Commitment to equity in education

 

The Grabe lab is committed to training the next generation of scientists by providing its members with the intellectual environment and support needed to become leaders in the scientific community. Our belief that everyone should have access to a quality education, training, and mentorship in order to achieve their goals is rooted in the ideals of social justice and equity. In dedication to this belief we feel we must first acknowledge that systemic inequalities exist at all levels of our society that erect barriers to some that are not present to others. In particular, Black people in our country have experienced a long history of systemic inequity and injustice that continues to this day. Additionally, other traditionally marginalized populations in society also continue to experience systemic disadvantages, including women, members of other racial minorities, and members of sexual minorities, for example. To combat this inequality we strive to create opportunities in our lab for those from underrepresented backgrounds at the high school, undergraduate, graduate, and post-doctoral levels, and most importantly, to provide continued mentorship and advocacy for our members once they leave the lab as they navigate the different stages of their career. We believe that by taking action to help level the playing field we can increase opportunities for those who have been historically excluded, which will ultimately improve the scientific community and help society at large reach its full potential.

 

Our educational mission & lab culture

In addition to improving representation in our lab, we strive to build an inclusive environment in which our members support and feel supported by each other both professionally and personally. We believe a sense of inclusivity will help our lab members learn and grow as scientists and leaders. We attempt to provide this feeling of inclusivity by (1) being generous with our time so that all members have the opportunity to speak and receive attention (2) being accepting of new ideas and needs of all members, and lastly (3) being kind to all our members. We are also dedicated to addressing any harmful behavior that is in violation of our goals toward achieving an inclusive environment in a swift manner. Outside of the lab, we continue to breath life into our values by using these practices as we engage with our colleagues here at UCSF, in our communities in San Francisco, throughout the Bay Area, and nationally through numerous professional societies. In addition to our scientific endeavors, we continually educate ourselves on issues of equity and social justice through group discussions on current topics and through reading the relevant literature.