Continuing Engagement with DEI

Continuing Engagement with DEI

As I continue my career in economics, I intend to remain actively engaged in efforts that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) through direct institutional, professional, research, teaching, and mentorship contributions. My approach to DEI is grounded less in symbolic commitment and more in sustained action that expands opportunity, representation, mentorship, and visibility within the economics profession.

I plan to continue supporting students and early-career scholars, like myself, from historically underrepresented backgrounds through mentorship, professional guidance, and transparency around navigating academic and professional spaces. Access to information, encouragement, and support can meaningfully shape whether individuals feel welcomed into economics and whether they remain in the field long term. I hope to contribute to creating environments where talented individuals from diverse backgrounds can see themselves succeeding within the profession.

I also intend to continue advocating for inclusive recruitment, outreach, and pipeline development efforts throughout my institutional and professional work. Broadening participation within economics requires engagement at multiple stages of the pipeline, particularly before many individuals become discouraged from pursuing economics due to limited exposure, representation, or support. Expanding access and visibility is essential to strengthening the profession and improving the range of perspectives represented within economic research and policy discussions.

My commitment to DEI is also closely connected to my research agenda. Through my work on racial inequality, stratification economics, education, labor markets, and institutional disparities, I aim to contribute research that broadens how economists study inequality and economic opportunity. In particular, I am committed to helping formalize and expand rigorous economic frameworks for studying structural inequality and stratification, with the goal of increasing the visibility and legitimacy of these approaches within mainstream economics.

In addition, I hope to contribute to a profession that values a wider range of lived experiences, research questions, methodological approaches, and policy perspectives. This includes supporting fair and thoughtful evaluation processes in areas such as publishing, grant funding, mentorship, hiring, and professional recognition. Representation within these spaces matters not only for individual career advancement, but also for shaping which questions, communities, and policy concerns receive attention within economics.

Ultimately, I view advancing DEI as an ongoing professional responsibility rather than a separate initiative. Meaningful progress requires consistent effort across research, teaching, mentorship, institutional engagement, and everyday professional interactions. I intend to continue using the opportunities and platforms available to me throughout my career to contribute to a more inclusive, equitable, and representative economics profession.

Please visit the following page to read further on Monique's current DEI engagement:

DEI In Practice

Back to DEI Statement page

Page Last Updated: May 2026