Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering Diversity Statement

Download Our Diversity & Inclusion Brochure

We at the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering are committed to promoting an inclusive environment that recruits, retains, and celebrates the diverse lived-experiences of our students, postdocs, faculty, and staff and to provide them opportunities and training to excel personally and professionally. As biomedical engineers at Purdue, we are taking intentional steps to act against all forms of racism, sexism, ableism, xenophobia, transphobia, and other structures of oppression embedded in the fabric of our society. We are fostering a diverse and inclusive environment for students, postdocs, staff, and faculty from all underrepresented and underprivileged groups. We understand that equity is a long-term endeavor and affirm our commitment to sustainable efforts that improve the climate and cultural change within our academic institution.

We will actively strive to educate ourselves on the many different ways that systematic exclusion and inequalities present themselves, to recognize and eradicate exclusionary practices, to call out discrimination when we see it, to humbly learn from our missteps, and to commit to building a safe and equitable climate where our faculty, staff, and students can thrive. We commit to actively celebrating, learning from, promoting, and advocating for the diversity of races, religions, political alignment, colors, ages, national origins and ancestries, genetic backgrounds, marital and parental statuses, sexes and sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, disabilities, and socioeconomic and veteran statuses that individuals bring to our school. Our mission remains the same:

To be the premier source of scientific discoveries and of well-educated biomedical engineers, fostering strong academic, industrial, and clinical ties, and achieving significant healthcare impact.

Acknowledgement of Indigenous Caretakers: 

We acknowledge Purdue University is located on the traditional homelands of the Woodland People. We honor and appreciate these indigenous caretakers which include the Bodéwadmik (Potawatomi), Lenape (Delaware), Myaamia (Miami), and Shawnee People. 

Our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Initiatives include:

  • Partner with experts in DEI to implement DEI coaching as a key component of onboarding and ongoing training of all faculty, staff, and students
  • Collect, analyze and report school-level diversity representation data (Diversity Index Report) for faculty, staff, and students along with results of school-wide DEI climate surveys to implement continuous improvement
  • Develop departmental level scholarships and fellowships through fundraising and grant support to recruit cohorts of diverse, underrepresented Biomedical Engineering masters, PhD, postdoc and faculty
  • Codify our partnerships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), and Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), and Veterans services to recruit, train, and support graduate students from these institutions
  • Act as a school-level ombuds and advocacy resource for DEI issues and efforts
  • Host recurring Town Hall meetings to increase transparency of our DEI efforts and to listen to, learn from, and amplify the voices of our students, postdocs, staff, and faculty who chose to share their live experiences at Purdue and in BME
  • Promote DEI considerations during all faculty and staff hiring

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Resources

 

Purdue has over 1000 student organizations and clubs to get engaged in from student government and volunteer organizations to club sports.

University-Wide Offices for Inclusion and Success

College of Engineering Offices for Inclusion and Success

  • Minority Engineering Program — Established in 1974, our programs have been nationally recognized and replicated to advance engineering learning, discovery, and engagement in fulfillment of the Land Grant promise through outreach, recruitment, and retention of historically underrepresented students in their pursuit to become extraordinary Purdue engineers.
  • Women in Engineering Program — From mentoring to career development, WIEP continually encourages current and future women engineering students by providing interesting and engaging programming relevant to their lives. WIEP programs are a place to learn, discover, and explore aspects of engineering and connect with others who are also interested. They are a place of encouragement, support, and positive perspectives for those who are interested in following their dreams by pursuing an engineering degree.
  • Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity Advancement Leadership in Engineering (IDEAL Engineering) — The former Diversity Action Committee was reconstituted as IDEAL to seek out inclusion, diversity, and equity advancement opportunities across CoE students, staff, and faculty. It also researches best practices and policies and proposes practical recommendations for action to the Engineering Leadership Team.

