A doctoral candidate in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Illinois, Archana Verma, exemplifies the characteristics of an inclusive leader within her research group, her department, and across campus.
Verma is not only committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, but is passionate about creating spaces and opportunities for those who are underrepresented, especially in STEM fields.
“As someone who has often been ‘the only one in the room,’ I understand the complexities of changing that norm. I view my identities as superpowers, rather than something I must overcome. My experiences engaging with underrepresented communities, those that I am a member of and those I am an ally of, have been eye-opening and rewarding, as they allow me to meaningfully and intentionally learn, grow, and connect with others,” said Verma, who is a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow and a graduate researcher in the lab of Nicholas E. Jackson, an Assistant Professor of Chemistry, a Lincoln Excellence for Assistant Professors (LEAP) Scholar, and an affiliate faculty member in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.
Verma was honored on Aug. 24 for her efforts to promote diversity and inclusion, receiving the 2024 Inclusive Leadership Award during the annual Gender Equity and Inclusion in the Chemical Sciences (GEICS) conference. Katherine (Katie) Hatzis, a PhD student in the Department of Chemistry at Illinois, received the honorable mention Inclusive Leadership Award.
Established in 2019, the award recognizes graduate students in chemistry and chemical and biomolecular engineering who are models of inclusive excellence through their commitment to promoting full and equal participation of women, people of color, persons with disabilities, persons of differing sexual orientations, and gender identities in research and teaching.
Archana Verma
At the campus level, Verma has been an inclusive excellence leader as a member of the Graduate Society of Women Engineers, serving this past academic year as the Speakers Co-Coordinator for the weSTEM conference that set an attendance record, featured more than 20 speakers from across the nation and was supported by nine corporate sponsors. She also worked simultaneously with SACNAS members on campus to acquire speakers for a separate event, a Latinas in STEM panel.
The 23 speakers that Verma recruited for weSTEM included a presidential medalist, founders of influential organizations such as Miss CEO and Queer Science, award-winning scholar-activists including those in trans rights and disability advocacy, published authors, and high-level executives from academia, industry, government, national labs, law, and non-profit organizations. They spoke about a wide range of topics, from technical discussions on interview skills, science communication, and career transitions to non-technical experiences related to parenthood, gender-based harassment, healthcare inequities, mental health, and linguistic barriers.
Verma handled the recruiting, logistics, and programming preparation for the 23 speakers to ensure that the conference was inclusive, engaging, and representative of diverse perspectives.
“This experience has been one of the most humbling of my graduate career, involving massive collaborative efforts. I also wanted to ensure the event was well-attended by chemists and chemical engineers,” said Verma, who is now serving as the GradSWE social media coordinator, where she has already significantly increased engagement on the platforms and is developing initiatives to cultivate a stronger community on campus by promoting upcoming events and launching a community spotlight series.
On a regular basis, Verma is a mentor to elementary students through the Try Engineering Together online program and volunteers to teach science workshops with Full STEAM Ahead, which inspires young students from diverse backgrounds to creatively engage with STEM principles in real-life and promote curiosity. She also is a trained Volunteer Crisis Counselor for the Crisis Text Line, having served 200+ hours answering texts from people across the country in mental health crisis, guided by active listening & collaborative problem solving.
Her advisor, Prof. Jackson said Verma is the leading force for social cohesion, outreach, and inclusivity in their lab. He said she is always encouraging her lab mates and members of other labs to lunch together and socialize; she organizes group birthdays, celebrates group milestones, and initiates outreach efforts, like participating in St. Elmo Brady Academy activities. The academy provides project-based learning activities in science, technology, engineering, and math for local elementary and middle school students.
“This great group culture that Archana has created has had a remarkable impact,” Jackson said.
Verma said receiving the Inclusive Leadership Award acknowledges not only the hard work she has put into DEI initiatives throughout graduate school, but also reflects the support and mentorship she has received along the way.
“I have been blessed with a network of friends, mentors, family members, and communities here at Illinois that have emboldened me to create DEI-informed opportunities. This award reinforces my belief in the importance of transparency and support networks in achieving success, as well as my desire to be the mentor that I have been fortunate to have in my life. Being recognized for this work is both an honor and a reminder that there is always more to be done, and I am committed to continuing this journey of service,” said Verma, who aspires to a career in industry where she can leverage her expertise in computational and materials chemistry and that aligns with her core values of equity, accessibility, inclusion, and community. “I believe that by staying true to these values, I can help contribute to a future where the STEM community is as diverse and inclusive as the society it serves.”
Katherine (Katie) Hatzis
When Hatzis first started the PhD program in chemistry at Illinois, she said she was not knowledgeable about diversity, equity, and inclusion. Now, she is an inclusive excellence leader.
Hatzis said it's a great honor to receive this award.
“I admire the work of many of the people who have gotten this award before me, and truly I'm stunned that my colleagues hold enough regard for my service to nominate me for this award,” Hatzis said. “I haven't always been perfect (no one is), but I've always tried to do right by others. I want to use my privileged identities to be an ally who shows up for others in a real way.”
Hatzis said she wishes more people would become engaged in DEI work in the Department of Chemistry even if they aren't part of a certain group, for example, supporting the Women Chemists Committee even if you are not a woman or NOBCChE/SACNAS if you are not a minoritized person of color.
“Sometimes my role is to participate, to support, or just to listen. I hope that other people will look to what I've been able to do and approach this type of work without hesitation,” said Hatzis, who has been engaged in DEI work in a variety of ways while a graduate student.
Hatzis served on the Women in Chemistry Retreat Committee in 2020 and 2021, which is now the Gender Equity in the Chemical Sciences Retreat, and she was instrumental in the effort to have women of color serve as keynote speakers, which was a success. Hatzis also served as secretary of the campus chapter of the National Organization of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers in 2021, organizing speakers for the first St. Elmo Brady Symposium and help with a tutoring program for all underrepresented students in General Chemistry courses.
In 2023, Hatzis led the planning for transitioning the Women Chemist Committee’s Day Camp back to an in-person format following the pandemic. This is an event where middle school children from the area come to the campus and are led though a day of hands-on science experiments. Hatzis led initiatives to diversify the camp, including camp staff, who are chemistry graduate students, and the campers.
“We made lots of effort to recruit from our local public schools and different ethnic and community organizations. Our results were a great success; 25% of the campers came from traditionally defined underrepresented groups, which was greatly increased from years prior,” Hatzis said. “I was so proud to stand in front of the whole camp, point to my staff, and say to the kids, ‘These people are all scientists. And you can be, too.’”
As a teaching assistant for Chem 591, a first-year graduate student orientation course, Hatzis pursued changes in course material that focused on allyship and what to do to identify and support others who need it. Hatzis also teaches weekly English as a Second Language classes at the Wesley Foundation Student Center.
Those who nominated Hatzis said she models inclusive excellence in her personal life as well as in the Department of Chemistry by being a bold voice when standing up for others who are excluded, and in her research group, she goes out of her way to make sure everyone is included and has a voice in the lab, especially those who are underrepresented, which has inspired other people to be more inclusive in their lives.
Hatzis is working toward a career in academia and is currently interviewing for postdoctoral research positions.