Not all opportunities are equally accessible for all people.
Among 30 science, math, and humanities subjects, EEB (ecology and evolutionary biology) has been ranked as one of the most exclusive fields, with some of the longest working hours, and among the lowest levels of empathy and the highest levels of systematic thinking. In fact, the disparity between empathic and systematic approaches is only greater in 3 fields: physics, math, and astronomy (Leslie et al. 2015). Characteristics like these make our field unappealing to people who want a career that's both intellectually stimulating and compassionate.
To foster supportive environments in our field, we must work collaboratively to identify issues, research evidence-based strategies for ameliorating them, and implement those strategies thoughtfully. We all deserve an equal opportunity to succeed.
Among 30 science, math, and humanities subjects, EEB (ecology and evolutionary biology) has been ranked as one of the most exclusive fields, with some of the longest working hours, and among the lowest levels of empathy and the highest levels of systematic thinking. In fact, the disparity between empathic and systematic approaches is only greater in 3 fields: physics, math, and astronomy (Leslie et al. 2015). Characteristics like these make our field unappealing to people who want a career that's both intellectually stimulating and compassionate.
To foster supportive environments in our field, we must work collaboratively to identify issues, research evidence-based strategies for ameliorating them, and implement those strategies thoughtfully. We all deserve an equal opportunity to succeed.
Creating supportive environments in the classroom and lab
Researchers are often also teachers, and there's no better place to create support for early career scientists than in the classroom. Student-centered pedagogy increases student learning without diminishing our high expectations for students.
Select resources for learning more:
Culturally relevant pedagogy: A model to guide cultural transformation in STEM departments (Johnson and Elliott 2020)
How field courses propel inclusion and collective excellence (Zavaleta et al. 2020)
Structure matters: Twenty-one teaching strategies to promote student engagement and cultivate classroom equity (Tanner 2017)
Teaching at its Best: A Research-Based Resource for College Instructors (Zakrajsek and Nilson 2023)
Researchers are often also teachers, and there's no better place to create support for early career scientists than in the classroom. Student-centered pedagogy increases student learning without diminishing our high expectations for students.
Select resources for learning more:
Culturally relevant pedagogy: A model to guide cultural transformation in STEM departments (Johnson and Elliott 2020)
How field courses propel inclusion and collective excellence (Zavaleta et al. 2020)
Structure matters: Twenty-one teaching strategies to promote student engagement and cultivate classroom equity (Tanner 2017)
Teaching at its Best: A Research-Based Resource for College Instructors (Zakrajsek and Nilson 2023)
Supportive leadership and mentoring
Our commitment to improving EEB culture is most obvious in how we maintain our personal relationships. When scientists transition to leading teams, we are largely unprepared for the weight our words and decisions hold, and how our unclear expectations might affect the happiness and productivity of our teams.
Some of my mentorship goals include:
Select resources for learning more:
Lessons from Plants by Beronda Montgomery
Critical Mentoring: A Practical Guide by Torie Weiston-Serdan
Institutional barriers, strategies, and benefits to increasing the representation of women and men of color in the professoriate (Griffin 2020)
Why are there so few ethnic minorities in ecology and evolutionary biology? (O'Brien et al. 2019)
Our commitment to improving EEB culture is most obvious in how we maintain our personal relationships. When scientists transition to leading teams, we are largely unprepared for the weight our words and decisions hold, and how our unclear expectations might affect the happiness and productivity of our teams.
Some of my mentorship goals include:
- Prioritize the health and wellness of lab members, because without those things, the science doesn't happen
- Help mentees recognize their own progress through regular meetings, and realize their goals through individual development plans
- Maintain psychological safety and open lines of communication so that mentees can tell me what's working for them, and what's not
- Adapt my mentorship style to flexibly accommodate different learning styles and needs
- Break down the "hidden" aspects of academic science
Select resources for learning more:
Lessons from Plants by Beronda Montgomery
Critical Mentoring: A Practical Guide by Torie Weiston-Serdan
Institutional barriers, strategies, and benefits to increasing the representation of women and men of color in the professoriate (Griffin 2020)
Why are there so few ethnic minorities in ecology and evolutionary biology? (O'Brien et al. 2019)
The role of professional societies in supporting healthy communities
Professional societies reach thousands of researchers from all kinds of institutions and nations. By leveraging their centrality, we can design and implement policies that allow community support and rigorous science to thrive simultaneously. I've been involved with the Society for the Study of Evolution (SSE) in a variety of roles since I became the founder of their Graduate Student Advisory Council in 2013. As a member of several SSE committees since then, I have helped increase the range of voices in society leadership, collect demographic data on the society's membership, and create community spaces, events, and networking opportunities for biologists of many backgrounds.
Select resources for learning more:
ACCESS+ STEM
The Inclusive Professional Framework for Societies (Leibnitz et al. 2021)
Who are we now? A demographic assessment of three evolution societies (Rushworth et al. 2021)
Professional societies reach thousands of researchers from all kinds of institutions and nations. By leveraging their centrality, we can design and implement policies that allow community support and rigorous science to thrive simultaneously. I've been involved with the Society for the Study of Evolution (SSE) in a variety of roles since I became the founder of their Graduate Student Advisory Council in 2013. As a member of several SSE committees since then, I have helped increase the range of voices in society leadership, collect demographic data on the society's membership, and create community spaces, events, and networking opportunities for biologists of many backgrounds.
Select resources for learning more:
ACCESS+ STEM
The Inclusive Professional Framework for Societies (Leibnitz et al. 2021)
Who are we now? A demographic assessment of three evolution societies (Rushworth et al. 2021)