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| Mural, 24th. Street, Chicago. (Seth Anderson via Flickr) |
What is diversity?
One challenge to conversations about diversity is a lack of precision in language. The word “diversity” is used in many contexts to mean many different things. Often, and unfortunately, diversity is used as the antonym of heterosexual, able-bodied, middle-class-to-wealthy white male. This is not what diversity is about. The New Oxford American Dictionary gives us this definition:
diversity |diˈvərsitē, dī-| noun: (a) the state of being diverse; variety: there was considerable diversity in the style of the reports. (b) a range of different things: newspapers were obliged to allow a diversity of views to be printed.
Why does diversity matters in science?
1. Diversity is critical to excellence.
2. Lack of diversity represents a loss of talent.
3. Enhancing diversity is key to long-term economic growth and global competitiveness.
Scientific American: Diversity in STEM, Kenneth (Kenny) Gibbs, Jr., PhD
Cancer Prevention Fellow, National Cancer Institute.
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