“Diversity: the art of thinking independently together” – Malcolm Forbes
“The hardest problems of pure and applied science can only be solved by the open collaboration of the worldwide scientific community” – Kenneth G. Wilson
In the Becklin Lab, we believe that diversity promotes a deeper understanding of science and more innovative solutions by bringing together different perspectives and ways of knowing. We are actively involved in local and national initiatives to increase public engagement in science and promote the recruitment and retention of diverse people and ideas in science. We are always looking for new opportunities and community partners to connect people with science in ways that matter.
Syracuse University’s Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE) program has proudly supported the recruitment, persistence, and advancement of women and their allies in STEM since 1999. I am a faculty leader for undergraduate WiSE programs. In this role, I co-developed a series of workshops for first-year students focused on Women in Science. The goals of this program were to raise awareness about gender issues in STEM, foster a community for young women scientists on campus, and through mentoring help these students develop the tools to succeed in STEM.
microSURE is a NSF-funded internship program that connects students at Ongondaga Community College with research scientists. The Becklin Lab has hosted OCC students each year since the program began in 2021.
The Engaged Humanities Network (EHN) at Syracuse University is committed to the pursuit of more inclusive, interconnected, and just communities and institutions. Toward these ends, the network seeds, supports, and fosters exchanges across publicly engaged research, teaching, and creative projects. The Natural Science Explorers Program was first funded by a grant from the EHN in 2022. The EHN continues to grow and connect people across the Central New York region.
NSEP is a student-led program that seeks to inspire scientific curiosity in local K-12 students. We use inquiry-based learning and culturally responsive teaching to engage students in the scientific process and empower them to explore the natural world around them. Started in 2022 with the help of an Engaged Humanities grant, NSEP has worked with over 350 students at North Side Learning Center, a local community center that serves immigrant and refugee families in North Syracuse.
PlantingScience is a Student-Teacher-Scientist partnership that was founded in 2005 by the Botanical Society of America. This innovative program facilitates mentoring relationships with real plant scientists and teams of middle school and high school students. I have been an active mentor in PlantingScience since 2008. Mentoring young scientists through this program is always a rewarding experience that reminds me of the passion and inquisitiveness that brought me to science in the first place.
