EDI strives to advance diversity and inclusion at the National Institutes of Health, and ensure that the civil rights of all employees are protected. The Asian American, Native Hawaiian, & Pacific Islander (AA and NHPI) Employment Portfolio is directed at ensuring that this constituency remains a successful part of a broader diversity and inclusion strategy for the NIH. This portfolio is federally mandated, having its authority grounded in Presidential Executive Orders.
THE PORTFOLIO
Asian American, Native Hawaiian, & Pacific Islander employees are an integral part of the NIH community and we are committed to ensuring that every member of this constituency are supported, given the tools needed to be successful, and encouraged to contribute their ideas and perspectives to tackle challenges at the NIH. We are responsible for designing rich programming and outreach initiatives, our goal being to ensure positive experiences at every level of employment. We count on the commitment and support of leaders and managers from all NIH Institutes and Centers to sustain this important work. EDI works in partnership with the Office of Human Resources (OHR), the Chief Officer for Scientific Workforce Diversity (COSWD), and NIH leadership to support the AA and NHPI Portfolio. Together, we develop collaborations to advance the representation of our AA and NHPI employees in all occupations of the NIH workforce and support this constituency in achieving their fullest potential.
At NIH, we understand that our responsibility to diverse groups extends well beyond federal mandates. We define diversity broadly to include all elements of our human identities and to encompass every aspect of difference. Within EDI, we are interested in leveraging the ideas of each NIH employee to fuel innovation and drive health discovery. The AA and NHPI constituency is a critical piece of our overall diversity strategy.
MEET THE STRATEGIST
David Rice
David Rice graduated in 2009 from Catholic University of America with a degree in Psychology, with a focus on social stigmas of people with Intellectual Disabilities. He has been at National Institutes of Health (NIH) since October 2009, as a Management Analyst for the National Eye Institute (NEI) and the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communications Disorders (NIDCD). Being Deaf since the age of 4, he has a strong interest in Disability Community. His work within the disability community started as a sophomore in high school, where he worked summer camps for children with intellectual and physical disabilities. While in college he was part of the first American Sign Language (ASL) program, where students live a dorm in which hearing and Deaf students shared their desire to learn ASL. He was also active in outreach for people with disabilities at Catholic University.
David served on DIG (Deaf in Government), where he served as a policy chairperson and as the president of the organization. DIG empowers Deaf and Hard of Hearing Federal Employees to overcome communication barriers, resolve accessibility issues, and promotes a fully inclusive work environment through networking and fostering professional growth. Some of David's accomplishments are initiating a workforce complaint program, developing a training program that fosters promotion in the federal government, establishing partnerships with different organizations, and creating networking and mentoring opportunities.
David has also changed the cultural stigma placed on people with disabilities have by changing the NIH mission statement. He led the DeafNIH Employee Resource Group at NIH for those who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing, by working closely with the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI). David was also a part of Section 508 Advisory group whose mission is to make the internet a fully accessible environment; with his focus being on closed captions. In his spare time, David enjoys Baseball and all things Pittsburgh.