In 2017, acts of hate and violence unfolded on the campus of a peer institution, the University of Virginia. 2020 was a year of reckoning with systemic racism in academic institutions and broader communities across the country. Our university’s leadership explained why diversity and inclusion are central to the university’s role in society. In statements from the Provost, UGA Alumni Relations, and numerous heads of schools, colleges and administrative units, a unified call arose — to reject bias, prejudice, and hate, and to welcome and nurture diversity. Addressing the injustices perpetrated by excluding and oppressing minoritized groups of people, is a fundamental part of the public university’s mission: to work toward the betterment of ALL members of society.
Respect, inclusion, and justice are vital to our integrity as an academic institution and as a society. Every student, faculty member, staff, and affiliate of the University has the right to an equitable, respectful, peaceful, and intellectually supportive environment. In our lab group, and in the campus units we belong to, fostering inclusion and belonging is a core principle and an active mission. Universities are intellectual communities with global citizenship, and the work we do is enriched by the diversity of backgrounds, identities, beliefs, and life stories that every one of our members brings. It is vitally important to our academic and service missions to ensure that the environment and opportunities are equally supportive and accessible to all members of that community, regardless of who they are.
PURSUING EQUITY, DIVERSITY, AND PLURALISM IN RESEARCH AND SCHOLARSHIP
Diversity, inclusion, and belonging are also widely recognized to facilitate and enrich the production of knowledge, and especially knowledge that is applicable to real-world problem solving (read more about the value of diversity here). As we seek to understand and address complex sustainability challenges, diversity and inclusion stimulate greater collaborative creativity, new insights, and a pluralistic integration of many viewpoints on issues — all of which strengthen our science and decision-making.
It’s equally important to recognize that the way scientists and scholars build knowledge is shaped by the social and cultural milieu of our academic traditions. And academic traditions have have histories. Our lab’s work seeks to contribute to the growing body of scholars and knowledge-holders — within and beyond academia — who recognize that (quoting from Auerbach, Trisos, and Katti) “the growth of western scientific knowledge is rooted in colonialism. Recognizing that science is not free of power and violence is a step towards improving knowledge systems and making them fit for purpose for an inclusive world. An approach that continues to center western-trained scientists in understanding the world restricts research and limits ecology’s ability to address environmental crises, because it fails to recognize a diversity of people, knowledge systems and solutions. From climate and environmental justice to conservation movements and global environmental assessments, including a diversity of worldviews on human–environment relations is necessary for a just transition to a more sustainable world.”
| Our university prohibits “discrimination against any person because of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, ethnicity or national origin, religion, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran status.” Further, “Prohibited bias factors will not be permitted to have an adverse influence upon decisions regarding students, employees, applicants for admission, applicants for employment, contractors, or volunteers or participants in or users of institutional programs, services, and activities.” (UGA EOO) |