Equity, Inclusion and Diversity

Student Working Groups

2023-2024 Heller Student Working Groups

Brandeis University Africa Forum

Contact buaf@brandeis.edu

The Brandeis University Africa Forum is a working group of African students and other members of Heller who are interested in African history and culture. Some of its activities include 1) organizing various panels with a focus on African socioeconomic and political context; 2) coordinating cultural events that reflect African and African descent culture and history; 3) creating a network with other African Student Associations in the U.S. 

Disability Working Group

Contact Ian Moura, ianmoura@brandeis.edu

As the Heller Disability Working Group, our purpose is to serve as a resource to people with disabilities within the Heller community, as a network of support and advocacy. We do this through organizing events to draw awareness to issues affecting the disability community, through advocating directly to the university faculty on behalf of people with disabilities within the Heller community, and through building connections with other groups promoting social change on campus. We envision a rights-based, intersectional definition of disability, taking into account the historical processes through which disability has been created and defined. 

Gender Working Group

Contact gwgheller@brandeis.edu

The GWG approaches development from a gender perspective by making space in the development dialogue for discourse surrounding gender inequality, gender identity, and sexuality. Our goal is to be as inclusive and intersectional as possible, and to foster important and meaningful discussions through speakers, movie screenings, discussion groups, and campaigns. 

Impact Investing and ESG Working Group

Contact Spyros Kouvoussis, skouvoussis@brandeis.edu

The Impact Investing and ESG Group focuses on introducing students to the world of investing for social and environmental impact. According to the 2020 US SIF Trends report, Impact Investing and ESG is a $17.1 trillion dollar industry. Heller students are uniquely positioned to contribute their social justice lens to this growing field. Through the Fall Impact Investing Series, we introduce students to contemporary issues, working professionals, and leaders in the field. In addition, we hold workshops, meetups, and panels to increase students' skills, impact, and career network.

Promoting Accountable Technology (PAccT)

Contact Kartik Trivedi, kartiktrivedi@brandeis.edu, Kumba Sennaar, ksennaar@brandeis.edu, and Ian Moura, ianmoura@brandeis.edu

Promoting Accountable Technology (PAccT) is a student-led working group that provides a forum for members of the Heller community to learn about and discuss emerging technology from a policy perspective. We aim to bring together students, faculty, and staff, who share an interest in the relationship between technology and technology policy and topics such as equity and accountability. Through informal and formal discussions, panels, guest speakers, and other similar events,  we hope to increase our community’s understanding of technology as a policy area. Collectively, we will contribute to the policy dialogue at Heller and beyond.

Racial Equity Working Group

Contact Calah McQuarters, cmcquarters@brandeis.edu, and Saynab Maalin, smaalin@brandeis.edu

The Racial Equity Working Group is an open and collaborative space to explore and take action to make our communities more just, anti-racist, and equitable. There has never been a more important time to work together to create solutions to these ongoing issues of racial injustice. We would also like to use this opportunity to communicate with any other groups currently doing racial equality work or who would like to. Another role our working group hopes to fill is to act as a liaison between student groups and the Office of Equity, Inclusion and Diversity or at the very least a hub for all the different efforts being taken at Heller.

Steps to creating a working group

  1. Check the list of current working groups to determine if you can work with an existing group. A streamlined list of working groups means events are less likely to overlap with each other!
  2. Draft a short introduction to the objectives, goals and proposed activities of the working group.
  3. Meet with the Associate Director of Academic Affairs, Marc Kiredjian (mkiredjian@brandeis.edu), to discuss your idea(s).