Our lab stands in solidarity with all underrepresented groups in STEM and Academia. We recognize that underrepresented groups have been historically excluded from science; discrimination and racist histories have and continue to permeate the culture and practice of science. To address this, we actively work to create an environment that includes, values, and supports people with diverse backgrounds, beliefs, and experiences. We do not tolerate discriminatory or hateful speech and actions. We aim to cultivate an environment where we promote open discussions committed to mutual respect, learn from personal mistakes, and hold each other (and ourselves) accountable.
Our goals towards fostering an inclusive and welcoming environment include the following:
- Making knowledge about how to succeed in academia more transparent.
- Actively recruiting new lab members who are more representative of society.
- Reforming selection and evaluation criteria for prospective graduate students to place greater emphasis on community outreach and contributions towards diversity.
- Adequately compensating students for their contributions towards lab research.
- Encouraging and incentivizing initiatives within our lab and community that work towards dismantling systems of oppression.
- Continually and actively engaging with anti-racist, diversity, equity, and inclusion-related reading material and trainings as a lab and as individuals.
- Valuing different perspectives and dialogue between people of different backgrounds and cultivating a lab culture that belongs to everyone.