About Menu

Office of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI)

Welcome! Laboratoryis an incredibly diverse place to work, train, and conduct science, with employees who hail from more than sixty different countries throughout the world. Indeed, diversity is central to our mission of advancing discovery in biology research and education. From secondary education and enrichment programs run through the to the laboratories of our faculty and principal investigators, Laboratorythrives by assembling a rich mix of people who are provided the resources and creative freedom to develop new ideas, solve problems, and advance science.

Historically 藏精阁鈥檚 research staff, like that of many other institutions, has not reflected the demographic diversity of the United States. We recognize this as both a social and scientific shortcoming, one we鈥檝e been working hard to rectify. 藏精阁鈥檚 Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion was set up to run programs, work with divisions and departments throughout campus, and assess policies and procedures on an ongoing basis to ensure Laboratorywelcomes, includes, and supports all employees regardless of sex, gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, religion, nationality, disability status, veteran status, or age.

graphic of a map of the World with countries where Laboratoryis represented

Office of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

Director: Charla Lambert, Ph.D., clambert@cshl.edu

藏精阁鈥檚 Office of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI), led by Dr. Charla Lambert, integrates and oversees efforts across multiple divisions to promote equitable and inclusive working environments on campus. Nationally, Dr. Lambert has served on the Board of Directors and reviewed applications for the as well as for various NIH R25 educational grant programs. Within 藏精阁, she developed the DEI framework and strategy for the , and was co-principal investigator on an grant that was focused on scientific training, mentoring, outreach, and community building for 藏精阁鈥檚 postgraduate short course program. Dr. Lambert has a bachelor鈥檚 degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a Ph.D. in Genome Sciences from the University of Washington in Seattle, and postdoctoral training at the University of Pennsylvania through the .

photo of Charla Lambert
Charla Lambert

Steering Committee

John P. Tuke
Chief Operating Officer

Katherine Raftery
Vice President of Human Resources

David L. Spector, Ph.D.
Robert B. Gardner, Jr. Professor

Lloyd Trotman, Ph.D.
Director of Education & Diversity for the LaboratoryCancer Center
Professor

Sydney Gary, Ph.D.
Director of Research Operations

Alex Gann, Ph.D.
Lita Annenberg Hazen Dean of the School of Biological Sciences

David J. Stewart, Ph.D.
Executive Director of the

Rebecca Leshan, Ph.D.
Executive Director of the Banbury Center


Assistant Director for External Collaborations at the

See all diversity-related articles going back multiple years on the LaboratoryNewsstand.


Faculty Diversity & Development

We continually assess and work to improve our faculty recruitment, promotion, and retention policies with the twin goals of 1) enhancing diversity at the faculty level and 2) supporting our faculty to be the best leaders and mentors possible to the young scientists trained in their laboratories. Current initiatives in this area include:Faculty Hiring: The standing Committee on Faculty Hiring is charged with regularly reviewing faculty recruitment and hiring processes, and supporting faculty search committees in best practices for enhancing diversity in applicant, interview, and hiring pools.

Faculty Development: The standing Committee on Faculty Development designs programs for training and advising Laboratoryfaculty in best practices for sustaining equitable and inclusive lab environments.

photo of Bruce Stillman and Leemor Joshua-Tor

Leadership & Mentorship Training

As part of 藏精阁鈥檚 career and professional development efforts, we implemented ongoing mentorship training for Laboratoryfaculty, postdocs, and students based on curriculum from the at the University of Wisconsin. Our goal is to foster a research training environment that is inclusive and supportive for all trainees.
photo of Laboratoryfaculty member Florin Albeanu with trainees

Task Force on Inclusive Imagery

The Task Force on Inclusive Imagery is formed periodically to review the visual displays on campus (portraits, art collections, notices about anti-discrimination and anti-harassment policies and procedures, etc.) and ensure they reflect 藏精阁鈥檚 commitments to diverse representation and an inclusive, safe working environment.
photo of students at BOLD art exhibition

