People – including students and biologists – exhibit a diverse set of backgrounds and identities. However, most students are not exposed to a diversity of role models in science, and many students are taught science in a way that (often unintentionally) does not feel inclusive to them or their communities. Project Biodiversify is an initiative founded by ecology graduate students at Michigan State University and UC-Davis. The mission of Project Biodiversify is to create and distribute a repository of teaching materials and methods aimed at enhancing human diversity and inclusivity in biology courses.
Three Biodiversify teaching workshops are being sponsored by Cornell’s LGBT Resource Center in late August, with presentations given by Cornell graduate students including Andrew Scheldorf in the Field of Horticulture. Registration link
Title: Race is/not Biological
Bam Willoughby, Africana Studies, Monday, August 24 3:00 – 4:00 pm
Traditionally we accept that there is no biological basis for race. However, there is a lot about biology that has to do with race! This workshop seeks to privilege race in the teaching of sexual reproduction. This workshop will explore how teaching sexual reproduction has historically been about race. Come and learn how while there is no biological basis for race, race is still biological!
Inclusive teaching for LGBTQ+ students
Leland Graber, Entomology, Wednesday, August 26, 3:00 – 4:00 pm
Come learn about easily implementable ways to make your teaching more inclusive of LGBTQ+ students! Folks with any levels of experience with the LGBTQ+ community are encouraged to attend. Topics to be covered include navigating pronouns and preferred names, teaching sex and gender in an accurate and inclusive way, and how to better provide classroom representation for queer and trans students. The workshop component will allow instructors to use their own material and discuss with other participants the best ways to make their materials inclusive for LGBTQ+ students.
Teaching accurate and inclusive sexual selection
Andrew Scheldorf, Horticulture, Friday, August 28 3:00-4:00 pm
Sexual selection is a commonly taught topic in biology, but it can be taught in ways that exclude diverse gender and sexualities in nature and in humans. This short course is targeted at teaching sexual selection and other biological concepts in a more inclusive and accurate way that demonstrates the diversity found in nature and also allows the students to continue to learn about the interactive process of science.
Meeting registration link (will let you choose which you are interested in)
https://cornell.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJwsd-2tqzMsH9eeC5hI7GS4NIZhA4-qk_fb