Diversity and Inclusion
As scientists we are all learners who use observations to build ever more precise models of how the world really works. Our preconceived notions and personal journey represent the tiniest sliver of possible human experience. Representation from diverse backgrounds strengthens the scientific and learning process by widening the scope of experience being brought into the classroom, field, or lab. We do better science by ensuring engagement from multiple vantage points.
I had the great privilege to grow up in the public-school system in Atlanta, GA. Diversity was always celebrated as a strength of the schools I attended. As I’ve added more life experience, I’ve realized that my exposure was in reality limited. Higher education has introduced me to lab mates, collaborators, and fellow students representing cultures from all across the world. In a typical day in my office, I hear at least 3 different languages and might share baked goods from one or two culinary traditions over afternoon coffee. These experiences have enriched my day-to-day life. It is clear that there are many equally valid interpretations of current events as well as scientific observations. Community can only be created by making ample space for others to express their identities. I aspire to ensure all have the opportunity to have similar experiences in academia through my efforts in teaching, research, and service.
|
Members of Cornell SCS and the Ithaca community holding up our friend, Dr. Sonam Sherpa, following his successful defense in Spring 2019.
(Olympus Pen-EE + Fuji C200) |
In the classroom, I am continuing to broaden my skill sets to ensure a diverse and inclusive environment. My experience in Cornell’s course on “Teaching and Learning in the Diverse Classroom” has made me cognizant of the many small efforts that can be employed to ensure student’s feel they have the opportunity to bring their whole identity into the classroom. After listening to student interviews in the course, I have realized the importance of sharing some of my own personal identity and engaging in building one on one relationships through office hours or informal discussions before and after class time. I intend to make my lectures, notes, and background readings available and to ensure they are accessible for those of all abilities. Learning objectives will be clearly stated in all learning sessions and all assessments will include clear rubrics to ensure fair grading. Lastly, I will include alternative knowledge bases, diverse representations in examples, and encourage students to critically discuss societal implications of the science from multiple vantage points.
In my role as a researcher, I intend to continue to foster diverse collaborative groups with a focus on inclusion of early career scientists. I have been fortunate to be a member of multiple lab groups as a graduate student and interact with researchers from many different cultures, career paths, and in various stages of their life. This has opened the possibility of international collaborations that I intend to leverage in the future. I feel I have a duty to amplify the novel findings of my peers and to ensure all get adequate acknowledgement of their involvement in idea generation and labor. As a mentor, I have specifically sought out relationships with international undergraduate students to help ensure their success in academia. This has involved everything from coffee sessions providing guidance on graduate school applications to in the lab training on microbial culturing to proofreading for grammatical mistakes in essays. These small time commitments from senior researchers were a major help for me as an undergraduate trying to figure out how to move forward in science. I hope to serve the same role to others as I gain more seniority.
Service is an especially important area where I can show my commitment to diversity and inclusion in academia. During my time holding a leadership role in Cornell’s Biogeochemistry, Environmental Science, and Sustainability Association, one of our organization’s main aims was to be proactive in our seminar series planning efforts to include diverse speakers. We made specific calls to graduate students to nominate early career scientists and under-represented voices in our respective disciplines. We were always rewarded with more than enough responses from which to choose. During my time as a graduate student, I have been vocal about the need for more diverse representation during yearly student recruitment events and the hiring process of new faculty. It is through these avenues that I will continue to push for more diverse representation in my discipline and my future academic department.