“The powerful unity of each individual’s uniqueness”

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The IRIS Lab at the University of Florida places a high degree of importance on celebrating the differences that we share as lab members.  We form a community that constantly emphasizes learning from one another, and we welcome people from any background to become a part of our team.  We work towards providing opportunities for every lab member to have a say in how they wish to contribute to the team, and we value learning about the different experiences that each individual may have had in the past:  “Every voice counts.”  By taking every team member’s thoughts and ideas into consideration, we are able to develop the best work possible for our lab in research, teaching, and outreach education.  IRIS Lab members are allowed and encouraged to take their own approach on how to participate in diverse projects.

 

We respect and value each individual’s uniqueness:  “Everyone has something important to bring to the table.”  Our approach to diversity, inclusion, and equity is based on creating an environment where everyone feels comfortable to ask questions, participate in discussions, give feedback, and share their own life, academic, research, and learning experiences.  The IRIS Lab is a co-creation of all our members, and we form a collaborative, inclusive community of lifelong learners.  We are constantly evolving to discover our own selves, our individuality, our passions, and how can we help our world.

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Here are some examples of what we have done to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion in our group and our communities:

• Participating in the University Multicultural Mentorship Program

• Encouraging lab member participation in research conferences catered towards minorities in STEM fields

• Incorporating bilingual approaches into our outreach educational program, the ImportANTS of Ants

• Collaborating with organizations that prioritize diversity, inclusion, and equity in the UF community (e.g., UF Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences)

• Creating shareable information about our research, teaching, and outreach education activities on social media platforms (e.g., YouTube, Facebook) to increase accessibility

• Providing opportunities for community members to share their diverse viewpoints and connect with us (please see the form below)