Department Focus
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.
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.
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 Students 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.
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
Resources
The College of Natural Sciences maintains a number of resources related to community, access and well-being.
Locations and information on Lactation and Quiet rooms can be found at the HR website.
In our buildings and surrounding buildings, quiet rooms and lactation areas include:
- NHB 1.320: You will need to pick up a key from NHB 1.406
- PAT 339: After current renovations a new room in PAT will be established. Contact theresa.kelly@austin.utexas.edu with any questions
- EER 2.856 (south area): 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.
Single stall restrooms are gender neutral and a map of these can be found here. Ones are located in Patterson (1st floor) and Biology Laboratory (3rd floor).