating a sense of
community and belonging. I met many of my
good friends and colleagues at UCI by
participating in DECADE and it has made for
an overall positive graduate school experience.
How has your involvement in DECADE
impacted you during your tenure at UCI?
Serving on the council has helped me to
strengthen my leadership and communication
skills, which in turn has given me the
confidence to take on other extracurricular
endeavors in addition to my PhD studies. And in
doing so, I’ve also been able to hone my
organization and time management abilities.
How have your experiences through
DECADE helped you in your career?
By sharpening the skills mentioned in the
previous question, I feel more certain that I
have what it takes to succeed at the next level of
my career because I have been able to “practice”
it, so to speak, in DECADE and in the other
extracurricular experiences I’ve taken on.
What are your plans after UCI?
After graduating, I plan to go on to a post-
doctoral position in a viral immunology lab and
eventually start my own lab as an independent
investigator at a major research university.
DECADE PRESS Winter 2018 Issue
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How do you plan to advocate for diversity in
your career?
As a professor, I plan to place strong emphasis on
student mentorship, striking the balance between
a rigorous research program and high-quality
teaching. It is of equal importance to impart in-
depth knowledge and strong analytical reasoning
abilities among the next generation of scholars,
particularly those who are marginalized and
often do not have equal access to adequate
instruction. In doing so, I hope to help bridge the
gap for those who have been historically
underrepresented in the university setting and
cultivate a supportive and collaborative
environment for all students.
Nominate an outstanding DECADE community member for a Spotlight !
Email Nestor Tulagan @ [email protected]
COMMUNITY MEMBER SpotlightA Conversation with Autumn Holmes
It is of equal importance to
impart in-depth knowledge
and analytical reasoning
abilities among the next
generation of scholars,
particularly those who are
marginalized and often do
not have equal access to
adequate instruction
“
”
School-based DECADEs part of DECADE’s mission to increase the
recruitment and retention of diverse graduate students,
we have started a Strategic Plan initiative with the goal of
developing stronger relationships between faculty andstudents. This goal entails providing spaces to discuss the
current climate within each school and department, as
well as brainstorming and proposing concrete solutions. To
this end, we have asked each school-based DECADEcouncil to facilitate such discussions with their faculty
mentors on a quarterly basis and put into place Senior
Administrators within each school. Here, we report an
example of such a meeting at the School of Engineering.
The meeting involved three faculty members and four
student representatives spanning five departments withinthe School of Engineering. As an initial topic, the group
reviewed the report from the 2016-2017 school year. Some
of the topics included students feeling ill-prepared for
graduate school from their undergraduate institution andfor industry jobs after graduate school, the unstable work-
life balance, and the lack of female role models in
engineering disciplines.
Strategic Plan InitiativesDeveloping Stronger Relationships between Faculty and Students
DECADE PRESS Winter 2018 Issue
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By Sara Sameni & Rachel June Smith
A In response to these topics, ideas flowed. But more
importantly this year, the issue of isolation among
engineering students was raised. “There is no coherent
student body in engineering”, said professor Zareian fromthe Department of Civil Engineering. Some advocated for
targeted social and professional development workshops
aimed specifically at engineers, deviating from other
opportunities on campus that paint a broader scope ofprofessional preparedness. The group addressed the need
for an engineering career fair: inviting companies looking
specifically for Masters and PhD-level hires.
On the interpersonal side of graduate school, student
representatives expressed how graduate students’ lack of
interest in leadership and service opportunities on campusmakes it difficult to coalesce students within a
department. Although some departments have working
graduate student groups, such as Biomedical and
Chemical Engineering, others do not, and this impedesstudents feeling connected to their peers and being able to
voice opinions and concerns about issues within the
department. (cont’d in the next page)
Start a DECADE Student Group in your department!
Contact Francisco Carranza @ [email protected] for
more info
Start a DECADE Student Group in your department!
Contact Francisco Carranza @ [email protected] for
more info
School-based
DECADEHowever, an overarching theme of the
engineering strategic plan meeting resonated
loudly: How does the promotion of diversity and
inclusion inform the way we act as an
organization? If other goals such as professional
development, career advising, and resetting the
work-life balance are being addressed by other
clubs on campus, can DECADE support them and
make it more personalized so that diversity
students can benefit from participating in such
events? DECADE wants to strategically target
events and opportunities to level the playing field
of graduate school and to make better the
experiences of diverse graduate students on
campus by meeting and discussing topics such as
these, one quarter at a time.
Strategic Plan (cont’d) School-based DECADE Spring Events
School of Biological Sciences
Diversity and Equity Survey Meeting with Dean LaFerla
Professional Development: ”What Can I Do with My PhD?”
Intramural Softball for the School of Biological Sciences
Contact Armond Franklin-Murray ([email protected]) for details
School of Education (SoE)
Community Meetings on Wednesdays at 4:00 PM
PhD Peer Mentor & Mentee Lunch w/ New Faculty (Week 2)
Workshop Series on Supporting UROP Students: Presenting Your Work (Week 7)
SoE DECADE End-of-the-Year Celebration (Week 10)
Contact Doron Zinger ([email protected]) for details
School of Social Sciences
Publishing 101: Basics of Publishing in the Social Sciences
Contact Stephanie Pullés ([email protected]) and Jessica Kang ([email protected]) for details
Start a DECADE student council in your
school/department!
Contact Francisco Carranza @ [email protected]
for more info
DECADE PRESS Winter 2018 Issue
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Don’t see your school-based DECADE’s spring events?Click here to contact your school’s DECADE representative!
Start a DECADE Student Group in your department!
Contact Francisco Carranza @ [email protected] for more info
Start a DECADE Student Group in your department!
Contact Francisco Carranza @ [email protected] for more info
CALLING FUTURE
COUNCILMEMBERS!
Be a part of next year’s DECADE Council!
Contact any of the currentDECADE Council co-chairs tolearn more about a particularposition! See the next page for our contact list.
Serving as a co-chair for DECADEStudent Council provides graduate
students professional development and serviceopportunities that serve the campus’ focus oninclusive excellence. By taking a leadership rolein organizing DECADE programs and initiatives,you can help support DECADE’s mission ofsupporting underrepresented graduate studentsand improving the overall campus climate at UCI.
Leadership & Funding
OpportunitiesCompetitive EDGE Peer Mentors
Contact Claudia Campos ([email protected]) for infoSummer Research Program Graduate Student Leads
Contact Daniel Fabrega ([email protected]) for info
Faculty Mentor Program FellowshipPresidents’ Dissertation Year FellowshipGraduate Dean’s Dissertation Fellowship
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Fellowship DEADLINESApril 17th @ noon
Contact Daniel Fabrega and Claudia Campos for more info
Winter 2018 Issue
DE
CA
DE
P
R E
S SDECADE COUNCIL
Martín JacintoHASS Co-Chair
Sara Sameni STEM Co-Chair
Michelle ZuñigaSecretary
Francisco CarranzaCampus Coordinator
Taffeta WoodEducation [email protected]
Sara VillaltaRecruitment Co-Chair
Miles DavisonRecruitment [email protected]
Nestor TulaganPublic Relations Co-Chair, Lead Editor
Ceazar NavePublic Relations Co-Chair, Social Media
Claudia CamposDECADE Council Advisor
DECADEP R E S S
Winter 2018 Issue
