Science as an institution was founded on structural and institutional racism, inequality, and exploitation, some of which still persists today. We passionately believe that diversity, inclusion, and equity in the workplace and community at large stimulates creativity, innovation, engagement, and success.
We pledge be anti-racist, anti-sexist, and pro-LGBTQ+, and anti-discrimination. We will do so by actively standing up against forms of injustice and intolerance including, but not limited to, statements and acts of overt racism, sexism, and other prejudices; language and action rooted in innate biases; and suggestions of othering, tone-policing, reverse racism or sexism, discursive racism or sexism, and privilege.
We pledge to continue educating our social and workplace communities on the crucial need to acknowledge and understand the difference between ideals or goals for a more just society and the actions that lead to true inclusion and respect for diversity.
We will continue to devote ourselves to identifying and executing structural and institutional solutions that will provide equal access to tools and opportunities for people of all races, genders, religion, and experiences.
We will remain humbly committed to increasing our tolerance for feedback by not being afraid to ask questions or to receive feedback, by evaluating our reactions to feedback, and by accepting the discomfort of giving and receiving "call outs" for the benefit of learning.
On October 20, 2023, Tracy will host Dr. Josh Gross, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, for a seminar titled, "Sensory evolution in the dark: Touch, taste and adaptation in subterranean animals."
To highlight and celebrate the ‘tangled bank’ of activities that make our department the remarkable community it is, Doug Taylor, Chair of Biology, worked with Tracy, Chair of the Community Committee to commission a newsletter that was released in September 2023.
Tracy Larson received a MIRA R35 ESI from the National Institute of General Medicine to study the limits of degeneration and regeneration in the neural circuits underlying singing behavior.
