Harnessing Data for Inclusive Ecology Education: Building Programs to Move the Discipline Toward Systemic Change

Abstract

IntroductionOver the years, universities and academic societies have developed intervention programs to counter the underrepresentation of students from communities historically and presently marginalized in science (

Who are we? Highlighting Nuances in Asian American Experiences in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

“…We urge ecologists and evolutionary biologists to take a different path. By thinking critically about the ways we collect, present, and interpret data about students in ecology and evolution, we can attend to the different ways students experience racism in our field and build more inclusive learning spaces (Cheng et al 2021). Specifically, recognizing the heterogeneity of the Asian American experience positions us to address the specific barriers that exclude Asian Americans in laboratories and department spaces; eliminate policies that allow organizations to deny funding for underrepresented Asian Americans; and increase the representation of Asian Americans in faculty and other leadership positions.…”

Overcoming racism in the twin spheres of conservation science and practice

“…Prioritize inclusive teaching practices in conservation courses by embracing the tenets of inclusive course design, active learning modalities and service learning techniques, to encourage broader participation and interest in conservation sciences. Recommended reading [64][65][66][67].…”

Surviving Racism and Sexism in Academia: Sharing Experiences, Insights, and Perspectives

“…It is widely acknowledged that gender bias is pervasive in all levels of academia, affecting all women regardless of social identity (Llorens et al 2021). Despite many resources invested into diversifying the workforce in ecology, little has changed in terms of retention of underrepresented minorities (URM; Miriti 2020, Cheng et al 2021). This is especially true for groups at the intersection of different identities, such as women of color or indigenous women.…”

“…This is especially true for groups at the intersection of different identities, such as women of color or indigenous women. The bottleneck for retention in academia seems to be the lack of minority representation at the higher ranks: increasing the diversity of incoming students without diversifying the faculty body limits URM students' sense of belonging and their ability to envision themselves pursuing successful careers in Ecology (Miriti 2020, Cheng et al 2021, Berhe et al 2022). Unless we fix the institutional discrimination against faculty of color and/or underrepresented backgrounds, especially women, lift the barriers for their recruitment, retention and advancement, and recognize and reward the extra efforts they devote to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, there is little hope for improving diversity in the sciences.…”