Ecologically, lichen plays a significant role in the formation of flourishing ecosystems by breaking apart rock formations using small fungal threads to form fertile soil which supports a growing complexity/diversity of life. This essay uses lichen as a metaphor to describe fossilized constructs (colonial epistemologies and ontologies,…

This mixed methods study aimed to explore the perceptions of employees' belongingness, uniqueness, and inclusivity within the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) system. A survey with quantitative and qualitative questions was used for data collection from February to April 2021. Respondents were UF/IFAS…

In higher education, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) statements are texts written by faculty members which explain their commitments to improving education for marginalized students. Requesting, reviewing, and acting upon DEI statements is just one practice, among others, which higher education institutions can use to transform individual…

Many professions necessitate a graduate-level education, and research conducted by graduate students is integral in many fields, particularly those in the life science programs like ecology and environmental sciences. However, practices for recruiting and selecting graduate students are inconsistent among and within institutions. Although some…

College students with identities traditionally marginalized in scientific disciplines are more engaged and more likely to remain in science if they feel that they belong in their science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) classes and departments. In this qualitative case study, we elevated marginalized student voices to learn how…

In an attempt to redesign science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) departments to be more inclusive of all student populations, institutions of higher learning are reviewing their programs, policies, and the ways they engage students. The Partnership for Undergraduate Life Sciences Education (PULSE) has been working with STEM…

Professional STEM societies have been identified as an important lever to address STEM diversity, equity, and inclusion. In this "Perspectives" article, we chronicle the highlights of the first Amplifying the Alliance to Catalyze Change for Equity in STEM Success (ACCESS+) convening held in September 2021. Here, we introduce the…

This study presents a case for decolonising the life sciences curriculum to improve representation of the Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic (BAME) scholars--a step in eliminating the race "awarding gap". Here, we investigated diversity among authors in terms of ethnicity and gender of reading lists at the School of Life Sciences,…

Agricultural and Life Science (AgLS) research tends to focus on the need for a globally competent workforce prepared to work with diverse populations. However, as AgLS education mirrors society, minoritized populations in AgLS are marginalized and othered. Further, AgLS curricula continues to frame agriculture through a white male lens;…