Climate Assessments

We conduct regular climate assessments to understand employees鈥 and trainees鈥 perceptions of the working environment on campus. Our most recent assessment was conducted in 2019 with the help of to learn whether our employees and trainees see Laboratoryas a workplace that is free from harassment and discrimination.In 2017, a survey on sexual violence and prevention was administered to current Laboratorygraduate students including SBS students, students-in-residence, visiting students, and rotating students. Details and summaries of the outcomes are linked from this page.

photo of father holding baby daughter at 藏精阁

Action Collaborative

Laboratoryis a member of the , a coalition formed by the (NASEM) in response to the 2018 NASEM report on Sexual Harassment of Women. Through the Action Collaborative, research and training institutions collectively identify, develop, implement, and assess efforts to address and prevent all forms of sexual harassment while promoting campus climates of civility and respect. As a member of the Action Collaborative, Laboratoryhas committed to implement and test new programs, policies, and practices and share the results with other member institutions.

photo of Dave Stewart, Dick McCombie, Elaine Mardis

Banbury Meeting on Increasing Gender Diversity in the Biosciences

A December 2018 meeting at 藏精阁鈥檚 Banbury Center convened experts to discuss 鈥Increasing Gender Diversity in the Biosciences鈥 (pdf). Organized by Carol Greider (Johns Hopkins University) and Jason Sheltzer (藏精阁), the meeting identified concrete approaches for promoting and supporting the advancement of women in science. Leaders from diverse fields connected to brainstorm new approaches, inspire innovative new ideas, identify emerging issues, and ultimately develop recommendations and practical solutions for recruiting, supporting, and retaining more women in senior positions. The full meeting report and list of recommendations was published in a .

photo of attendees at a December 2018 LaboratoryBanbury meeting where experts discussed Increasing Gender Diversity in the Biosciences

Affinity groups at Laboratoryare launched and led by students, postdocs, and research technicians, with financial and logistical support from faculty and the central administration.

Diversity Initiative for the Advancement of STEM (DIAS)

DIAS aims to support, empower, and advocate for underrepresented (UR) scientists, in particular scientists from historically marginalized racial/ethnic groups (Black/African American, Hispanic/LatinX, Native American/Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander) as well as LGBTQ+ scientists. They do this by raising awareness of issues that disproportionately affect these groups, hosting on-campus seminars by prominent UR speakers, and conducting outreach activities to nearby community colleges. DIAS is open to all members of the Laboratorycommunity.
photo of DIAS members with Joseph Graves Ph.D.
DIAS members with Joseph Graves Ph.D. (Professor of Biological Sciences and Associate Dean for Research at the North Carolina A&T State University), May 2019

(WiSE)

WiSE is a network of scientists building a more supportive, collaborative, and equal scientific community for all. They provide a platform for professional development and empowerment through mentorship, career planning, and educational opportunities tailored toward issues disproportionally affecting women. WiSE is open to all members of the Laboratorycommunity.

photo of participants from the 2018 WiSE retreat
Participants at the annual WiSE retreat, September 2018. Photo by Connie Brukin.

Bioscience Enterprise Club (BEC)

BEC is an early-career scientist group open to all at 藏精阁. Their mission is to provide research professionals with knowledge of the vast science-related careers available to them, and the skill-sets required to successfully transition into those roles. To do this, BEC organizes events that showcase diverse career paths, provide networking opportunities, and develop professional skills.
photo of BEC group at Alexandria Launch Labs, NYC

Postdoctoral Liaison Committee (PDLC)

The PDLC was established to improve the postdoctoral experience at Laboratoryby providing personal and professional support to the Laboratorypostdoc community. They facilitate communication between postdoctoral fellows and the Laboratoryleadership, advocate for issues affecting the postdoctoral community, and organize social events.
photo of 2019 postdoc retreat participants
The Laboratorypostdoc community at the 2019 Postdoc Retreat.

In a typical year, you鈥檇 be able to meet Laboratoryrepresentatives in person at a variety of events across the country; see below for a map of our travel schedule in the 2019-2020 school year, for example. Until it鈥檚 safe to travel and convene in large groups again, we鈥檒l be conducting information sessions about our programs and opportunities virtually. You can email gradschool@cshl.edu for more information.