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Mission

The mission of the Diversity Council is to guide the College in matters of social justice, diversity, equity and inclusion, to offer resources to students, staff, and faculty around those issues, and to foster a supportive and inclusive environment in which all members of the college community can thrive.

Our core values are social justice, diversity, equity and inclusion, defined below. We are guided by these values and an ethic based on treating one another with dignity and respect as fellow humans.

Our goals are to create a diverse and supportive work and learning environment for all CBE community members. We seek to do this by supporting the five departments and research labs and centers within the college in their efforts to address justice, equity, diversity and inclusion in the delivery of their educational and research programs.

Core Values Definition
Social Justice Social justice is the view that everyone deserves equal economic, political and social rights and opportunities.* It is not only about the fair distribution of opportunities and privileges (distributive justice) but also in the processes in which our work is carried out (procedural justice). 
Diversity  Diversity is about the ways in which people differ. It encompasses all the characteristics that make an individual or group different from another. It includes diversity according to race, ethnicity, gender identity & expression, sexual orientation, marital/family status, physical ability, socio-economic class, education, age, religion, place of origin, language, neurological difference, size/appearance and a variety of different ways of thinking and being in the world.§ The CBE Diversity Council seeks to recognize, embrace and honor this diversity among its members.
Equity Equity is one part of social justice. Equity is the “just and fair inclusion into a society in which all can participate, prosper, and reach their full potential.” It means unlocking the promise of the larger community/society by unleashing the promise in us all.
Inclusion Authentically bringing traditionally excluded individuals and/or groups into processes, activities and decision-policymaking in a way that shares power and resources.§

* Source: National Association of Social Workers
§ Source: adapted from www.racialequitytools.org/glossary
Ⴔ Source: PolicyLink

Vision

We envision a more equitable and diverse College of Built Environments that acknowledges historical and present-day institutional racism and various forms of oppression. We strive to be a college that centers justice, inclusivity, access, and collaboration and build a culture of trust where people are seen, heard, and valued as part of the CBE community.

Note: The content on this page and forthcoming EDI Strategic Plan that the Diversity Council is developing in Academic Year 2021-22 are both living documents that will continually evolve. Please check back regularly.

Diversity council rosters

2023-2024

Shannon Affholter – Faculty, Real Estate
Jori Bercier, Administrative Assistant – Student, BE Ph.D.
Melissa Best – Staff, Real Estate
Kakai Bojang – Student, Urban Design & Planning
Megan Brown, Co-Chair – Staff, Office of Student Services
Manish Chalana – Faculty, Urban Design & Planning
Catherine Dang – Student, Construction Management
Rachel Faber Machacha – Staff, Construction Management
Linnea Gerecke – Student, Architecture
Ulises Herrera – Staff, Urban Design & Planning
Moegi Koyama – Student, Landscape Architecture
Roushan Kwatra – Student, Real Estate
Ken-Yu Lin, Co-Chair – Faculty, Construction Management
Claudine Manio – Staff, Architecture
Lynne Manzo – Faculty, Landscape Architecture
Carrie Sturts Dossick – Faculty, Construction Management
Steve Withycombe – Faculty, Architecture

2022-2023

Laura Barrera – Co-Chair – Staff, Adv/Dean’s Office
Claudine Manio – Staff, Architecture
Donald King – Faculty, Architecture
Kana Takagi – Student, Architecture
Dana Austin Bass – Student, Architecture
Shanna Sukol – Staff, Architecture
Allen Jennings – Staff, CBE Computing
Kat Golladay – Student, Landscape Architecture
Lynne Manzo – Co-Chair – Faculty, Landscape Architecture
Jen Davison – Staff, Office of Research
Melissa Best – Staff, Real Estate
Vince Wang – Faculty, Real Estate
Branden Born – Faculty,Urban Design & Planning
Megan Herzog – Staff, Urban Design & Planning
Kakai Bojang – Student, Urban Design & Planning
Rachel Faber Machacha – Staff, Construction Management
Carrie Sturts Dossick – Faculty, Construction Management
Ivy Singh – Student – Construction Management
Mingrui (Ray) Jia – Student, Landscape Architecture
Ciara Laney – Student, Real Estate

2021-2022

Dana Bass – Student Representative, Real Estate
Melissa Best – Staff, Real Estate
Branden Born – Faculty, Urban Design & Planning
Jen Davison – Staff, CBE Office of Research/Urban@UW
Even Gebru – Student Representative, Construction Management
Katrina Golladay – Student Representative, Landscape Architecture
Megan Herzog – Staff, Urban Design & Planning
Allen Jennings – Staff, IT/Dean’s Office
Donald King – Faculty, Architecture
Claudine Manio – Staff, Architecture
Maimoona Rahim – Student Representative, Urban Design & Planning
Shanna Sukol – Staff, Architecture
Kana Takagi – Student Representative, Architecture
Lynne Manzo – Co-Chair – Faculty, Landscape Architecture
Laura Barrera – Co-Chair – Staff, Adv/Dean’s Office

Have questions? Contact the Diversity Council co-chairs at cbe_dcchairs@uw.edu