The Diversity Committee seeks to add at least two to four new members to the committee starting in 2024.
The DC works to support members from all backgrounds through several main actions:
Applicants must be members of SSE (join or renew your membership) and have attended at least one Evolution meeting in the past. We are especially in search of members who have experience in leading and completing successful projects related to equity and inclusion, even in challenging circumstances. We encourage applications from individuals at all career stages, including those who are grad students, postdocs, pre-tenure faculty, or in secure or post-tenure academic or non-academic positions. This year we are particularly interested in adding new members who are grad students or postdocs.
How to Apply
Applicants should submit a brief (1-2 page) statement of interest outlining three items on which applications will be evaluated:
1) their experience with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) service;
2) any ideas, priorities, and/or events they plan to contribute during their 3-year term;
3) the unique elements of their perspective/background that they bring to the committee.
Applications should also confirm:
- career stage and institutional affiliation
- membership in SSE
- past attendance at Evolution meetings
Please submit your application by December 15, 2024 to diversity@evolutionsociety.org. Questions may also be directed to this email address.
What does the Diversity Committee do?
Many of the DC’s initiatives are created and operated with the DCs of our sister societies, the American Society of Naturalists (ASN) and the Society of Systematic Biologists (SSB). Given SSE’s commitment to promoting DEI as an ongoing effort, we are open to new initiatives and ideas on how to best serve our members and the broader community.
Examples of past efforts of the SSE DC include:
- Development and administration of a climate survey to assess inclusion and equity in evolutionary biology, in collaboration with ASN and SSB.
- Working closely with a diversity consultant to form SSE’s mission with respect to diversity, equity, and inclusion, to assess the inclusivity of SSE’s policies and practices, and to develop a strategic plan for making SSE more supportive and inclusive moving forward.
- Creation of guidelines on best practices for awards procedures.
Examples of ongoing or future efforts of the SSE DC include:
- Events at the annual Evolution meeting, including Story Collider and mixers to build community among LGBTQ+ biologists, biologists with disabilities, biologists of color, biologists at primarily undergraduate-serving institutions, and parents (see more info here).
- Improving accessibility at the Evolution meeting for scientists with disabilities, scientists of marginalized genders, and scientists who are nursing/caretaking.
- Data collection and analysis regarding the demographic composition of SSE.
- Collaborating on major initiatives with SSE Council and the Editor-in-Chief of Evolution to improve access, equity, inclusion, and diversity in our society.
The SSE Diversity Committee will promote diversity and inclusiveness to enhance the field of evolutionary biology and foster the career of its developing scientists.
A diverse and inclusive SSE will foster innovation, creativity, and inclusion at all professional levels.
Evolutionary biology as a discipline studies diversity. The SSE Diversity Committee’s goals are: 1) to celebrate and foster the inclusion of all social, racial, and economic groups in the Society and 2) to promote the advancement of the study of evolutionary biology among underrepresented groups by fostering the recruitment and retention of individuals of all identity groups. Our guiding principles are:
Inclusiveness: Improving the inclusion of underrepresented minority scientists in the field of evolutionary biology.
Retention: Devising and implementing strategies for the retention of underrepresented scientists.
Mentorship: Showing by example by pairing early-career scholars with mid-career and advanced career scientists.
Professional development: Supporting scientific and policy leaders through educational opportunities.
Informed decision making: Using data collection initiatives related to diversity to guide decisions that directly or indirectly connect to our values and guiding principles.
The Society for the Study of Evolution (SSE) is dedicated to promoting a broader understanding of evolutionary biology and its related subfields. We encourage the professional development of our members and support increasing participation and access. At the scientific core of evolutionary biology is a value for and appreciation of biological diversity. Accordingly, we welcome, support, and celebrate the diversity of our members. We are sensitive to the ways that diversity changes and grows in modern society and acknowledge that diversity principles change through time. As a professional society we promote equity, inclusion, and diversity at all levels, and we encourage participation by individuals of all groups. We encourage an inclusive, supportive, and impartial workspace free from discrimination, bigotry, sexual harassment, or violence of any kind. Finally, we strive to facilitate the effective communication of evolutionary principles to the public to foster a broader understanding of evolutionary biology, biological diversity, and cultural inclusion.
Statement Against Racism and Racial Injustice
Tri-Society Statement Against AAPI Racism
Learn more about SSE's Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).
Learn more about the Diversity Committee's founding, actions, and goals in this archived January 2020 blog post.
diversity [at] evolutionsociety.org
See the Committees page for a full list of committee members.
Best Practices - Posters and Oral Presentations
In service to the goals of the annual Evolution meeting's three sponsoring societies (ASN, SSB, and SSE), the conference organizers and the Joint Meeting Committee are committed to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment for all attendees. In 2022, the DC organized the following events, in addition to a series of mixers:
Diversity Symposium
"Field Ethics and Safety in Evolution and Ecology: Expereinces and Tools for Inclusive Practices"
With the American Society of Naturalists and the Society of Systematic Biologists Diversity Committees
Organized by Cathy Rushworth with Nancy Chen, Scott Taylor, Lily Khadempour, Tim Colston, Jessica Ware, and Tracy Heath
Evolution's Rainbow at Evolution 2022
Engaging talks and discussion on evolution’s rainbow, with special guest host Nina West. This event started with a series of talks from experts on the diversity of sex, sexuality, and gender that exist in nature, and ended with a panel discussion on how this diversity fits into a broader evolutionary context and what we as a community can do to support and retain our LGBTQ+ students and colleagues.
Organized by Jenn Coughlan, Cathy Rushworth, Scott Taylor, Arun Sethuraman, and Austin Garner
This award offers free two-year SSE memberships to 100 individuals of any career stage who identify as racial or ethnic minorities, either in their country of origin or their country of residence. This initiative is part of SSE Council’s 2020 commitment to actions to increase inclusion of and support for members of historically excluded groups, particularly individuals who identify as Black, Indigenous, or people of color (BIPOC), in the field of evolutionary biology and through all of the society’s activities and programs. Learn more and apply here.
Asher Coello, Pauline Owusu, Chris Robinson, Ruby Mustill, and Jeremy Yoder present true, personal stories about their experiences in evolutionary biology at the 3rd Joint Congress on Evolutionary Biology in Montreal.
At the Evolution 2019 meeting in Providence, RI, the Diversity Committee hosted a special event by the Story Collider, where five scientists shared their true, personal stories. Listen below. Photos by David Del Poío.
Aparna Agrawal
Patty Brennan
Ambika Kamath
C. Brandon Ogbunu
Scott Taylor
