Meet the 2021 Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Award Recipient

The Excellence in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Staff Award recognizes key contributors who demonstrate leadership qualities that exemplify the ideals of inclusion, diversity, and equity into practical action. The 2021 recipient is:

Diane Cabelli, Chemistry Division

Since Diane Cabelli joined Brookhaven Lab as a postdoc in 1981, she has advocated for minority and women hiring and participation—well before diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) was a stated priority in American academia and business.

Cabelli has been an active member of Brookhaven Women in Science (BWIS) and utilized the Lab’s first daycare center—for which BWIS advocated—from opening day. She has mentored early career chemists and taken on leadership roles to promote DEI at Brookhaven.

Cabelli has held the role of co-chair of the DEI Council for the Energy & Photon Sciences Directorate (EPS). In large part, she founded the group by encouraging the associate lab director for EPS to create a body in support of stronger DEI in the scientific community. With Cabelli at the helm, the council has advised Lab leadership and organized DEI-focused activities.

Thanks to Cabelli’s leadership and dedication, EPS has improved its processes, developed frameworks for communication and a system for tracking progress and improvements, all with the goal of increasing DEI among Lab staff. Her fellow council members have been trained as peer counselors, she established a website and quarterly newsletter to keep the directorate informed on DEI issues, and she helped establish DEI performance goals for EPS staff.

Meet all 315 staff members at Brookhaven Lab who were recognized for distinguished contributions to the Laboratory's mission and milestone anniversaries in 2021.

2022-20735  |  INT/EXT  |  Newsroom