February 15, 2023

Despite increased attention on the importance of diversity in STEM (the journal Nature Human Behaviour has published at least 26 articles on the topic in the last three years, for example), underrepresentation persists in academia and in the STEM workforce. As an organization supporting the growth of a community of scientists dedicated to studying wild animal welfare, Wild Animal Initiative knows that our success depends on establishing an inclusive and equitable baseline from which we can build our field.

These three resources from leading scientists of color can help advance our understanding of how to make the sciences more inclusive. 

Field Inclusive

This organization, founded in 2022 by North Carolina State University PhD candidates Lauren Pharr and Murry Burgess, puts a spotlight on the challenges faced by marginalized and historically excluded individuals who conduct field research. In January, they launched a week-long virtual campaign to build awareness and support for field researchers who face discrimination when doing their work. Field Inclusive also offers research grants to help support field researchers in the natural sciences. Keep an eye out for our Q&A with Pharr in an upcoming blog post.

10 simple rules for building a nonracist lab

Ecology Professor Bala Chaudhary of Dartmouth College and Environmental Sciences Professor Asmeret Asefaw Berhe of University of California, Merced wrote a 2020 editorial presenting 10 actions that science labs can take to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion. Their list, which has been cited 91 times, includes broad actions, such as holding powerful individuals accountable, and more specific directives, such as holding regular conversations about racism and making it part of a lab’s cultural norm. “...As leaders in science, it is our responsibility to take action, and simple concrete steps can and must be made toward addressing individual, institutional, and systemic racism,” the authors write. “The work in our labs can begin today; no additional committees, focus groups, or surveys are required.”

Beyond diversity: building a culture of inclusion in science

University of California, Los Angeles Professor Tracy Johnson shared her perspective on inclusion in the sciences during her acceptance speech for the 2022 Ruth Kirschstein Diversity in Science Award. In her speech, which is featured on the podcast “Pipettes and Politics,” she describes the importance of reaching people underrepresented in the sciences when they are students. Offering authentic, fundamental research experiences can strengthen their identity as scientists, which leads to greater retention. In order to have a truly diverse scientific community, she says, we need to look at inclusion first. 

What we’re working on

As Wild Animal Initiative grows and plans to organize more gatherings, our services team is drafting guidelines for hosting inclusive outreach events. In our university outreach, the principles of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) will play a significant role in which universities we intend to prioritize, such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Hispanic Serving Institutions. Additionally, we'll compile a list of places to advertise our events and outreach efforts that specifically targets historically marginalized groups.

Wild Animal Initiative’s JEDI committee meets quarterly to discuss and resolve related issues in our organization and our field. To learn more, visit our Equity page.