Current Initiatives

The Biology Department’s Committee for Community Building and Belonging (C2B2)—a group of faculty, postdocs, PhD students, undergraduate students, and staff—works together on projects aimed at community building, celebrating department voices, and promoting educational opportunities. The committee is broken into subcommittees to work on alleviating isolation, connecting students with mentors, assessing departmental climate, and providing postdocs opportunities for teaching experience. The information below details the projects of each subcommittee.

Social Events & Seminars Subcommittee

The Social Events & Seminars Subcommittee aims to create an environment where everybody feels connected and valued by organizing events that will encourage stronger community interactions and connections. See below for example events!

Sponsor Seminar Speakers

Dr. Stanley Andrisse speaks from a podium while giving his Biology Seminar. His talk title slide is on the screen and reads, "We Demand a Seat at the Table." — photo by Kristen Greenland

The Social Events & Seminars Subcommittee helps organize and sponsors a seminar each year in the Biology Department Seminar Series. We most recently sponsored the visit of Dr. Stanley Andrisse, an endocrinologist and assistant professor at Howard University College of Medicine, researching type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance. His service commitments include being the Executive Director and Founder of From Prison Cells to PhD, Vice President of the board for the Formerly Incarcerated College Graduates Network, board member on The Endocrine Society, past president of the Johns Hopkins Postdoctoral Association, founder of the Diversity Postdoctoral Alliance, member on several local and national committees, motivational speaker, and community activist.

Students and Postdocs gather on the Bass Courtyard at Stanford University around a table with pizza, snacks, and Boba tea

photo by Kristen Greenland

Host Joint Events with Campus Groups

The Social Events & Seminars Subcommittee collaborates with other campus interest groups to foster connection and community. For example, we hosted a Boba Happy Hour with the Stanford Black Bioscience Organization (SBBO).

Monday Seminar Snack Hour

Every Monday before the Biology Departmental Seminar, we host a Snack Hour—a casual gathering with coffee, refreshments, and snacks. This initiative aims to foster a stronger sense of community and belonging within the Biology Department by providing a space for informal conversations and connection. We recognize that Mondays can be demanding, and taking a short break to connect with peers is well-deserved.

Surveys Subcommittee

The Surveys Subcommittee seeks to understand and gather feedback on how community members interact with and perceive the department. We have previously implemented a survey on first-year PhD students doing laboratory rotations to understand factors that are associated with student flourishing. We administered a laboratory climate survey to understand trainee-PI interactions and piloted a PI feedback and mentorship program hosted through the Ombudsman’s Office. Current initiatives include gathering more responses on already designed surveys to increase understanding of community needs, and to implement a new wellness survey to identify distinct needs that community members may require support for that have not been previously identified or addressed.

Website Subcommittee

The Website Subcommittee maintains the C2B2 portion of the Biology Department website.

Postdoc Teaching Subcommittee & Intra-Departmental Mentoring Subcommittee

Information about the work of these subcommittees is coming soon!