Diversity and Inclusivity Statement

 The members of the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (EEB) research area value diversity in its membership, deliberately promoting inclusivity, and believe that every member of our community has the right to feel welcomed and respected. Historically, the field of EEB has been dominated by white, male voices and perspectives, many of which are rooted in white supremacy and eugenics. We acknowledge the many forms of discrimination that has existed and persists in our field, and strive to promote the voices of underrepresented and historically excluded communities in EEB, Purdue University, and society as a whole.

The EEB research area rejects and will actively address all forms of intolerance including microaggressions and discrimination, unconscious or otherwise. We reject all forms of exclusion based on cultural background, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender identity and/or expression, national origin, physical and/or mental differences, race, religion, sexual orientation, and/ or age. We strive to uphold our commitment to diversity and inclusion in all of our interactions, including, but not limited to, faculty meetings, committee meetings, Ecolunch seminars, lab group meetings, teaching classrooms, and informal activities. 

We believe that all people affiliated with EEB play a role in upholding our values of equity, justice, and inclusivity. Accountability is crucial in combatting discrimination and we will strive to promote reflection, ownership, and responsibility in our actions and interactions with each other and the broader community. The faculty, together with graduate students, postdocs and research technicians, will work to create an environment that promotes equity, responsibility, and action-based policies to enact positive change in an academic field embedded with historic and systemic injustice.

EEB acknowledges the traditional homelands of the Indigenous People which Purdue University is built upon, specifically the Bodéwadmik (Potawatomi), Lenape (Delaware), Myaamia (Miami), and Shawnee People who are the original Indigenous caretakers.