In the Department of Integrative Biology, we welcome, respect and encourage the varied perspectives of students, postdocs, visiting scholars, staff, and faculty regardless of their background. Our strength and success as a department, graduate program, and university is built on the foundation of a wide range of perspectives and experiences.
We focus on:
Community-Building - Supporting communication across career stages, including research, teaching, administrative, and public engagement activities, we promote an environment where suggestions and concerns can be raised without judgment or fear of retaliation.
Improving Accessibility - Key accessibility issues, needs, and resources receive consideration and advocacy from our community.
Promoting Well-being - The committee supports activities that improve individual sense of meaning and purpose as well as community-level climate and vision. Examples include the creation of formal mentorship programming across career stages, implementation of climate surveys, and creation of conflict resolution working groups.
Faculty representatives:
Shalene Jha (sjha@austin.utexas.edu)
Norma Fowler (nfowler@austin.utexas.edu)
Steve Phelps (sphelps@austin.utexas.edu)
Carlos Botero (carlos.botero@austin.utexas.edu)
Amy Wolf (amywolf@utexas.edu)
Kelly Zamudio (kelly.zamudio@austin.utexas.edu)
Postdoctoral representatives:
Joel Tripp (joel.tripp@utexas.edu)
Chatura Vaidya (chatura.vaidya@austin.utexas.edu)
PJ Lariviere (pj.lariviere@utexas.edu)
Staff representatives:
Theresa Kelly (theresa.kelly@austin.utexas.edu)
Tamra Rogers (tamrabrogers@utexas.edu)
Blinda McClelland (mcclelland@austin.utexas.edu)
Graduate Student representatives:
Kristina Black (kblack@utexas.edu)
Sarah Ortiz (sarahortiz147@utexas.edu)
Smruti Pimplikar (smruti.pimplikar@utexas.edu)
Daisy Flores (dmflores@utexas.edu)
Graduate Student's Bill of Rights:
The IB Graduate Student Bill of Rights clarifies what graduate students are entitled to and should expect from their advisor(s) and the IB department. It serves as a strategic tool to advocate for graduate student support and resources and it applies to all graduate students who are advised or co-advised by a faculty member with an IB affiliation.
IB Working Groups:
- Code of Conduct Working Group
- Field Safety Working Group
- Conflict Resolution and Anti-Bullying Working Group
- Pre-candidacy Grad Student Mentoring Working Group, Revealing the Hidden Curriculum
Lactation and Quiet Rooms:
PAT 339 - This room is currently under renovation. After the renovations a new room in PAT will be established. Contact theresa.kelly@austin.utexas.edu with any questions
NHB 1.320 - You will need to pick up a key from NHB 1.406
EER 2.856 south level - You do not need to check in/pick up a key. Since the room is labeled as a "quiet room" sometimes students use the room to study. If you come across students in the space, you may politely ask them to leave and explain the purpose of the room.
More locations and information on Lactation and Quiet rooms can be found at the HR website: https://hr.utexas.edu/current/services/lactation-quiet-rooms
Gender neutral restrooms:
Single stall restrooms are gender neutral, and we have gender neutral restrooms in both Patterson (1st floor) and Biology Laboratory (3rd floor) buildings.
