We believe that everyone has a place in STEM. We also recognize how a legacy of systemic racism and marginalization has put careers in STEM out of reach for many people. We are committed to active anti-racist and anti-marginalization work and are continuously learning and seeking new ways to contribute. Here are some ways that we are taking action in the immediate future:
- We are continuing to participate in Diversity and Inclusion Committee meetings through the Microbiology Doctoral Training Program at UW-Madison;
- We are continuing to participate in the SciMed GRS Program at UW-Madison, including community events and the review of nominations for fellowships sponsored by the program;
- We have generated a living document that outlines lab policies/expectations and that establishes a foundation for honest dialogue and open communication between lab members;
- We have included a “blog” on our lab website, and each lab member has committed to posting at least once annually to share their research progress, photos, struggles, advice on how to overcome challenges in research and writing, and more;
- Earlier this year, our lab hosted an “exploration station” as part of the UW-Madison Crow Institute’s annual ‘Darwin Day’ celebration. We are committed to continuing to participate in this and other public outreach events in the future and aim to participate in at least two public outreach events as a lab per year;
- We have identified ways to expose young people of all ages at UW-Madison and beyond to STEM research. These include participating in summer camps, the Wisconsin Youth Apprenticeship Program, and the Women in Science & Engineering, Undergraduate Research Scholars, First-Gen Student Success, and existing NSF REU Programs at UW-Madison;
- We plan to start participating in ABRCMS and SACNAS for recruiting next year;
- We plan to conduct an annual self-assessment of our commitment and progress toward achieving the above, and to continue to identify new opportunities each year.