Quality of Life Committee

Below are a few examples of implemented, ongoing initiatives developed by the QoL Committee, in coordination with many other contributing parties. These and other active initiatives are under regular review by the Committee to evaluate success and/or optimize for the future.

Graduate Student Peer Mentoring Program

The QoL Committee worked closely with Women+ In Chemistry (WIC+) to expand their successful peer mentoring program to all incoming first-year graduate students. This large-scale mentoring program matches new graduate students to current graduate students, who receive targeted training in order to provide personal support, advice, and resources during the first two years of graduate school. This Department-wide mentoring program kicked off in summer 2020, and is well-resourced with both staff and the necessary finances to support an effective program.

Development of Constructive Annual Meeting Forms for Graduate Students and PIs

For many years, research advisors in the Chemistry Department have been required to hold a formal annual meeting with their PhD students. However, feedback from many sources indicated that some of these meetings were too unstructured to be effective in addressing issues or providing useful input. The Committee developed, in collaboration with student groups, a self-evaluation form with carefully designed questions intended to stimulate a productive conversation between the student and PI, to provide a career development plan, and to help students provide feedback to the PI on how the laboratory environment could be improved. The proposal was reviewed by all stakeholders and then adopted by the Department. These forms are now regularly used in annual meetings between students and PIs. They are also under regular review by the Committee for possible improvements, with the most recent revision in spring 2020 to implement forms that explicitly reflect our community values. 

Plan-To-Finish Meetings

The Committee, in collaboration with WIC+ and other stakeholders, developed and implemented a proposal for plan-to-finish meetings for all PhD students with their thesis committee beginning in the fourth year of graduate school. The aims of this meeting are several: (1) To ensure open communication between all members of the thesis committee and the student, including creating a positive context for any disagreements to be discussed and hopefully resolved. (2) To ensure timely completion of the PhD degree, by establishing a clear outline of what must be accomplished that is agreed to by all parties concerned. (3) To provide effective career mentoring/advice for the student. Details can be found here. Before the end of their fourth year, and in subsequent years beyond which their PhD program may continue, all students are now required to complete a PTF meeting with their committee and submit a form summarizing the events of the meeting. During AY19–20, QoL reviewed feedback on the first round of PTF meetings and implemented a number of improvements that were announced and implemented for AY20–21 going forward.

Graduate Student Exit Interviews

In Spring 2020, QoL developed a detailed proposal for the implementation of in-person exit interviews of all graduate students at the time they leave the Department, regardless of degree completion status. This proposal was then approved by department leadership. The exit interviews are designed to comprehensively collect both positive and critical feedback in a unique narrative form that can be leveraged in potentially powerful ways to drive further improvements to our program and environment. The resulting information should prove invaluable to department leadership, policy makers, and other relevant stakeholders as we work to continually improve the graduate student experience.

Mentorship Spotlight Awards

Mentorship Spotlight Awards were designed by QoL to regularly recognize and award great graduate and undergraduate student, postdoc, and staff mentors. The nomination and award process occurs twice per year beginning in Fall 2020. Winners receive a small cash award, swag, and recognition on the Department’s website, in the newsletter, and on video screens.

Community Service

In 2018, staff member Rebecca Teixeira and the QoL Committee created the Chemistry Cares program, designed to provide opportunities for the Department to come together and contribute to the Greater Boston community. In Spring 2018, the Department of Chemistry held the first Chemistry Cares event at Cradles to Crayons.  In Summer 2018, Chemistry Cares returned to Cradles to Crayons for another event and had such a great response that there were not enough volunteer slots to accommodate all who wanted to participate. Using funds from a School of Science Quality of Life Grant, the program was expanded and recent events have included distributing Thanksgiving baskets to families in need at East End House, making cards to send to people undergoing cancer treatments with Send a Smile, and assembling bags of toiletries to donate to Rosie’s Place as part of Random Acts of Kindness Week. While the bag assembly had to be postponed due to Covid-19 restrictions, members of the department donated an impressive amount of toiletries. Chemistry Cares is currently led by staff member Mitch Moise.

