October 21, 2021*
Dear students, colleagues, and friends,
It has been wonderful to see the College of Science bustling with activity as we welcomed students back to campus. The Covid-19 pandemic has introduced many challenges for our students, faculty, and staff. We have been working diligently to adapt to Covid mitigation strategies and reinforce a safe environment on campus so that everyone can enjoy the benefits of teaching, learning, and working together in-person. Our response to these challenges has fueled innovations in our approaches to teaching, research, and collaboration that will leave a positive and lasting impact.
As we embark on a new chapter in College of Science history, we are taking the opportunity to examine how far we have come as a college and envision where we are headed. To that end, we have launched a strategic planning effort that will build on our research strengths and provide students with opportunities that will support their academic pursuits and future careers.
A critical element of our strategic planning is to enhance the diversity and culture of inclusion within the College of Science. Our focus will be to attract and retain a community of diverse talents, skills, and lived experiences and to celebrate the strengths that diverse perspectives bring to the sciences. To move diversity and inclusion topics to the forefront of conversation, each College of Science newsletter will feature a timely article, event, or activity that furthers our understanding of how to provide a welcoming, supportive, and adaptive culture.
In this issue, please check out the featured story below titled 'Exploring the Human Dimension of Peer Review' for a discussion of identity in the peer review process. Peer review is a fundamental part of validating the work that scientists are doing and determines what research gets funded, what gets published, and where it gets published. There has been a lot of recent discussion about double-blind reviews (hiding the names and affiliation of both the authors and the reviewers) as a way of increasing the fairness of the peer review process. This interesting essay presents a different perspective that an identify-informed approach to peer review, rather than an identity-agnostic approach, may benefit the sciences and serve as a vehicle for change.
As strategic planning in the College of Science progresses, I look forward to sharing new developments with you. I am excited to continue meeting members and friends of our College community, and I welcome your comments and ideas on ways that we can further enrich the experiences that we offer.
Carmie Garzione
Dean, College of Science
*This message was included in the October 2021 College of Science Newsletter that can be viewed here.