(DePaul University/Maria Toscano)
It's a new year and the start of the winter quarter at DePaul. We enter 2021 with hope, yet we acknowledge the reality of continued challenges. One of the things that gives me hope is seeing our Catholic, Vincentian mission in action through the innovative work of our community.Over the past several months, for example, researchers at DePaul have been helping the Chicago Department of Public Health fill in missing demographic information for thousands of people being tested for COVID-19 each day. As a result, the category of “unknown" race in COVID-19 tests in Chicago decreased from 47% to 11% in the fall. By collecting these demographic details, the hope is to better understand inequities with COVID-19.
Another example of DePaul's impact - a paper published by a faculty member in the College of Science and Health made waves across national media outlets this fall. DePaul's Bala Chaudhary co-authored the paper, “Ten simple rules for building an antiracist lab," providing clear actionable items for scientific leaders to follow. Her hope is to make research groups more equitable and inclusive.
This year, I look forward to following the progress of a video dialogue series created by Chi Jang Yin, the 2020-21 Presidential Fellow. The Multiculturalism Project aims to promote an open dialogue regarding equity in classroom settings and research initiatives. Yin invites faculty who teach a multiculturalism course in the liberal studies program, as well as faculty, staff and students who are role models for diversity and equity at DePaul, to be considered for the project. Her hope is to humanize social justice issues and empower diversity role models.
Despite the current challenges, the DePaul community continues to respond to the call for help, the need for action. You are making a difference not only within our university, but also in the city of Chicago, across the nation and around the world. Your continued hope and ingenuity will propel us forward as we begin to plan for reopening DePaul's campuses in fall 2021.
Thank you for all that you do for DePaul. I can't wait to see what we do next.
Happy New Year.