Humanity is facing a staggering array of large, complicated problems. In this lab we work on a small subset of these that address the complex issue of emerging diseases. I am very proud of our work and the people who do it.
Another big problem that we face in the U.S. is that of racism, including within the worlds of science and academia that we inhabit. We therefore strive to be an anti-racist lab.
We will welcome people into our group because they are passionate, bright, hardworking and talented. Nobody will be excluded due to their race, religion, ethnicity, gender, sex, sexual orientation, nationality, etc., because we recognize that lots of different people can be passionate about science, willing to work hard, and tolerant of the daily grind that we endure as scientists.
As a group, we will promote diversity in science and stand up for justice and equality as we seek to overturn the legacy of white supremacy that we live within and that has benefited many of us. We are not perfect and will make mistakes as we learn and grow.
Words are easy. Here are a few of the actions that we will take together to be more anti-racist.
- We will incorporate discussions of racism, diversity, and inclusion into our lab meetings at least four times a year to normalize discussions of this difficult topic.
- We will lead in our department by incorporating discussions of racism, diversity, and inclusion in our weekly departmental meetings to normalize discussions and encourage open dialogue.
- We will participate in the Multicultural Undergraduate Research Art and Leadership Symposium (MURALS) at CSU and support student and fellow attendance at the Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) conference.
- We will ensure that a land acknowledgement is included in CSU’s new Center for Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases building, and that this building has space dedicated to an anti-racism library.
- We will amplify voices of under-represented groups in our scientific community by sharing their work and including them on panels through our roles on program and planning committees for societies, conferences, and journals.