Broadening Participation – Recruiting and Retaining Outstanding Scientists in the Botanical Sciences

Organized by Anna K. Monfils and Ann K. Sakai BSA Human Diversity Committee

Sponsors• iDigBio• Ecology Section of Botanical Society of America• Teaching Section of Botanical Society of America• American Society of Plant

Taxonomy/Systematics Section of Botanical Society of America

Biology, Bioinformatics, Bias, and Beyond

Judith E. Skog, George Mason Univ.Jeremy O. Skog, U.S. Census Bureau

July 30. 2013

Opportunities increasing for integrative activities and research

• Biological and Computing Shared Principles (BCSP) for research projects in either directorate to study aspects where knowledge pushes both areas forward

• iPlant for opportunities to develop new methods of analysis for phylogenies

• Digitization activities for collections – ADBC and iDigBio• NEON increasing environmental data daily• Big Data activities across fields

Resources for graphs

• New information from reports issued this year–NSF Report on Women, Minorities and

Persons with Disabilities released this winter -data to 2010–American Community Survey Reports from

the Census Bureau with 2011 data on degrees

Overview of data

Degrees earned totals

NSF report B.S. and higher degrees in Bio and Comp Sci – white

B.S. and higher – African American

B.S. and higher- Hispanic

B.S. and higher - Asian

B.S. and higher - Native American

American Community Survey - degrees

• 56 million in U.S. earned Bachelor’s degrees• 20 million in STEM fields• Only 1 million in ‘integrative’ areas

ACS data: degrees by decade of birth

Degrees by level of degree

Environmental Areas

Bias and implicit bias important

• Implicit biases are pervasive: • People differ in levels of implicit bias: • Studies on implicit bias often based on gender

but it applies to all aspects of society• Most implicit bias actions are performed by

people who are unaware of them• These actions often conflict with

beliefs

Ameliorating Bias• Raise awareness of implicit bias• Seek to identify and consciously acknowledge real group and

individual differences • Routinely check thought processes and decisions for possible bias

- for more information on how to create and sustain a thriving departmental climate, see the NSF ADVANCE website, “Climate and Culture”

• Check when writing or reading letters of recommendation for bias - for more information see NSF ADVANCE website, "Letters of Recommendation“

• Be an “Active Bystander”. For tips on how to do so, see MIT’s “Active Bystander Strategies” website.

Web sites for implicit bias

• Project Implicit (http://www.projectimplicit.net/index.html)

• AWIS Women and Awards (http://www.awis.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=397)

• Rutgers University Department of Philosophy (http://philosophy.rutgers.edu/graduate-program/climate/133-graduate/climate/529-climate-of-women-implicit-bias)

• National Council of State Courts (http://www.ncsc.org/~/media/Files/PDF/Topics/Gender%20and%20Racial%20Fairness/IB_report_033012.ashx)

• NSF Advance program (http://www.portal.advance.vt.edu)

• MIT Active Bystanders (http://web.mit.edu/bystanders)

What can we do

• Mentoring – probably most important are mentors who are encouraging, supportive, and instill sense of value and grit

• Provide opportunities for integrative activities• Challenge the ‘norm’ and encourage new

approaches• Work with societies to overcome silos,

stovepipes, perceptions and bias