Bias Training Program

A core value of the Chemistry Department is inclusivity. We are committed to speaking and acting in ways that welcome all, and to ensuring the equitable treatment of all members of our community. QoL has instituted a required bias training program to help achieve this goal. The training was first implemented department-wide in 2021-2023.

Prevention of Sexual Harassment Training

Working collaboratively with WIC+ and the Department Head, and building on concepts proposed by WIC+, the Committee and its members reviewed, tested, and advocated for a process for bi-annual ‘Prevention of Sexual Harassment Training’ for all research groups in the department. The trainings are held in a discussion format with individual groups. This small-group format, as opposed to online training or large group training, helps to foster a positive culture within each research lab and strongly emphasizes the importance of the training. MIT, in 2021, rolled out more extensive prevention of sexual harassment training at the institute-level, so these departmental trainings (now led by IDHR) have matured into a broader training on ‘Promoting Inclusive Environments’. Still in a small group format, the training is renewed every two years in recognition of the importance of this topic and the regular turnover in research labs.

These initiatives are just a few examples of proposals that the QoL Committee, in coordination with many other contributing parties, is currently in the final stages of developing and pushing forward to possible adoption by the Department.

Disability Justice

QoL is currently leading an initiative to assess disability-related challenges and opportunities across the department. The Committee is in the late stages of assembling a comprehensive slate of recommendations related to our processes and strategies for ensuring that anyone with a disability in our department is respected, included, able to succeed, and safe.

Faculty Mentorship Assessment and Accountability

QoL is developing a comprehensive proposal for regular assessment of mentorship for all faculty in the department, coupled with strategies to enhance menteeship and improve education and communication around this central issue.

Below are examples of past, now complete, initiatives developed and implemented by the QoL Committee in coordination with many other contributing parties. 

Creation of the Chemistry Department Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee

In May 2020, the QoL Committee formally recommended creation of a departmental Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee (DEIC) charged with intentionally working on these critical issues in a highly focused manner. The DEIC is composed of faculty, postdocs, students, and staff. Even though it is not a standard faculty committee, the DEIC was designed to be empowered, like QoL, to formally recommend new policies and procedures to the Department. With input from WIC+ and faculty, the official DEIC charge was developed and the Committee was established in June 2020 with Professor Tim Swager as the inaugural chair.

Qualifying Exams

In 2020, QoL developed an extensive and detailed proposal to revamp PhD student qualifying exams, with the dual aims of (1) maximizing the educational value of the exams and (2) ensuring an equitable experience for all participants. The final QoL recommendation called for an extensive revamping of the oral exams and provided a roadmap to accomplish QoL’s aims. The recommendation was reviewed and optimized by a faculty working group, and then adopted in substance by the department.

Statement of Community Values

The QoL Committee led, over the course of multiple years and via extensive stakeholder engagement, the development of the Chemistry Department Statement of Community Values (SoCV). The SoCV reflects the desired culture of our Department, with respect to excellence in not just research and education, but also in mentorship, ethics, diversity and inclusion, as well as the importance of creating a healthy, stimulating, and supportive environment for all. The Committee, inspired by input from WIC+ regarding a “Code of Conduct” for the Department, developed a draft SoCV, consulted with stakeholders in the Department, and held a Department-wide town hall focused on soliciting feedback on the SoCV. In spring 2020, prior to formal rollout of the SoCV, the QoL Committee developed a number of proposals for effective implementation of the SoCV that are expected to help emphasize these values as a guiding light for all activities in the Department. Those proposals included the creation of a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, revisions to annual review forms to better reflect our values, the creation of mentorship spotlight awards, and more – including a number of proposals now in the final stages of development. QoL expects to continually revisit the SoCV for inspiration and guidance during consideration of new initiatives and during the evaluation of existing programs and policies in the years to come.