Faculty and Staff

West Lafayette

 
  • ACE Campus Food Pantry is open to all faculty, students and staff with a Purdue ID
  • Emergency loans are available through Student Support Services for financial assistance
  • QPR Suicide Prevention training — a 2-hour free training for faculty, students, and staff to learn how to recognize the warning signs for suicide and assist those in need

On-campus Life

 

All Students

  • Office of the Dean or Students (ODOS) — ODOS provides resources and support for students Center for Advocacy, Response and Education, Counseling and Psychological Services, Fraternity, Sorority and Cooperative Life, Off-Campus Housing, Parent & Family Connections, Student Health Services, Student Legal Services, and Student Rights and Responsibilities. These include helping students with withdrawals after drop/add deadline or if they are planning on withdrawing from registering from classes for an extended period of time. If student is struggling even after accommodations from the Disability Resource Center, ODOS can provide a student support specialist.
  • Disability Resource Center (DRC) — Students can set up accommodations with DRC before or during the semester. A DRC support specialist is assigned to each student and will discuss the student’s specific needs/ advice regarding courses and research.
  • Student of concern report can be used by faculty, staff, graduate assistances and others to send information to the Office of the Dean of students to aid a struggling student.
  • Purdue University Student Health (PUSH)

Undergraduate Students

Graduate Students and Postdocs

 
 
  • In the event of an emergency, call 911 on campus, or call PUPD main phone number. Purdue Police Department Crisis Intervention Team officers are accessed through dialing 911 (on West Lafayette campus only).
  • ProtoCall CAPS Crisis Line is available after business hours. Please call 765-494-6995, and press “1” to speak with a clinician.
  • The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) — SAMHSA’s Disaster Distress Helpline — call 800-985-5990 or text TalkWithUs to 66746 — is available 24/7 with crisis counseling and other support for people who are going through emotional distress from a disaster, including infectious disease outbreaks. Spanish speakers text Hablanos to 66746.
  • Crisis Text Line — Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a Crisis Counselor. The Crisis Text Line connects you to a live, trained volunteer who can provide support — medical advice is not provided.
  • National Suicide Prevention Lifeline — call 800-273-TALK (8255) — The Lifeline provides 24/7 free and confidential support.
  • If concerned about the immediate safety of a student, call 765-494-8221 for Purdue University Police Department to conduct a ‘Welfare Check’ (they will go around to a student’s residence to make sure they are OK).
 
  • Office of Institutional Equity — Reporting sexual harassment (including sexual violence or sexual exploitation), relationship violence, or stalking
  • Center for Advocacy, Response and Education (CARE) — provides confidential options and resources related to sexual harassment (including sexual violence or sexual exploitation), relationship violence, or stalking, is available through CARE website and by calling 765-495-2273 any time of the day or night.
 

Graduate Students

Faculty, Staff and Postdocs

 

Students

Faculty, Staff and Postdocs

  • Employee Assistance Program (EAP) — confidential professional on-site counseling
  • Center for Healthy Living — available for faculty staff, retirees, and their family members 8 weeks and older including J-1 Visa plan participants. Services to treat common illnesses, manage chronic conditions, provide preventive care and promote overall health.

Greater Lafayette

  • IU Health Arnett Hospital Emergency Medicine, 5165 McCarty Ln, Lafayette, IN. Phone: (765) 448-8000
  • St. Francis Emergency Room, 1701 S Creasy Ln, Lafayette, IN. Phone: (765) 502-4000
  • Franciscan ExpressCare West Lafayette, 909 Sagamore Parkway West, West Lafayette, IN. Phone: (765) 463-6262
  • Sycamore Springs, 833 Park E. Blvd., Lafayette, IN. Phone: (765) 743-4400
  • River Bend Hospital, 2900 N. River Rd, West Lafayette, IN. Phone: (765) 464-0400

Online Mental Health Resources

  • NIH OITE is also concentrating heavily on wellness. They have offered workshops, small group discussions etc. Most of the workshops have been recorded so if you have missed them you can still have access to the information.
  • National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI) — the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization — educates, advocates, listens and leads to help build better lives for those affected by mental illness. NAMI Helpline can be reached at 800-950-NAMI (6264), 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or email info@nami.org. Crisis Text Line can be reached by texting “NAMI” to 741741 – 24/7-crisis support via text message.
  • Mental Health America (MHA) — the nation’s leading community-based nonprofit dedicated to addressing the needs of those living with mental illness. The Crisis Center Hotline can be reached via 765-742-0244 (call or text) or toll-free at 877-419-1632 for any problem at any time.
  • Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) — SPRC has compiled a set of resources specific to helping mental health and COVID-19.
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Coping With Stress
  • Parent / Caregiver Guide to Helping Families Cope – COVID-19 (PDF)
  • USA Mental Health First Aid — Compilation of tips from the Mental Health First Aid curriculum to help you care for your own and your loved one’s mental health.
  • Supporting Families During COVID-19 — Child Mind Institute
 

Undergraduate Scholarships and Funding

Undergraduate Research Funding

Graduate and Postdoc Trainees

Faculty and Staff