SPIRE scholar Dr. Nikea Pittman was awarded a Diversity Award from the University Office for Diversity and Inclusion which recognizes people and groups that have given their time and effort to advance diversity, equity and inclusion at Carolina and in our surrounding community.
Nikea launched and led a task force at UNC-Chapel Hill which established an anti-racism curriculum for 120 incoming PhD students in the Biological and Biomedical Science Program. SPACE: Scientists Promoting Anti-Racist Conversations and Equity – encourages students and faculty to discuss intersections between science, race, and racism.
She also joined forces with a group of ~30 scientists from multiple institutions to launch Black In Microbiology week. The inaugural virtual conference hosted invited speakers and panelists from all sub-disciplines of microbiology, attracting more than 2,500 participants across 49 different countries. To expand upon this success, Dr. Pittman joined the executive board for the Black Microbiologists Association (BMA), a rising non-profit organization committed to amplifying Black microbiologists around the globe.
We are thrilled to congratulation Nikea on this well deserved accomplishment!
See all Diversity Awards for 2021.