We’re happy to announce that Jonathan Orrala will be stepping in as co-chair of the department’s Staff EDI Committee! Jonathan is a member of our Academic HR team with a focus on faculty recruitment. He became involved with the Staff EDI Committee shortly after joining the department in 2023 and he is also is a peer trainer with the Office of Healthcare Equity.

The Staff EDI Committee works to create a safe, inclusive and diverse environment that supports department staff personally and professionally. Classified and professional staff members can join the committee any time of year. Membership is open to all roles of department staff, and we aim to have representation across our centers and programs.

As a peer trainer, Jonathan has led many facilitations and workshops around wellbeing, leadership development, and how to incorporate psychological safety in the workplace. A lot of the sessions include education on equity and breaking down barriers to success, diversity in all of its facets, how to be more inclusive by introducing cultural intelligence topics, and how to foster feelings of belonging.

Thank you, Jonathan, for agreeing to take on this new role in partnership with Christina Clayton, MSW. Please email staffedicommittee@uw.edu if you want to learn more about the committee’s work or are interested in joining.