Diverse Educational Community And Doctoral Experience (DECADE)

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How do you define inclusion, diversity, and equity? While subtly distinct from each other, these terms are related and overlap in meaning. What follows is a definition of “broadening participation,” an umbrella term for diversity, inclusion and equity. Please reflect on it.

…We [define] the term “broadening participation” to mean efforts that develop talent and promote the inclusion of students and scientists from all social backgrounds in all levels of the life sciences (K–12 through postdoctoral training, early-career independence, and senior leadership)… …It is our vision that the results of broadening participation efforts would be a vibrant scientific enterprise that continues to harness the contributions of those from traditionally well-represented backgrounds while fostering full participation and engagement of those from other backgrounds (e.g., women, racial and ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, sexual and gender minorities, first-generation students, those from low-income backgrounds). – Gibbs, K.D., & Marsteller, P., CBE-Life Sciences Education (2016).

It is the mission of DECADE to sustain awareness of how the participation of marginalized groups of people in STEM fields has been undermined in the past and why it continues to occur today. While knowledge of these issues is key, a more important facet of the mission of DECADE is to provide training and experience via on and off-campus resources to students so that they can create truly inclusive environments in their workplace today and during their careers tomorrow.

Some relevant articles (op-ed, peer-reviewed, university resources)

Nature (Mar. 27th, 2019) – Why you need a support team

Nature (Apr. 22nd, 2019) – Sexual harassment is pervasive in US physics programmes

Nature (Apr. 16th, 2019) – Working with marginalized groups takes demands time and respect – and researchers must give both

Science (Mar. 22nd, 2019) – My mix-and-match career

Nature (Mar. 20th, 2019) – Five ways media training helped me to boost the the impact of my research 

Nature (Mar. 19th, 2019) – Soap-bubble pioneer is first woman to win prestigious maths prize

Nature (Mar. 22nd, 2019) – Six easy ways to manage your time better

Nature (Jan. 29th, 2019) – To learn inclusion skills, make it personal

Science (Feb. 8th, 2018) – NSF requires institutions to report sexual harassment findings

Nature (Feb. 27th, 2019) – How some men are challenging gender inequity in the lab

Science (Feb. 11th, 2019) – How scientists are fighting against gender bias in conference speaker lineups

Science (Feb. 15th, 2019) – STEM faculty believe ability is fixed have larger racial achievement gaps and inspire less student motivation in their classes

The National Academies of Science, Engineering & Medicine (June 2018) – Sexual Harassment of Women

Science (Feb. 20th, 2019) – When your thesis adviser advises you to quit

Brown (Jan. 25th, 2018) – Diversity and Inclusion Syllabus Statements

The Geological Society of America (Jun. 2011) – Obstacles to the recruitment of minorities into the geosciences: A call to action

National Association of Geoscience Teachers: Geoscience Literacy in Atmospheric, Climate, Earth, Ocean Science, and Energy (Oct. 25th, 2018) – Geoscience Literacies

Science (Nov. 10th, 2017) – Not all STEM teachers work in a classroom

Science (Feb. 18th, 2019) – After a baby, 28% of new parents leave full-time STEM work