At the Molecular Foundry, we have seen first-hand the advantage of working together across disciplines, and we have also experienced the great benefit of a culture that welcomes and encourages diversity of thought and that includes people from a multitude of backgrounds. We have established a standing committee to nurture and expand the open culture at the Foundry.
The Foundry has a IDEA strategic plan which attempts to articulate our values and state of affairs, specific and measurable short-term goals, and actions designed to achieve those goals. It is intended to be a living document that promotes conversation and transparency, sets priorities, and evolves with the organization’s needs.
Please feel free to e-mail the current chair or the committee with your questions, ideas, and feedback. You can also submit anonymous concerns using this form.
Helpful Links and Resources
| Molecular Foundry IDEA Charter |
| Molecular Foundry Career Development Committee & Career Resources |
| Effective Email Writing Tips |
| Foundry Undergoes Assessment to Optimize Inclusion and Identify Sources of Implicit Bias |
| Molecular Foundry User Executive Committee (UEC) |
| Molecular Foundry HR contact information available on the staff page |
| LBNL Diversity site |
| LBNL Implicit Bias Awareness |
| LBNL ERG‘s (Employee Resource Groups) |
Molecular Foundry IDEA Council
The Molecular Foundry’s Inclusion Diversity Equity & Accountability Council mission is to foster innovative actions that create an inclusive work environment that values the contributions of all employees and users. The goal of the Council is to help support a workforce that reflects and embraces the gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, physical ability, weight, as well as the religious, political, and cultural views of the Foundry community. The council acts as an advisory body to the Foundry management team on matters regarding Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accountability in:
- Hires, recruitment, retention
- User outreach and support
- Intercultural and interpersonal communication in work and safety-related protocols
- Awareness and appreciation of diversity and inclusion
- Healthy and sustainable work life balance
IDEA Council Objectives
- Identify and address emerging issues that can impact our diversity culture
- Create and propose new initiatives that promote diversity and inclusion at the Foundry
- Identify, develop and implement IDEA best practices across the Foundry
- Visibly recognize and communicate diversity and inclusion best practices achievements throughout the Foundry
- Create synergy between Foundry Facilities
- Act as clear point of contacts for the Foundry folk for matters concerning IDEA by developing support networks for IDEA issues
- Support or collaborate with the Berkeley Lab diversity and inclusion office on their action plans and initiatives
IDEA Committee Members:
Current Chair: Jim Ciston
| Suksham Barun | Kristen McIntosh |
| Branden Brough | Anne Pham |
| Teresa Chen | Andreas Schmid |
| Jim Ciston | Adam Schwartzberg |
| Shannon Ciston | Liang Tan |
| Ewa Elkins | Jian Zhang |
| David Hom | Lauren Hughes (UEC Rep) |
| Liana Klivansky | |
WSEC Representative: Mary Scott
