This is a living document that reflects the consensus of the current lab community. We revise this annually as turnover in lab composition brings new people, ideas, perspectives, and priorities. Anyone interested in joining the lab is encouraged to read this document. Last update: October 2023
Research philosophy
We view scientific discovery as a privilege, a responsibility, and a means of personal intellectual growth. We commit ourselves to advancing basic understanding of nature and contributing to foundations of knowledge that facilitate solutions to environmental problems. We are also committed to using our research as a vehicle for training new generations of investigators in ways that create opportunity and broaden participation in STEM. We value collaboration amongst each other and with colleagues in other labs and institutions, and recognize that each of us has things we can teach and things we can learn from others.
Expectations for our work environment
We work to create a safe and inclusive environment where each of us is free to express our ideas and identities fully and authentically. We value productive communication. Disagreement can be an important element of scientific progress, but we navigate any differences of opinion professionally. We reject all forms of harassment, bullying, and micro-aggression. We reject all forms of discrimination, oppression, and supremacy, including but not limited to racism, misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, and ableism. At the same time, we give each other the grace to make mistakes, and to make good-faith efforts to learn and grow from our mistakes.
Well-being and work-life balance
We value a culture of care in which personal well-being takes precedence over research priorities. This is particularly important in field settings, where the safety and well-being of the research team are never compromised for science.
We do our best scientific work when we are rested and healthy. We have ambitious scientific goals, but we strive to balance scientific productivity with a happy and healthy personal life. There is no expectation to work in the evenings or on weekends, although sometimes field research may require work outside of typical working hours. If emails or messages are sent outside of work hours, there is no expectation of immediate reply.
Diversity, equity, inclusion, and decolonization
For much of its history, the science of Ecology has been centered on a positionality that is white, male, and from the Global North. The exclusion of all other groups is not only a social injustice but it has also hampered ecological understanding because a diverse scientific community offers unique ways of seeing, interacting with, and understanding nature. We commit ourselves to creating a more inclusive and equitable scientific community through our research, teaching, mentorship, and outreach. We also recognize that the history of colonialism touches every element of the scientific enterprise, especially in Ecology. Much of our field research occurs on lands that were stolen from Indigenous peoples. It is our responsibility to understand that history and use it to guide a decolonized approach to research. We recognize that words are not enough regarding all aspects of diversity, equity, inclusion, and decolonization, thus we hold ourselves and each other accountable to back up our words with actions that include staying informed on these issues and creating safe spaces to discuss them.
Rice University Resources
Disability Resource Center - https://drc.rice.edu/
Disability Resources for Students - https://drc.rice.edu/students
Rice Multicultural Center - https://mcc.rice.edu/
Title IX FAQ - https://titleix.rice.edu/faqs
Title IX policy - https://policy.rice.edu/828
Discrimination, Harassment and Sexual Misconduct Complaint Form - https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?RiceUniv&layout_id=16
Bias Incident Reporting - https://dei.rice.edu/report-bias
Rice Center for Career Development identity-based-resources - https://ccd.rice.edu/students/career-resources/identity-based-resources
Research philosophy
We view scientific discovery as a privilege, a responsibility, and a means of personal intellectual growth. We commit ourselves to advancing basic understanding of nature and contributing to foundations of knowledge that facilitate solutions to environmental problems. We are also committed to using our research as a vehicle for training new generations of investigators in ways that create opportunity and broaden participation in STEM. We value collaboration amongst each other and with colleagues in other labs and institutions, and recognize that each of us has things we can teach and things we can learn from others.
Expectations for our work environment
We work to create a safe and inclusive environment where each of us is free to express our ideas and identities fully and authentically. We value productive communication. Disagreement can be an important element of scientific progress, but we navigate any differences of opinion professionally. We reject all forms of harassment, bullying, and micro-aggression. We reject all forms of discrimination, oppression, and supremacy, including but not limited to racism, misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, and ableism. At the same time, we give each other the grace to make mistakes, and to make good-faith efforts to learn and grow from our mistakes.
Well-being and work-life balance
We value a culture of care in which personal well-being takes precedence over research priorities. This is particularly important in field settings, where the safety and well-being of the research team are never compromised for science.
We do our best scientific work when we are rested and healthy. We have ambitious scientific goals, but we strive to balance scientific productivity with a happy and healthy personal life. There is no expectation to work in the evenings or on weekends, although sometimes field research may require work outside of typical working hours. If emails or messages are sent outside of work hours, there is no expectation of immediate reply.
Diversity, equity, inclusion, and decolonization
For much of its history, the science of Ecology has been centered on a positionality that is white, male, and from the Global North. The exclusion of all other groups is not only a social injustice but it has also hampered ecological understanding because a diverse scientific community offers unique ways of seeing, interacting with, and understanding nature. We commit ourselves to creating a more inclusive and equitable scientific community through our research, teaching, mentorship, and outreach. We also recognize that the history of colonialism touches every element of the scientific enterprise, especially in Ecology. Much of our field research occurs on lands that were stolen from Indigenous peoples. It is our responsibility to understand that history and use it to guide a decolonized approach to research. We recognize that words are not enough regarding all aspects of diversity, equity, inclusion, and decolonization, thus we hold ourselves and each other accountable to back up our words with actions that include staying informed on these issues and creating safe spaces to discuss them.
Rice University Resources
Disability Resource Center - https://drc.rice.edu/
Disability Resources for Students - https://drc.rice.edu/students
Rice Multicultural Center - https://mcc.rice.edu/
Title IX FAQ - https://titleix.rice.edu/faqs
Title IX policy - https://policy.rice.edu/828
Discrimination, Harassment and Sexual Misconduct Complaint Form - https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?RiceUniv&layout_id=16
Bias Incident Reporting - https://dei.rice.edu/report-bias
Rice Center for Career Development identity-based-resources - https://ccd.rice.edu/students/career-resources/identity-based-resources