Associate Professor University of Miami Miami, Florida, United States
In 2020, over 70% of the PhD level degree earners within the United States identified as white, while only 7% identified as Black. Within the last ten years the amount of Bachelor's degrees in science and engineering earned by Black students has not changed, indicating that efforts in recruitment and retention to earn science and engineering degrees has not been successful. In addition to this, women, regardless of race, had lower median wages than men in science and engineering. This evidence shows that race and gender identity greatly impact the retention and success of an individual within the sciences. This discrepancy is also evident in ecology. For example, only 0.7% of the 2006 ESA membership identified as Black (15/2191), and while this number has hopefully increased, chances are that it is still below the current average of 9% for Black people within the STEM workforce found by National Science Foundation. Given these numbers, there is a gap in retention, particularly of Black women within ecology due to social, economical, and systemic racist practices. To address these issues I felt that healing with our community was needed. In 2020, I started a 501(c)(3) non-profit called Black Women in Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Science (BWEEMS). Our mission is to provide a network that embraces diverse perspectives and equitable collaboration for Black women in ecology, evolution, and marine science. Our vision is to establish a Black women-led community, where we can cultivate our own narrative and lead through innovation. In addition to discussing BWEEMS I will also discuss my own laboratory’s research on coral ecosystem immunity and how the creation of BWEEMS has enlivened my research in unexpected ways.
