Diversity and Outreach

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Successful research groups are made up of diverse individuals who contribute different perspectives to push research and knowledge forward. The FINN Lab is committed to fostering an inclusive environment where all individuals have equitable opportunities to contribute to our research mission and further their own career goals. We acknowledge that many individuals face systemic bias and discrimination in their personal and professional lives that place unique hurdles in their path to becoming academic researchers and/or pursuing other, related careers. These biases and discriminatory practices include but are not limited to race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, socio-economic status, class, and religion. We also acknowledge that, following events in the recent past, countless groups and individuals have put forth statements such as this one, to the point where some find that they are losing meaning: after all, actions speak louder than words. At the same time, at least some of our colleagues that belong to minoritized groups have told us that seeing these statements helps them to feel on a very basic level that their concerns and values might be heard and taken seriously. The way we see it, statements like this can only hurt if the act of putting a statement on a website lulls us into feeling that we’ve already done enough to address issues of inclusivity. To be clear, the work of being inclusive lies not in writing these words, but in educating ourselves on the history and presence of racism, hate, and discrimination in our country, in confronting our own biases, in listening to our minoritized colleagues, and in actively seeking out ways to support and promote them and their work. We expect to be held accountable — by ourselves and others — according to the actions we take to create more equitable spaces, and to attract and support individuals from diverse backgrounds moving forward.