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Initiatives for Building Inclusive and
Diverse Communities

Our lab is deeply committed to fighting systemic injustice and biases against race, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, religion, and experience in our laboratory, department, institution, social community, and community at large.

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Science as an institution was founded on structural and institutional racism, inequality, and exploitation, some of which still persists today. We passionately believe that diversity, inclusion, and equity in the workplace and community at large stimulates creativity, innovation, engagement, and success.

We pledge be anti-racist, anti-sexist, and pro-LGBTQ+, and anti-discrimination. We will do so by actively standing up against forms of injustice and intolerance including, but not limited to, statements and acts of overt racism, sexism, and other prejudices; language and action rooted in innate biases; and suggestions of othering, tone-policing, reverse racism or sexism, discursive racism or sexism, and privilege.

 

We pledge to continue educating our social and workplace communities on the crucial need to acknowledge and understand the difference between ideals or goals for a more just society and the actions that lead to true inclusion and respect for diversity. 

 

We will continue to devote ourselves to identifying and executing structural and institutional solutions that will provide equal access to tools and opportunities for people of all races, genders, religion, and experiences. 

 

We will remain humbly committed to increasing our tolerance for feedback by not being afraid to ask questions or to receive feedback, by evaluating our reactions to feedback, and by accepting the discomfort of giving and receiving "call outs" for the benefit of learning.

To  promote equality, equity and justice, we commit to the following initiatives and programs:

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Creation of the Biology Outreach and Inclusion Program

  • Writer: Tracy Larson
    Tracy Larson
  • Oct 1, 2020
  • 1 min read

Updated: Aug 27, 2022

The Department of Biology graduate students have formed a club to promote outreach activities in the local and regional communities (originally called BOP, Biology Outreach Program). Tracy is partnering with the club to now include the Reciprocal Visits inclusion initiative initially envisioned as a separate entity. The now-called, Biology Outreach and Inclusion Program (BOIP) aims to establish enduring relationships between the University of Virginia Department of Biology and public institutions in our local and regional communities.


We aim to nurture an excitement for inquiry-based science through outreach programs including SPI-BOIP virtual classroom visits, science tutoring, and visits to our department by local primary and secondary schools.


We are working to create an equitable infrastructure of support for career building opportunities and scientific collaborations through inclusion programs including the Reciprocal Visits Program.


Tracy has created a website to serve as a hub for all of the outreach and inclusion initiatives in the Department of Biology including those of BOIP but also independent programs from around the department. We are excited to launch the site in the near future!


Formation of standing Post-Doc Program Committee

  • Writer: Tracy Larson
    Tracy Larson
  • Jul 14, 2020
  • 1 min read

Updated: Aug 27, 2022

The UVa Biology Department, and specifically the chair of the department with the agreement of faculty, should consider the creation of a standing “Post-Doc Program Committee” that could comprise two faculty members, three or more post-doctoral trainees, and one graduate student (see Top Down Initiative: Representation on Committees). A new post-doc program committee could focus efforts towards building a more diverse and supportive community for post-doctoral trainees within the biology department. The committee could be tasked with developing a “post-doctoral trainee handbook” that would include all policies, programs, and additional access to documentation. These policies and opportunities should be evaluated during drafting using the “Policy Equity Guide” provided by UVa Division for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (also attached below). The committee could also serve to develop additional programs and opportunities for increasing transparency, inclusivity, equity, and a general feeling of community amongst post-docs.



Representation on Committees

  • Writer: Tracy Larson
    Tracy Larson
  • Jul 10, 2020
  • 1 min read

Updated: Aug 13, 2021

To increase transparency in the decisions and programs of UVa Biology faculty, Tracy has proposed to our department chair that at least one graduate student and one post-doctoral trainee serve as a representative on every faculty level committee. By having trainee representatives on each committee, faculty can accomplish several positive goals including:

1. Establishing good will through allowing each group to have a voice and increasing transparency in the decisions faculty make.

2. Career training opportunities. Trainees can see how decisions are made, how to successfully execute initiatives, and gain leadership experience for both future academic and non-academic careers.

3. Increased diversity in rank and background on committees. Our grads and post-docs are a diverse group in terms of race, gender, and experience, so bringing in their perspective would be beneficial overall, but especially when having discussions about issues and policies we faculty may not be as well equipped to have.

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