Community and Culture Committee

Supporting One Another

The Community & Culture Committee is inspired by the late Representative John Lewis and his life’s work on promoting respect for the human dignity of the most vulnerable among us. Supporting people who have had limited or no access to resources is an ongoing struggle. It requires commitment to continually engage in difficult conversations, stay informed and implement change even when doing so is hard.

Committee Goal

The goal of the Committee is to cultivate a culture in which all community members can thrive, with particular attention to effectively supporting underserved populations. Our community consists of people who contribute to the mission and vision of The University of Texas at Austin’s Department of Biomedical Engineering. This includes trainees (undergraduate students, graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, etc.), staff, faculty, alumni and their families. Our culture is the set of shared attitudes, values, goals and practices that characterizes the UT BME community as a supportive and lively environment for faculty, students and staff where every individual is treated with the same level of respect.

What We Do

The Committee is responsible for advising the UT BME department leadership and faculty on enhancing our community’s culture with particular attention to supporting underserved populations. This includes but is not limited to:

• Academic course instruction
• Scholarly research and its dissemination
• Engagement with student organizations
• Special events
• Student academic achievement and postgraduate outcomes
• Student recruitment
• Healthy mental wellbeing
• Mentoring, advising, and professional development
• Recruitment and evaluation of faculty and staff
• Postdoctoral training experience

Staff and Student Committee Members

Megan Baker, Graduate Student Representative
Victoria Carter, Staff Representative
Gauri Patel, Graduate Student Representative
Bhanaviya Venkat, Undergraduate Student Representative