Diversity and Inclusion
Check out the College of Science’s Equity Website which includes the equity Dashboard to promote accountability
we are excited to start the marine science center idea internships in summer 2022! Thanks to whoi seagrant for funding.
Check out the MES / MSC BEACHES (Bridging Each Applicant’s Chances for Success) Workshop, which resumed in 2022!
black lives matter
See this link for a list of actions our department is taking to address racism
And our Compilation of Anti-racism resources
Below is the text of Randall’s address at the Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences annual meeting as the Chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee
June 4, 2020
Dear MES and MSC community,
Thanks, Geoff, for devoting the majority of this meeting to a discussion of diversity, equity, and inclusion. I have only a few slides, as I want to spend most of our time in conversation. Typically at this meeting, I would highlight the activities of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee over the past year, discuss what’s planed for the coming year, and be done.
But as we know, this is not a typical year. Most of us have been working or learning from home since mid-March due to Covid-19. This virus and the necessary measures taken to slow its spread have left us and our loved ones sick, isolated, vulnerable, and anxious. Professionally, we need to keep in mind that these impacts are felt most strongly by early career researchers. And across all levels, the data are clear that these impacts have been disproportionately harsh on African Americans and people of color.
And then, in the midst of the pandemic, come the murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd. Each was reprehensible, each was traumatic, and each was the result of a combination of overt and systemic racism that many of us would like to think was relegated to the past. Yet police use of force is the 6th leading cause of death for Black males in the US. Sixth. Thus we stand in solidarity with protestors of racial injustice in all 50 states. Simply put, Black Lives Matter.
What does all of this have to do with our departmental annual meeting? Science and academia are in no way immune from racism. In fact, science has been used to perpetuate racism throughout history, and we only have to look around the virtual room to see that our community does not reflect the makeup of society at large. As recently as 2015, Black students made up fewer than 2% of all PhDs in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, compared to 13% of the population. And Geoscience is not much better. This is not someone else’s problem. It is our problem. We need to change the system.
Today, I’d like to reiterate our commitment to creating safe spaces for Black students to learn and to do science. I am proud that the Diversity and Inclusion Committee’s work over the last few years can serve as the building blocks for this effort.
I also pledge that we will not just use words. We will be active in fighting discrimination and racial inequality in our department, the University, and society at large. This will be a sustained and challenging effort, and we are committed to it. I am heartened by stepped up efforts at the University and College levels, but as we have already shown, we do not have to rely on them to show us what to do. We can start this work in MES now.
To succeed, we need everyone’s involvement. While we should always listen to those who are the targets of racism and discrimination, we cannot expect them to fix the problem, or increase their burden by asking them to tell us how to fix it. White members of our community have to step up.
As Ibram X. Kendi says:
“No one becomes “not racist”, despite a tendency by Americans to identify themselves that way. We can only strive to be “antiracist” on a daily basis, to continually rededicate ourselves to the lifelong task of overcoming our country’s racist heritage.”
So, let’s talk about actions. First, I want to highlight a few ongoing initiatives of the D&I committee that we will use to oppose racism:
1. Distribute University discrimination and harassment policies to the entire community at the start of each semester with a reminder that neither are acceptable in MES/MSC
2. Organize trainings and workshops to enhance diversity, equity, and inclusion. Fall 2020 possibilities, with dedicated departmental funding to hire professional facilitators:
1. Social inclusion training
2. How to be an ally
3. Recognizing and addressing micro-aggressions
3. Host BIPOC seminar speakers with exciting research and important efforts to advance DEI.
4. Continue efforts to enhance the diversity of our graduate community.
1. Host 2nd workshop for under-represented students interested in applying to graduate school to “demystify” the application process in 2021
2. Advertise our programs more broadly (e.g., at conferences focused on URMs, at HBCUs, etc)
3. Eliminate the GRE from admissions requirements
Next, I’m excited to announce new immediate and short-term actions specifically designed to combat systemic racism:
1. Acknowledge and accommodate the challenges of the current time
1. Flexible timelines for graduate students
2. Flexible course deadlines when possible
2. Increasing our knowledge and understanding
1. Summer 2020 Anti-Racism reading groups
2. Fall 2020 Documentary / Movie Series
3. Establish a method for sharing ideas and resources related to D&I (e.g., Slack account; listserv)
3. Enhance representation in MES courses
1. Diversity course reading lists for Fall 2020 and beyond
2. Add diversity and inclusion language to syllabi in Fall 2020
4. Enhance diversity and inclusion in our community
1. Dedicated funding to recruit and retain students from under-represented groups starting in the Fall 2020 recruiting season
While we are necessarily focused in this moment on continued racial injustice targeted at the Black community, we will not forego other important D&I initiatives:
1. Mentoring and fostering exchange between the MSC and campus
1. Drs. Tara Duffy, Dan Douglass, and Stephanie Eby have funding from the NU Faculty Innovations in Diversity and Academic Excellence Grant to establish a peer mentoring program. They will pilot the undergraduate program this year.
