DIVERSITY

If you've ever been to a large meeting of ecologists or environmental scientists, you probably noticed that racial diversity was pretty low among the attendees. Much of the STEM World is now trying to increase participation by underrepresented minorities and make STEM more equitable and inclusive. But this is a problem with deep roots. Fixing the imbalance will take time and long-term commitment.

I myself am an adopted Korean. I’ve spent my entire life in the U.S., where I’ve had the good fortune to grow up in a series of diverse settings. This included some difficult moments as I struggled to understand my place. But never fitting in too easily with a single peer group turned out to be a blessing because I now understand the value of diversity at a deep and very personal level.

High school, senior football photo. See a future ecologist in the mix?
Rooftop lunch in Gatlinburg, TN with the 2017 Team: (left-right) Serena Moncion, Daijona Revell, Raquel Wetzell, and Felisha Walls.

Rooftop lunch in Gatlinburg, TN with the 2017 Team: (left-right) Serena Moncion, Daijona Revell, Raquel Wetzell, and Felisha Walls.

In summer 2018, I recruited a new group of underrepresented research assistants and repeated the process. But this time, we started in Winthrop, WA, just east of North Cascades National Park. We then headed south to the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest, near McKenzie Pass, OR. The trip ended at Lake Tahoe, CA. In total, we enjoyed 900+ miles of gorgeous scenery, good company, and awesome streams. Click here to learn more about the 2018 trip!

Now as a professor at a major university, I have dedicated myself to increasing STEM diversity. In 2016, I was awarded a CAREER grant from the National Science Foundation that allowed me to mentor and train several cohorts of underrepresented minorities. In summer 2017, I led a small team of underrepresented research assistants on a survey of eastern U.S. streams, beginning in Front Royal, VA and ending in 700+ miles to the south in Tuscaloosa, AL. Click here to read all about the 2017 adventure!

Perched high above the Skagit River in North Cascades National Park, WA. The 2018 team includes (left-right): Khalil Carson, Adriana Diaz, Felisha Walls, and Vanessa Czeszynski.

These extended road trips were great opportunities to get some promising students engaged in freshwater ecology. But the real benefit materialized a few years later. In 2020, I was approached by Amy Rosemond (Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia) with a proposition to help build a much larger National Science Foundation training program for underrepresented students. I took up the challenge, using my CAREER project as a template for expanded training activities. We were successful: the EMERGE project is now a fully-funded reality, and we are changing the face of science. Click on the EMERGE logo below to visit the program website and learn all about the more diverse future of freshwater science!