DEI in CCE
James LuValle Awards
The James LuValle Award was established by the CCE DEI Committee to recognize an individual's excellent service work for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility in the CCE Division.
The award focuses on the individual's dedication to creating an environment of inclusivity, is an agent of change and has worked toward the advancement of DEI in CCE. The James LuValle Award candidates are nominated by members of the CCE community.
Melinda Chan
Melinda was active in a variety of DEI efforts over the last four years within the Stoltz group and CCE. She was previously a member of the Caltech Chemistry Graduate Student Council.
In the past two years, Melinda served first as Vice President of DICI (Diversity in Chemistry Initiative) and was DICI’s immediate past President. DICI is an extremely active group within CCE and the campus at large.
Melinda organized and led the CCE Division's “Day of Inclusion” on January 19 2024, which is very possibly the first event of its kind for any chemistry department in the US. Although many people across campus participated as volunteers and with other aspects, Melinda coordinated and oversaw the entire event bringing everyone together.
RJ Chadha
RJ is on the CGSC (Chemistry Graduate Studies Committee) DEI subcommittee, where he planned a variety of events including Diwali, a Plant Party, and is currently working on a CGSC DEI Seminar for 2025.
RJ is the DEI Coordinator for DICI and the DEI Coordinator for Professor Wei’s research group where he serves as an approachable resource, fostering an inclusive environment for all members.
He also serves as a Title IX graduate student advocate, offering confidential support and assistance to graduate students, and peers on matters related to equity, inclusivity, harassment, assault and discrimination.
During RJ’s involvement in the Caltech Connection Program, he significantly impacted the lives of many community college students through mentorship.
Kali Flesch
Kali is the Co-President of WiC (Women in Chemistry) and has worked at creating a space on campus for women. She worked with multiple staff responsible for CCE seminars to organize coffee hours and breakfasts with various visiting seminar speakers. Kali has led several socials and events for first year students.
In addition, she has led industry tours along with organized lunches with CCE faculty to build further community between students and faculty in a casual environment.
In April, Kali organized the “Spring into STEM” event for Girl Scout Cadettes (middle school girls) on the Beckman Lawn, which included graduate students from BBE, EAS, PMA and GPS – each presenting demos/activities as well as lab tours for more than 80 attendees.
Finally, she organized the recent WiC Seminar with Professor Jennifer M. Schomaker from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.