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Tag: diversity in STEM

Welcome to the Weaver Lab: An interview with Dr. Lesley Weaver

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[Dr. Lesley Weaver poses for a head shot wearing a bright, cobalt blue top, smiling facing the camera, and wearing her black, curly hair down and parted on the side.]

Dr. Lesley Weaver, an alum of IU’s Department of Biology, has returned to campus as an Assistant Professor after her finishing her postdoctoral research at Johns Hopkins University. This past September, I had the opportunity to interview her about her experience as an early career researcher, setting up her lab, navigating IU in her new role as an Assistant Professor, and how the COVID-19 pandemic shift to online has simultaneously highlighted issues with and solutions to accessibility and diversity in academia.

Diversity in Sciences Libraries

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[A woman sits at a laptop with books spread around her.]

In 2019, Inside Higher Ed used federal data to show that Latinx and black students switched out of STEM majors at rates of 8% and 11% higher than their white counterparts. This led to people in higher education trying to figure out why BIPOC students did not feel supported enough to stay in STEM fields. The truth is that higher education is white-centric and reinforces many of the same layers of systemic racism that are more widely acknowledged in government, courts, policing, prisons, and beyond. To ensure that all students feel welcome and secure in STEM spaces, collegiate science libraries have launched many initiatives to support BIPOC students in tangible ways…

What’s in a name? How the Black Lives Matter movement is reshaping bird taxonomy

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[A drawing of a black bird is centered on the image. The bird is enclosed in a blue circle with a gold border. A black box with white text that reads “Bird Names for Birds” is located on top of the bird’s legs.]

Since May 2020, millions of people around the world have shown their support for the Black Lives Matter movement by attending protests, posting on social media, and signing petitions. In the scientific community, perhaps one of the most vocal groups of researchers for this social justice movement has been birders. The birding community was the first group of scientists to create a social media initiative to celebrate diversity in STEM in May 2020: Black Birders Week.

It can’t be about science right now

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[Black protesters hold up fists in the air.]

In the aftermath of George Floyd and many others’ murders, police and armed forces have instigated violence against peaceful protesters across the nation. Our small community in Bloomington is no exception to racism and pervasive tolerance of it. We at ScIU support the Black Lives Matter movement and the peaceful protests occurring across the country, and we condemn the escalating violence at the hands of local police departments, federal service members, and elected officials. Below is a starting point for helping protesters, amplifying the voices of Black scientists, and engaging with anti-racist literature…

How failure fuels science: Perspectives from two early-career ecologists

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Two scientists working at the lab bench, preparing fungal tissues for staining.

Saskia Klink is a PhD student at the University of Bayreuth, who is collaborating with Adrienne Keller. Recently, Adrienne traveled to Germany to work with Saskia on several research projects in her lab. This post is an outgrowth of their discussions together during that time. Check out their previous post to learn more about their… Read more »

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