Developing the ecological scientist mindset among underrepresented students in ecology fields

Abstract

How do students discover ecology? Answering this question is essential for diversifying the environmental workforce because scientific disciplines, such as ecology, are often not discovered until students enter academia and are exposed to different disciplinary options. Ecology, and many of the environmental sciences, have persistent and alarmingly low numbers of underrepresented minorities (URM; African American, Hispanic American, Native American, and Pacific Islanders), while other science and technology fields have shown progress in diversification. Why does such underrepresentation persist in environmental disciplines? Social factors such as sense of belonging, science identity, implicit biases, and stereotypes all have been explored and are known to influence the participation of URM students in science. The unique role of the field experience in environmental sciences as a "rite of passage" and "authentic" research experience is one important influence on how URM students experience ecology. Interventions using social elements such as belonging and sense of place are demonstrated ways to broaden participation particularly in environmental science fields, yet dramatic underrepresentation still persists. Here we review known factors affecting and enhancing the recruitment and retention of URMs in the sciences and focus on comprehensive strategies shown to be effective recruiting URM students into the environmental workforce.

Diverse values, philosophies and ideas beget innovation and resilience in ecology and for our world

“…These experiences have been transformative, leading us towards ever greater appreciation of the wisdom and knowledge that comes from "seeing the world with two eyes," as the braiding of Indigenous and Eurocentric science axiologies and epistemologies has been described by James Rattling Leaf (2021) from the Rosebud Sioux Tribe. From this perspective, our commentary on Bowser and Cid (2021) aims to highlight specific aspects of collaborative learning needed to build a scientific community in which our differences are seen as assets and there are not rites of passage, which we see as barriers. Listening to understand is essential to see how an experience in the field, the classroom, the lab, at a meeting or online may invite someone into the field of ecology or alienate them from it at any career stage.…”

Motivating Self-Efficacy in Diverse Biomedical Science Post-baccalaureate and Graduate Students Through Scientific Conference Implementation

“…Literature reviews focused program characteristics of initiatives designed to increase UR student participation in STEM and other health-related disciplines appear to focus more on individual skill development, even when interventions are conducted in a group or cohort setting (Kirui and McGee, 2021;Ureña et al, 2021). Other interventions that are conducted in group settings and centered on fieldwork activities have also been described and may also increase UR student persistence, self-efficacy, and science identity (Bowser and Cid, 2021).…”

Broadening the ecological mindset

“…How do people discover ecology and how does that process influence the face of ecology? These are questions posed by Bowser and Cid (2021) (henceforth "B&C"), wherein they describe an "ecological mindset" and focus on how it can be solidified by field experiences. We agree with B&C that their logic model focusing on the "4C's" (comfort with ecological field experiences, connection to the study site through sense of place, confidence through team-building exercises and fieldwork engagement, and capability through comprehensive field research programs [italics as in B&C]) can provide an entr ee for minoritized or marginalized students into an ecological mindset.…”