DEI Initiatives

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Attract and Hire

I think the work environment at APL is very welcoming, and it’s definitely unlike any other type of work experience I’ve had. This feels almost like an extension of academia. To keep learning for the rest of my life, but taking it to another caliber is awesome to me. I really could not have envisioned a better scenario.

MaKhaila Bentil
ATLAS Intern
Portrait photo of the quote author, MaKhaila Bentil

52%

ATLAS went from 56 interns in 2021 to 85 in 2022.

PROGRAMS

COLLEGE RECRUITING

  • On-campus presence at historically Black colleges and universities/minority-serving institutions

  • Virtual diversity-focused events and career fairs

  • Partnerships with local colleges and universities

  • APL invites members of diversity-related groups from local colleges to the Laboratory for tours

  • Partners with historically Black colleges and universities, Hispanic-serving institutions and tribal colleges and universities to connect STEM students with our technical challenges

  • National GEM Consortium Fellowships

  • Intern ambassador program

Explore careers for students and recent graduates at APL

CONFERENCES/CAREER FAIRS

  • American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) Conference

  • Black Engineer of the Year Award (BEYA) Conference

  • Black in Physics events

  • Diversity and professional society conferences

  • Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing

  • IEEE Women in Engineering Conference

  • Military/veteran-focused career fairs

  • National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) Convention

  • Out in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (oSTEM) Conference

  • Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) National Diversity in STEM (NDiSTEM) Conference

  • Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers (SASE) Conference

  • Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Conference

  • Women of Color Conference

TARGETED ENGAGEMENTS

  • Collaboration and partnership with internal diversity and inclusion teams and affinity groups

  • Community organizations

  • Job posting sites

  • Professional organizations

  • Sharing employee testimonials and stories to give candidates insight into our values and culture

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

  • The Laboratory’s employees are regularly recognized by their peers, supervisors and external organizations for excellence in their fields. We celebrate our world-renowned staff whose awards and honors include Black Engineer of the Year Awards, Society of Women Engineers recognitions and early career awards. Read more about APL staff member recognitions here:

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Shape the Culture and Staff Experience

Not many people know about Juneteenth and the history behind it. It's a holiday that should be celebrated by everyone as recognition of freedom and the many contributions African Americans provided to this country. The Juneteenth block party hosted by the African American Culture Club and Johns Hopkins Black Faculty and Staff Association is a great way to spread that awareness, pay homage to our ancestors and share some of the goods and services produced by African Americans with our colleagues, friends and families.

Karmethia Thompson
Computational Scientist and African American Culture Club president
Portrait photo of the quote author, Karmethia Thompson
50+

In 2022, the Lab hosted more than 50 cultural celebration events.

Affinity Groups

  • Advocates for Diverse Abilities Club

  • African American Culture Club

  • All About Autism Club

  • Allies in the Workplace

  • APL Veterans’ Club

  • APL Women in Technology

  • Asian American and Pacific Islander Culture Club

  • ¡HOLA! — APL’s Hispanic and LatinX Culture Club

  • Young Professionals Network

Additional Teams and Groups

  • Black Faculty and Staff Association

  • Fostering Unity and Staff Empowerment (FUSE) employee resource group

  • Inclusion and Diversity Executive Alliance (IDEA)

  • JHU Diversity Leadership Council

  • Sector and department diversity, equity and inclusion teams

Heritage and Celebration Months

  • ADA Month

  • Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month

  • Black History Month

  • Hispanic Heritage Month

  • Pride Month

  • Veterans Day and Month

  • Women’s History Month

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Develop Talent

The Strategic Mentoring Cohort is a great way to interact with sector leadership, have open conversations about various opportunities and career paths at APL and learn about the Lab’s strategic direction as a whole. I’ve been able to share suggestions and ideas with the leadership team, and I’ve appreciated the constructive discussions we’ve shared as a result of the program.

Raymond Liu
IAMD Sensor Design and Analysis Section Supervisor
Portrait photo of the quote author, Raymond Liu
153

In 2022, there were 153 mentees in the Strategic Mentoring Cohort across the Lab.

PROGRAMS

  • Awards programs celebrating staff members’ contributions and achievements

  • Building Leaders, Accelerating Science & Technology (BLAST)

  • Champions of Diversity and Inclusion recognizing staff members’ contributions to diversity, equity and inclusion

  • Knowledge to Empower Young Staff (KEYS) Program

  • Reclass Review Zone ensuring that all staff members, particularly those in underrepresented groups, are growing and developing professionally

  • Staff development and mentoring programs, such as the Strategic Mentoring Cohort

  • Training for staff and leadership, including courses on diverse inclusion, nonconscious bias, being a proactive bystander, transgender and nonbinary awareness, managing yourself to success and developing staff