A message for our community
A message for our community

A Message from the Dean & Divisional Leadership


To All Students, Staff and Faculty,  

We are living through a deeply troubling moment in history that challenges each of us to face the brutal reality that we have not yet built a truly inclusive and just society. It requires us to juxtapose our scientific curiosity, intellect, drive, and goal of making the world a healthier and better place for all, with a new and deadly pandemic and an old and tiresome tale of racism and police brutality against already marginalized members of our community.  

While the recent and senseless killings of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and George Floyd affect us all, we recognize that they negatively affect our Black students, staff and faculty in a significant and disproportionate way. We acknowledge the immense pain, sorrow, and mental anguish that our Black communities, especially our Black students, are experiencing right now. We acknowledge the systemic racial bias, macro and microaggressions, and social injustices experienced every day by valued members of our community.  

To our Black students and others who are affected by these events, please know that we see you. We hear you. We are your allies, and we pledge to hold ourselves and this institution accountable to you and to the promise that all students deserve the right to live and learn freely in an environment that is free from bias and racial discrimination. We commit to creating spaces here in the Division of Biological Sciences where students, postdoctoral scholars, staff, and faculty can safely come together to learn, to innovate, and to discuss these issues that challenge your very existence on this campus. We promise as faculty to provide support for all students, especially those who identify as members of marginalized groups, by creating spaces to connect, to heal, and to plan the next steps of actions and advocacy for our Division and community. As the first step towards these goals, the Division of Biological Sciences will host multiple events and create a virtual space to start a dialogue for students, postdoctoral scholars, staff, and faculty. We will continue to harness the power of storytelling in our quarterly Connections gatherings, in which we come together as a community to hear personal stories of life and science to help bridge inclusivity gaps. Through these dialogues, we aim to identify opportunities for change that will improve the safety, well-being, and academic success of marginalized groups in the Division of Biological Sciences.  

We recognize that we must now work together to find new ways to dismantle systemic racism. We ask each member of the Division of Biological Sciences to join us in this effort to confront racism and xenophobia, and to support the individual students, staff, and faculty who are impacted by these terrible events. We also ask each member of our community to help guide the decisive action needed to ensure that we serve all of our students, our community, and the nation. Please reach out to us here with your thoughts and ideas, and please participate in forthcoming events hosted by the campus and the Division so we can hear your individual voices.  

None of us have all the answers, but together we can develop creative new approaches to break this destructive cycle.

Kit Pogliano
Dean, Division of Biological Sciences

Richard C. Atkinson Endowed Chair
Professor of Molecular Biology
UC San Diego      

Gentry Patrick
Professor of Neurobiology
Director of Mentorship and Diversity

Division of Biological Sciences
UC San Diego 

Resources

In addition to the links below, this Resource Guide for Support & Action maintained by the UCSD Cross Cultural Center may be helpful during this time. As it is a working document, community members may email cccenter@ucsd.edu to contribute resources for the guide. 

Other Statements & Notices

Looking for your next job?

Handshake has compiled a list of 500 Companies that are actively hiring college students. The article lists the company by name, industry, and location. After exploring the list, log into Handshake to start applying. For weekly employer content, follow Handshake on Twitter and Instagram!
UPCOMING OPPORTUNITIES

How To Get a Job: Professional Development

Boot Camp for Biology Undergraduates 

This is a 6-week training program with 1-hour weekly live Zoom session, plus 1-2 hours work per week outside of Zoom sessions. Live Zoom sessions are at 11 a.m.-12 p.m. on June 16, June 23, June 30, July 7, July 14, July 28. The program is limited to 30 undergraduate biology students; registration is first come, first serve.
Registration opens June 2 at 5 p.m. and closes June 12 at 11:59 p.m. If you register, you are committed to attending all six sessions and completing all assignments.This is a Career Center/Division of Biological Sciences program; it is not a course and you will not receive course credit. Assignments include mock interviews with hiring managers at top life sciences companies, resume review, LinkedIn review, cover letter review, applying to jobs/internships, informational interviews, and presenting on a soft skills scenario. 

Summer Resources for Pre-Med + Pre-Health Students

Healthbeat has created resources for Pre-Med + Pre-Health Students. The first resource, the Medical School Application Clinic can be found on Youtube. To access the Medical School Application Resource Guide/Workbook, fill out this Google Form

Full-Length MCAT Prep Class

Are you taking the MCAT in September? Need a test prep this summer?
Kaplan, UC San Diego Extension, and UC San Diego Career Center have partnered to provide students with a MCAT Prep Class. The summer course will be $1624 (offered at a 35% discount off of original cost of $2499)! 

Challenge: Tracking Coronavirus

COVID-19 infections and deaths have far surpassed those of SARS and MERS combined, and one of the biggest issues scientists now face is how to accurately predict the next disease hotspots. The New York Academy of Science is inviting students 18 and over who are pursuing undergraduate, graduate, or postdoctoral degrees to design—either alone or with a team—a surveillance network to better understand the current pandemic and forecast future coronavirus outbreaks. Solutions for this challenge are due by June 19th. After a first round evaluation, ten finalists will be selected to present their solutions during a virtual "Pitch Day" to the judging panel in July. This event will be open to the Academy member network, including hiring managers from select corporate partners.
BIOLOGY BULLETIN & CAMPUS HIGHLIGHTS

Triton Tools and Tidbits Podcast

Episode 7 of Triton Tools & Tidbits: “Three Things That Could Get You a Job During the Pandemic": Are you struggling and worried about employment after graduation? Are you tired of hearing the same tips repeated over and over? This episode contains three unique ways that you might not have considered, to help you get a job during the pandemic.

Triton Tools and Tidbits is a podcast that is focused on discussing topics that will engage and enrich student life and education. Brought to you by the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs. Visit the website to listen and subscribe!
STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS

Exercise is Medicine at UCSD 

Exercise is Medicine recently hosted a podcast featuring Jason Fowler, a Doctor of Occupation Therapy student. The podcast is now available on Youtube!

Hear from the Dean of the UCSF School of Medicine

Pre-med & applying to medical school soon? Come meet Dr. David Wofsy, the Associate Dean of Admissions at the UCSF School of Medicine! Dr. Wofsy received his MD from the UCSD School of Medicine and completed his residency training at UCSF. This is your chance to see exactly what UCSF SOM is looking for in an applicant. Don’t miss this special presentation for UCSD students & get all your questions answered by the dean himself! The event is Wednesday, June 3 at 4:00-5:00PM. To register, click here. For any questions, fill out the Pre-Q&A Form.

Congratulations Class of 2020! BSSA is partnering with the Division of Biological Sciences to sell graduation stoles online. Nothing should stop you from celebrating your best college memories! Order one to display in a shadow box or save as a keepsake for memories. Stole sales are not limited to BSSA members and are open to all Biological Sciences students. Order one for $34.95, which includes shipping directly to you! Active BSSA members and mentors may be eligible for discounts. Email ucsdbssa@gmail.com for further inquiries.
EXTERNAL OPPORTUNITIES 

UCPath is Around the Corner, Are You Prepared?

UCPath, the new UC Payroll and Human Resources system, deploys at UC San Diego on June 1. Join UCPath for one of their 60-minute zooms, happening at 9:30 AM starting Monday, May 18 and running every weekday through the first week in June. UCPath brings changes to everyone who works at UC San Diego. Attend a session to learn how to prepare now, where to login on June 1, and how to get help if you have questions or need assistance. The live presentations will be followed by open Q&A. Visit the UCPath website for Go Live details.
Additional Opportunities on the Biology Blog
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