Gender Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Representative: Maria Emily

Hello, my name is Emily and I am one of the diversity officers. 

I have accepted my position because I like being involved in organizational work, especially in promoting diversity. In my previous university I was involved in the Indonesian Student Association where we would do dances and sell Indonesian food in festivals; it was a very rewarding experience to share my culture and see people’s reactions when they watch the performance and try Indonesian food.  So far, my job as GEDI entails organizing events that raise awareness such as the BLM Lunch Talk, and movie screenings (and other events that will take place in the future, so watch out for our emails). We also have meetings with the Graduate School and other GEDI committee members to discuss how to improve diversity in OIST. 

I really enjoy being a GEDI representative. It is an extremely rewarding role that has been made possible with the active engagement of everyone here at OIST.  In the future, we have many great events planned, which will hopefully still be possible, despite corona sticking around.  I also hope that OIST takes its diversity and inclusivity more seriously. I think the diversity problems that exist need and can be tackled, some of which are “hidden” because few people experience it. Through the diversity committee, I believe that we can come together as a community to address these problems and tackle them together.