Our lab stands against racism and all practices that reduce equity and inclusion in the biological sciences, in academia, and in society. Our lab stands for diversity in all forms and we are committed to using our voices as scientists, as educators, and as citizens to work to remove barriers to equity.
Actions that we have taken as a lab include participation in outreach programs such as Bay Area Scientists in Schools (BASIS), Be a Scientist, Expanding Your Horizons, and STEM*FYI, among others. On campus, we work with the Biology Scholars Program to create opportunities for students from historically underrepresented and underserved backgrounds to experience field biology and to engage in biological research (e.g., through assisting with studies of our captive population of tuco-tucos). We are committed to continuing these efforts to encourage and maintain inclusivity.
In light of recent events, namely the Covid-19 pandemic and the killing of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and countless other Black Americans, we have been made even more acutely aware of the systemic racism that plagues the US. We recognize our privilege as academics and understand that even in our efforts to improve educational opportunities for members of marginalized communities, there is still much that needs to be done. Accordingly, we have committed to the following actions:
(1) Meeting regularly to identify and to enact solutions to barriers to equity in academia,
(2) Ensuring that our lab is a safe space in which we can openly share our experiences, including acts of racism, sexism, and other forms of discrimination,
(3) Seeking diverse candidates for the undergraduate research opportunities that we create, and
(4) Confirming that the students we mentor share and are committed to the values of our lab.
We have individually and collectively been educating ourselves on the long national history of marginalization of people of color, particularly Black and Native American people. We have been exploring the multiple ways in which these practices perpetuate themselves in academia and educating ourselves on how to actively promote anti-racism within our lab, at Berkeley, and beyond.
In our process of self-educating, we have come across multiple useful resources that we are sharing below. We encourage you to join us in the process of creating a different societal structure that truly includes equality for all.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ndfNEC6yeaRpJJYwy6sde-gz2oqYHZBlwAPV6vOH-FU/edit?usp=sharing
https://www.academics4blacklives.com/
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/disturbing-resilience-scientific-racism-180972243/
https://science.sciencemag.org/content/357/6356/1101
http://identitysafeclassrooms.org/resources.html
https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2009-05145-010
Actions that we have taken as a lab include participation in outreach programs such as Bay Area Scientists in Schools (BASIS), Be a Scientist, Expanding Your Horizons, and STEM*FYI, among others. On campus, we work with the Biology Scholars Program to create opportunities for students from historically underrepresented and underserved backgrounds to experience field biology and to engage in biological research (e.g., through assisting with studies of our captive population of tuco-tucos). We are committed to continuing these efforts to encourage and maintain inclusivity.
In light of recent events, namely the Covid-19 pandemic and the killing of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and countless other Black Americans, we have been made even more acutely aware of the systemic racism that plagues the US. We recognize our privilege as academics and understand that even in our efforts to improve educational opportunities for members of marginalized communities, there is still much that needs to be done. Accordingly, we have committed to the following actions:
(1) Meeting regularly to identify and to enact solutions to barriers to equity in academia,
(2) Ensuring that our lab is a safe space in which we can openly share our experiences, including acts of racism, sexism, and other forms of discrimination,
(3) Seeking diverse candidates for the undergraduate research opportunities that we create, and
(4) Confirming that the students we mentor share and are committed to the values of our lab.
We have individually and collectively been educating ourselves on the long national history of marginalization of people of color, particularly Black and Native American people. We have been exploring the multiple ways in which these practices perpetuate themselves in academia and educating ourselves on how to actively promote anti-racism within our lab, at Berkeley, and beyond.
In our process of self-educating, we have come across multiple useful resources that we are sharing below. We encourage you to join us in the process of creating a different societal structure that truly includes equality for all.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ndfNEC6yeaRpJJYwy6sde-gz2oqYHZBlwAPV6vOH-FU/edit?usp=sharing
https://www.academics4blacklives.com/
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/disturbing-resilience-scientific-racism-180972243/
https://science.sciencemag.org/content/357/6356/1101
http://identitysafeclassrooms.org/resources.html
https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2009-05145-010