“I aspire that all my lectures, presentations, and discussions take diversity into consideration – diversity in the audience, in the learning materials I use, in the speakers I invite, and, most of all, in the content I share with others,” Ullauri said.

Eager to accomplish that noble-minded aim and expand her understanding of diversity in communities, classrooms, and workspaces, Ullauri enrolled in a new Graham School program titled “Dimensions of Diversity” designed to help participants understand how identity shapes lived experiences.

Over the nine-week program this fall, Ullauri and more than 50 other members of the cohort – many of them working professionals tapped to inform DEI efforts in their respective organizations – engaged in thoughtful discussion and reflection on different dimensions of diversity and their unique expressions across global contexts.

“We wanted to help cohort members talk with greater ease about these topics and be better positioned to apply these concepts in various areas of their personal and professional lives,” said J.M. Conway, the Graham School’s manager of innovation programs who helped launch the new Dimensions of Diversity offering. Conway also served as a discussion leader in the program alongside Emily Nordquist, who leads membership at Chicago-based business incubator 1871.

The inaugural program began with an overview on human diversity from inQUEST Consulting CEO Scott Hoesman, who focused on how workplaces can harness the full power of diversity. In the six weeks thereafter, participants engaged with eminent faculty and in small-group conversations about six distinct dimensions of diversity – wealth and class, gender, religion, race, disability, and sexuality. Recommended readings and invited lectures by University of Chicago faculty informed discussions and sparked earnest dialogue.

Cohort member Moises Diaz said the lectures and small group discussions helped him discover ways to steer DEI work at his volunteer-membership organization, one with an acute need for effective DEI leadership.

“The invited lecturers brought a unique focus to their specific topics that not only provided me a richer understanding of that dimension, but also new language to offer my organization to better build our membership,” Diaz said.

Dimensions of Diversity concluded with two panel discussions in which business leaders representing organizations from Stitch Fix to the United Way discussed DEI applications in their respective organizations, including leveraging diversity in the workplace and addressing systemic inequities across different dimensions.

“We wanted cohort participants to leave with concrete examples of how theoretical conversations are put into practice, so they could apply information from the program into their various contexts,” Conway said, adding that members penned reflections on diversity prior to the opening week, at the program’s mid-way point, and at its conclusion to foster thoughtful introspection.

Ullauri called the Dimensions of Diversity program “an eye opener” that challenged her to expand her view of diversity. Gaining new perspectives from lectures, readings, and discussions, Ullauri said the program underscored the constant evolution necessary to construct diverse, equitable, and inclusive environments. She also developed a healthier appreciation for the importance of language and “inviting in” others.

“The program provided me with a vast range of enriching information to reflect on and expand my understanding of what diversity encompasses,” Ullauri said.