Three members of the Department of Statistics have been commended in the MPLS Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Awards Best Team Effort category. Every other year, alternating with the University-wide VC’s Diversity Awards, MPLS recognise staff and students who have gone above and beyond in their efforts to advance ED&I within our communities, celebrating individuals and teams that have accomplished amazing things to make our workplaces a better place for all of us.

The awards are an important way to showcase the incredible work that MPLS colleagues and students undertake, which may otherwise go unnoticed. At the same time, the awards aim to foster and raise awareness of impactful and innovative activities in all areas of equality, diversity and inclusion (including disability, LGBTQ+, race/ethnicity, gender, mental health and wellbeing, and more!).

Maria Christodoulou,  Ruth McCabe and Mariagrazia Zottoli were nominated for their work on EDI initiatives around the Department, including the development of newsletters for selected celebration days (Anti-Bullying Week and LGBT+ History Month), production of welfare slides to summarise the support available in the department around mental health and harassment, and QR codes to anonymous feedback forms for staff and students. They have proposed several projects which are currently underway but not yet complete: the provision of free menstrual products, more inclusive toilet signs for our gender neutral toilets, and events for October's Black History Month.

Full details of this year's winners and commendees.

 

Maria, Ruth and Mariagrazia have been effective at driving our non-Athena Swan work this year, without prompting and to the immense gratitude of the EDIC chairs. It is a testament to their strong commitment to EDI, and they have worked exceptionally well as a team to get all these initiatives through.

Mareli Grady, EDIC co-chair