I was saddened by Ruchi Agashe’s experience in one of our courses, which she wrote about in a recent Yale Daily News guest column. I am deeply sorry this happened and for the pain this has caused her.

No one should ever be subjected to this sort of treatment. Women, and especially women of color, face enough challenges in STEM.

Our department has taken news of this event to heart because this is not the type of behavior we stand for, and we want our community to know we are taking serious actionable steps to do better.

We also want to impress upon all of our instructors that words are impactful. Negative ones can cause students to doubt themselves and their dreams, and that should never happen.

As chemists, we want to make positive transformations in our world. That pursuit starts here in our own backyard with personal development. We have a duty to provide a character-oriented education that aligns with our community values surrounding inclusivity. It is clear that we can and must improve upon how we instill these principles.

In collaboration with the Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning, we are reimagining our teacher training to elevate inclusivity throughout our curriculum. Additionally, when I spoke with Ms. Agashe, she gave her blessing to use her article as required reading and a case study. We are hopeful these efforts will make our department a better place.

Realizing we may not always get it right and that at times our best efforts may fall short, we strive to hold ourselves responsible and continuously improve.

Respectfully,

Kurt W. Zilm

William K. Lanman Professor of Chemistry and Chair

Yale University Chemistry Department