Counteracting Systemic Bias in the Lab, Field, and Classroom
- Emily H.G. Cooperdock,
- Christine Chen,
- Victor E. Guevara,
- James R. Metcalf
Abstract
Grappling with systemic discrimination and bias in geosciences can be
overwhelming to the point that one may feel powerless to fix them.
Despite the sweeping nature of this challenge, faculty, principal
investigators, and other scientists with leadership roles have
unparalleled power to mitigate harm in environments they oversee. Here,
we identify ways that scientists in these roles can immediately address
bias in three common spaces --- the lab, field, and classroom. We
highlight key actions that can be taken to improve the quality of life
of marginalized students and other trainees quickly, while important but
comparatively slow institutional changes proceed.