The Inclusive Excellence Podcast is back for another season and ready to launch into some of the most anticipated topics and discussions circling the country and Cornell. Co-hosts Erin Sember-Chase and Toral Patel, and sound engineer Bert Odom-Reed kick off the season in “Launching Season 6, What to Look Forward To” by revealing their hopes of continuing to elevate the voices and experiences of fellow employees while exploring topics that can be uncomfortable to discuss.

“Last season, we really focused on defining what things like inclusion and belonging mean and what they look like,” Sember-Chase said. “But this season, we’re going to be drilling even more into it because it’s more complicated than that. As we are seeing at some other universities, there have been a lot of disagreements and debates about where diversity and inclusion fit when you are in the workplace. This is happening everywhere, and it is going to be important to dive more into that.”

Listeners can expect to hear conversations with Cornell employees about topics that have risen to the surface in response to recent events, such as the university’s theme of “freedom of expression” and attacks on DEI initiatives in higher education across the United States.

“One thing that we are going to keep true is that this is a platform to hear from all different kinds of people at all different levels, job functions and titles at Cornell. We intend to hear from typical employees to share their personal and professional paths at the university and discuss some of these complex issues that we’re all dealing with,” Sember-Chase said.

Upcoming episodes will explore the phenomenon of the five generations currently represented in the workforce, the recent integration of wellness and well-being into the workplace and leadership practices that aim to support the idea of freedom of expression, community and belonging.

Join Erin, Toral and various guests on a new episode every other week as they share the unique stories and experiences of Cornellians and get to the bottom of some of the most challenging and complex topics currently affecting the workplace. 

About the Inclusive Excellence Podcast

Join Erin Sember-Chase and Toral Patel from the Department of Inclusion and Belonging for a bi-weekly podcast series where they explore various topics related to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging at work. During each episode's interview, they provide a platform for campus colleagues in various roles to share their lived experiences, thoughts and ideas around how to create cultures of belonging, especially in the workplace. You can listen to this podcast on your phone, at your desk, on your way to work, while you are taking a break, even while you get ready for bed! 

Do you have a topic you would like discussed on the podcast, or want to recommend someone doing awesome work around campus? Contact ie-academy@cornell.edu.