2. Continued mentoring workshops
2. Continued evaluation of the effectiveness of D&I efforts through the MES/MSC survey
3. Enhanced focus and support for LGBTQ+ community members
Finally, I’ll end by noting that June is PRIDE month, and we recognize that there are many axes of identity, and that they often intersect. We will continue to move forward on all fronts even as we plan a targeted response to the current disproportionate burden of systemic racism on the Black community.
Hughes lab principles of community
The Hughes Lab supports and celebrates each member as individuals as well as scientists. We recognize that everyone has a unique background and our experiences may differ. We are committed to building an inclusive and equitable environment respectful of our differences in age, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, ability, race, religion, nationality, citizenship, veteran status, or socio-economic background.
We have zero tolerance for discrimination or harassment of any kind.
We will support individuals concerned with or experiencing discrimination by providing an open and supportive atmosphere, speaking up on their behalf when appropriate, and sharing information regarding relevant resources.
We acknowledge that science is not exempt from racism. We commit to promoting equity and anti-racism in the lab, department, university, and society through continual education and action.
We will harness our collective privilege, skills, knowledge, and networks to promote the wellness of systemically marginalized groups.
We are committed to open, honest, and accessible science with transparency in data acquisition and sharing. We aim to foster science communication and inform decision-making, management, and policy.
(Updated Sept 2020)
National Academy of Sciences Report on Sexual Harassment in Academic Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine - http://sites.nationalacademies.org/shstudy/index.htm
Diversity and Inclusion Resources
Below are a variety of helpful resources compiled on behalf of the Marine and Environmental Sciences Diversity and Inclusion Committee
Northeastern University policies and procedures
NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY POLICY ON EQUAL OPPORTUNITY
The Northeastern University Policy on Equal Opportunity prohibits discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, religious creed, genetic information, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, national origin, ancestry, veteran or disability status. All forms of discrimination or harassment within the University community are unacceptable and will be sanctioned appropriately.
Further, University policy and applicable law prohibit retaliation against those who, in good faith, bring or cooperate in the investigation of complaints of discrimination or harassment.
This policy and all related bias-incident complaints are overseen by the Office of Equity & Compliance located at 125 Richards Hall.
NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY TITLE IX POLICY
Northeastern University is committed to providing equal opportunity to its students and employees, and to eliminating discrimination when it occurs. In furtherance of this commitment, Northeastern University strictly prohibits discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, religious creed, genetic information, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, national origin, ancestry, veteran, or disability status.
The Northeastern University Title IX policy articulates how the University will respond to reported allegations of sexual harassment involving students, including sexual assault, and provides a consolidated statement of the rights and responsibilities under University policies and Title IX, as amended by the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013. The policy describes how areas within the University will coordinate the provision of interim remedies and the prompt and effective investigation of allegations of Prohibited Offenses.
This policy applies to all members of the University community, including students and prospective students, employees and prospective employees, faculty, staff and volunteers in connection with University activities. It further applies to on- or off-campus behavior involving students.
Useful Blogs and Articles
Small Pond Science - https://smallpondscience.com/
Some favorites:
https://smallpondscience.com/2018/11/12/actions-required-of-men-to-advance-gender-equity-in-academia/
https://smallpondscience.com/2018/04/04/please-focus-more-on-inclusion-so-that-diversity-recruitment-efforts-can-work/
https://smallpondscience.com/2018/01/16/what-a-good-recruitment-weekend-looks-like/
https://smallpondscience.com/2016/09/05/recruiting-underrepresented-minority-students/
https://smallpondscience.com/2018/02/27/powerful-truths-about-sexual-harassment/
Dynamic Ecology - https://dynamicecology.wordpress.com/
Some favorites:
https://dynamicecology.wordpress.com/2013/11/06/implicit-biases-evaluating-job-candidates/
https://dynamicecology.wordpress.com/2016/07/13/life-as-an-anxious-scientist/
https://dynamicecology.wordpress.com/2015/03/31/there-is-crying-in-science-thats-okay/
https://dynamicecology.wordpress.com/2018/03/27/there-is-shit-going-on-but-its-not-my-story-to-tell/
https://dynamicecology.wordpress.com/2014/02/04/you-do-not-need-to-work-80-hours-a-week-to-succeed-in-academia/
https://dynamicecology.wordpress.com/2018/03/20/how-my-student-has-explored-career-interests-outside-academia/
Other Useful Links
https://www.vox.com/2017/9/11/16270316/college-mobility-culture
http://diverseeducation.com/top100/pages/index.php
https://twitter.com/rlbouquet/status/827008129690959872
https://scipos.blogspot.com/2017/11/dear-scipos-readers-we-are-excited-to.html
https://news.mongabay.com/2018/02/safe-spaces-tackling-sexual-harassment-in-science/
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/confronting-sexual-harassment-in-science/
http://science.sciencemag.org/content/358/6368/1223.full
programs/organizations
Cornell University Diversity Preview Weekend - http://www.inclusivecornell.org/
Pathways to Science - http://www.pathwaystoscience.org/
NextProf Science - https://sites.lsa.umich.edu/nextprof-science/
U Michigan Environmental Fellows Program - https://efp-umich.squarespace.com/
AAAS Sea Change Program - https://www.aaas.org/news/sea-change-program-aims-transform-diversity-efforts-stem