Botanical gardens historically are exclusive spaces, but the University of Washington is working to change that. Many gardens originated as private spaces for predominantly white and wealthy individuals, said UW Botanic Gardens director Christina Owen. The collections were often curated through a process of stealing and renaming before the gardens were gifted as land to cities and universities. “There’s a history of colonialism in many botanic gardens,” said Owen.
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The UW Department of Atmospheric Sciences strives to create an inclusive and welcoming environment where students, staff and faculty are supported and set up for success. Department Chair Cecilia Bitz has prioritized Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, citing her personal work history as a motivator to create an equitable environment. “Diversity is so important to me personally because when I started my career, women were definitely a minority,” she said.
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On April 8, 2022, the College of the Environment hosted a community discussion about diversity, equity, and inclusion, grounded in the College’s recent DEI Taskforce Report. Dean Maya Tolstoy was joined by DEI Taskforce co-chairs LuAnne Thompson and Russell Callender, as well as UW Vice President of Minority Affairs & Diversity and Chief Diversity Officer Rickey Hall.
Read more »How do we accomplish change that lasts, especially with complex issues such as diversity, equity and inclusion? That question lies at the heart of conversations that have been occurring over the past two years in University of Washington’s Program on the Environment (PoE). PoE is an interdisciplinary undergraduate program where students study and reflect upon intersections of the environment and human societies, and the primary unit in the College of the Environment offering a Bachelor of Arts degree.
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“Our community acknowledges that we must work to address the culture of white supremacy in our department and in the geosciences as a whole. We must ensure that racial and gender microaggressions, exclusion, bullying, and discriminatory remarks are addressed as pervasive, systemic issues.” The School of Oceanography’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Statement of Acknowledgement recognizes the lack of racial diversity in the geosciences, citing a study that found little to no progress on that front over the past four decades.
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