The Beratan Lab at Duke University represents a diverse community of graduate students, postdocs, faculty, and staff. We acknowledge the historical and current existence of societal barriers, which persist to varying degrees across academic institutions. We believe that establishing a set of core values and approaches toward promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion is critical for the success of the Beratan lab within and beyond the scientific community.
The members of the Beratan Lab acknowledge the privilege that accompanies professions within academia. Moreover, we recognize that those with positions of power have the ability to actively leverage their power to create a more equitable workforce, community, and society at large. By upholding the values put forth by this statement, we aspire to use our privilege to elevate the voices and experiences of others, particularly those of individuals and groups that belong to underrepresented communities within and beyond STEM fields.
We commit ourselves as a group and as individuals to actively support the diverse strengths we all bring to the table. The Beratan Lab thus affirms the value of all individuals regardless of race, ethnicity, age, national origin, gender identity, communication style, sexual orientation, primary language, job position, as well as status with respect to immigration, socioeconomics, education, family structure, veteran experience, and medical conditions, including disabilities.
It is important that we remain accountable; if we see or hear any actions that are discriminatory and/or harmful to any person – within our lab, at conferences, in the classroom, etc. – we will support the person or the persons harmed in any way we can and work to not have similar actions repeated. We also recognize our responsibility towards the larger community, and we commit to be active in connecting and strengthening our ties to our local communities. We believe and emphasize that all individuals should have access and opportunities to pursue the career path of their choice. When drawing on resources outside of Duke University, we commit to having our activities represent the demographics of the country, not just the demographics found in academia.
We commit ourselves to uphold these community values and ensure that all spaces are safe for respectful discussion and collaboration. We strongly believe that an inclusive environment, where ideas can be discussed critically and respectfully, is fundamental for innovative science and for the mental and physical well-being of the group members.
This statement was written and approved by all members of the Beratan Lab as of March 6th, 2023.
