In addition to our interests in biodiversity, our lab group values diversity in all forms and strives to create a culture of inclusivity across race, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, religious or spiritual beliefs, citizenship status, and ability/disability, among others. We recognize that science and academia continue the marginalization and exclusion of many of these identities, and we are committed to removing barriers to equity and opportunity in our field. We are committed to anti-racism and actively call out and resist racism and intolerance in the academy and beyond. As such, we commit to the following:
- Mentoring and supporting undergraduate and graduate students from diverse backgrounds. We additionally seek opportunities to recruit and retain diverse scholars at all levels, including postdocs, faculty, and research staff. Beyond traditional academic training, we seek to dismantle barriers associated with ‘hidden criteria’ by sharing knowledge and experiences with first-generation and other marginalized students and colleagues.
- Reading, internalizing, citing, and teaching the work of BIPOC scholars, women in science, and members of the academy from other marginalized groups. We commit to picking literature that will guide and inform our own action plans on a semester-by-semester basis. Some issues we will tackle include, increasing accessibility to and equity in fieldwork (and updating our field safety plans and protocols accordingly), and decreasing barriers to higher education in biology and academia more generally.
- Examining representation and opportunities within our field, our department, and our own lab groups at all levels/career stages.
- Providing research and mentorships opportunities in line with students’ needs, whether it be one-day shadowing or semester-long projects. We strive to create easy entry points to research with longer commitments expected.
- Encouraging our lab members and affiliates to explore national and intra-campus opportunities to increase representation within our field. Some national examples include Women of Color in EEB, Diversify EEB, and SACNAS. Some Berkeley and Bay Area groups include Bay Area Scientists in Schools (BASIS), Be A Scientist, METAS, the Biology Scholars Program, Berkeley Connect, Cal Day, and the Society of Women in Science.
These are primary concerns for our group and, as such, we value time spent on these activities.