Becoming Wildly Resilient: DEI, a Compass to Belonging

Jason Brooks, Executive Director for Institutional Engagement with the UK Office of Institutional Diversity, and Dr. DeShana Collett, PA-C, a professor with UK College of Health Sciences and University Senate Chair, joined “Becoming Wildly Resilient” this month. They discuss the vital topics of diversity, equity and inclusion, particularly how they drive belonging and connect to well-being in the workplace. Some of what you’ll learn includes: what diversity, equity and inclusion are; why they are essential to the workplace cultures; what barriers stand in the way of DEI work; and how we can use both top-down and bottom-up approaches to create more diverse, equitable and inclusive environments where everyone can thrive. You’ll also hear everyone enter a brave space as they get a little vulnerable, sharing lessons learned from times when they became mindful of biases, privileges or honest mistakes.

Mentioned in This Episode

• Related Episodes:
  • “Ep. 14: Developing a Growth Mindset” with Tommy Leach
  • “Ep. 24: A Human-Centered Approach to Belonging” with Dr. John Nash
  • “Ep. 28: Well-Being for All” with Lindsey Mullis and Morgan Turner
• UK Office of Institutional Diversity (OID) Links:
  • OID main site
  • Employee Affinity Groups
  • Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Implementation Plan
  • Reporting a bias incident
• Shared Governance: University Senate council
• Organizational Values: University of Kentucky core values
• Concept: Cycle of Socialization
• Concept: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
• Story Example: “Companies Made Racial Justice Promises Last Summer. Did They Keep Them?” from NPR’s Consider This
• University Strategic Plan: “The UK-PURPOSE: The Strategic Plan to Advance Kentucky 2021”
• Event Summary: “Employee Affinity Groups gather for annual advance” 
• Research: “Toxic Culture Is Driving the Great Resignation” from MIT Sloan Management Review
• Article: “Some Minority Workers, Tired of Workplace Slights, Say They Prefer Staying Remote” by Alex Janin, Wall Street Journal
• University Recognition: “UK Named a 2022 'Best Employer for Diversity' by Forbes”
• Podcast: "Code Switch" from NPR
• Book: “The Political Determinants of Health” by Daniel E. Dawes
• University DEI Resources:
  • LGBTQ* Resources
  • Martin Luther King Center
  • Disability Resource Center
• Article: “Behind the Song: Sam Cooke, ‘A Change is Gonna Come’”
• Music Playlist: A Wildly Resilient Playlist - available on Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube Music 
• Upcoming Events: UK Human Resources calendar
• Transcript: read the episode transcript here

Contact Us

Have feedback or know someone at UK that would be a good guest? Email us at healthandwellness@uky.edu.

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