Emily Bibby, Lab Manager of Dr. Eva Telzer’s Developmental Social Neuroscience Lab in Developmental Psychology, is the staff recipient of the 2020-2021 Innovation in Equity and Inclusion Service Award.
Up to four separate awards are given annually to faculty members, graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, research staff, and/or administrative staff within our Department who have each made significant, innovative, and impactful contributions to enhancing equity and inclusivity in the Department of Psychology & Neuroscience. The award recognizes individuals with outstanding accomplishments and general impact in research, teaching, mentoring, and/or service and considers their significance, innovation, and impact.
Emily was selected for this award for her many contributions to equity and inclusivity. For example, she developed a new system for recruiting undergraduate research assistants (RAs) and evaluating applications and interviewing that has contributed to bringing in a diverse lab. This includes prioritizing sending job announcements to UNC organizations serving underrepresented groups and not focusing on GPA and prior research experience, as well as recognizing that various life circumstances may have limited prior opportunities. For the RAs in the lab, she organizes weekly professional development presentations (e.g., how to write a cover letter) and makes herself available via weekly office hours and monthly individual meetings to connect with RAs. She also created the lab’s first RA manual to facilitate RAs starting off with a more equal understanding of how a lab works. For all these ways that Emily promotes equity and inclusion in the lab, she is very deserving of this service recognition! Emily was honored with the Innovation in Equity and Inclusivity Service Award at the Psychology and Neuroscience Departmental Awards Ceremony on May 5, 2021. Congratulations, Emily!