Elimination of Cumulative Exams for PhD Students

The Committee advocated for a review of the cumulative exams that were used to fulfill MIT’s Written Examination Requirement for the PhD. It was widely agreed upon by students and faculty that the existing system was not adequately addressing the original goals of cumulative exams. Faculty created new mechanisms to fulfill the written examination requirements that are proving more effective in achieving educational objectives. Cumulative exams were formally eliminated in Fall 2017.

Orientation 2.0

In response to an expressed desire for improved training and guidance regarding expectations, rights and responsibilities, work/life balance, conflict resolution, and intellectual maturation, as well as recognition of the fact that the many trainings offered when someone first joins the Department are overwhelming, the Committee developed and implemented a day-long Orientation 2.0 offering these types of trainings, a variety of panels, and a networking event. This voluntary program was offered for two summers, and included panels and trainings on the above and other relevant topics. Although a success for those that attended, overall low participation led to the discontinuation of Orientation 2.0 after multiple runs. Instead, the Committee has now begun to focus on developing relevant trainings that can be digested in smaller bits by community members.

Professor Matt Shoulders
Chair

Professor Moungi Bawendi

Professor Alexander Radosevich

Professor Alison Wendlandt

Danielle Doughty, Communications Administrator

Shannon Wagner, Senior Human Resources Representative

Dr. Jennifer Weisman, Academic Administrator

Sunhee Bae, ChemREFS Representative, Kiessling Lab

Alex Byrne, CGSC Representative, McGuire and Van Voorhis Groups

Katie Downey, WIC+ Representative, Movasssaghi Group

Abraham Herzog-Arbeitman, Johnson Group

Yana Petri, Raines Group

Stephanie Petry, Freedman Group

We are deeply grateful for the extensive contributions of prior members of the Quality of Life Committee, including:

Dr. Grace Ahqlvist, Graduate Student, Jamison Group

Dr. Maxx Arguilla, Postdoc, Dincă Group

Carolyn Barnes, Graduate Student, Kiessling Group

Dr. Anne Catherine Bedard, Postdoc, Jamison Group

Professor Steve Buchwald

Dr. Cristian Cavedon, Postdoc, Jamison Group

Dr. Yang-Ting Chen, Graduate Student, Drennan Group

Dr. Amanda Cowfer, Graduate Student, Pentelute Group

Dr. Kaitlyn Dwelle, Graduate Student, Willard Group

Rachael Fuller, Staff Member

Dr. Allena Goren, Graduate Student, Drennan Group

Maddie Hoffman, Schlau-Cohen Group

Dr. Megan Jackson, Graduate Student, Surendrenath Group

Dr. Angela Lee, Graduate Student, Schlau-Cohen Group

Dr. Kelvin Lee, Postdoctoral Fellow, McGuire Group

Dr. Michelle MacLeod, Graduate Student, Johnson Group

Dr. Ben McDonald, Postdoctoral Fellow, Swager Group

Dr. Katie McGeough, Graduate Student, Jamison Group

Dr. Brandt Pein, Postdoc, Nelson Group

Dr. Paula Ruiz-Castillo, Graduate Student, Buchwald Group

Professor Gabriela Schlau-Cohen

Professor Yogi Surendranath

Dr. Tara Sverko, Graduate Student, Bawendi Group

Professor Troy Van Voorhis
Committee Chair, 2015-2019

Dr. Cassandra Zentner, Graduate Student, Swager Group

Dr. Emily Zygiel, Graduate Student, Nolan Group

QoL relies upon interaction with the Chemistry Department community to inform all of our efforts. We also seek to be transparent regarding the Committee discussions. Recent meeting minutes are available to the MIT Chemistry community upon request to Professor Matt Shoulders.

QoL’s broader confidentiality policy is as follows: Any topics discussed at QoL meetings may be freely shared with any interested parties. However, the names and/or roles of who said what should not be disclosed without permission. Draft documents under consideration at QoL should not be shared until they are formally approved, unless other guidance is provided by the Committee Chair. The general contents of draft documents may, however, be discussed with any interested parties.