Our Commitment to Diversity in Academia

Our lab is committed to fostering an inclusive environment where diverse perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences are valued and respected. We believe that research progress and innovation thrives when researchers from all walks of life contribute their unique insights to address scientific challenges. 

While we alone cannot resolve all the systemic inequities in academia and campus communities, we commit to ensuring an inclusive education and training experience in our lab. We are dedicated to increasing access to opportunities for students of diverse backgrounds and those underrepresented in academia and research—including racialized students, women, and individuals living with visible or invisible disabilities. By increasing applications from interested students and supporting them as they progress through their training, we aim to build a more equitable and supportive academic ecosystem. We appreciate that a diverse team, combined with an equitable and inclusive work environment, results in creative and innovative achievements that benefit all of us as a community. 

We also recognize that inequities persist in academia and beyond, such as the under representation of Black, Indigenous, and women scholars in leadership roles. Examples such as UofT’s medical class progress—from one Black student in 2016 to 24 in 2020—highlight the need for continued and intentional efforts. Women are underrepresented in fields like math and physics, while men are underrepresented in fields like speech-language pathology and nursing. Gender bias in academia also manifests in ways such as fewer women reaching senior academic ranks and the challenges they face in balancing academic expectations with family life. 

We must actively work as allies to dismantle the barriers against underrepresented people in the sciences. Our commitments to enhancing diversity in our research includes the following actions: 

 

1. Annual outreach events with an emphasis on welcoming underrepresented students and/or communities to our lab and campus: Examples: welcoming students for shadowing and mentoring opportunities within our lab, Take Our Kids to Work Day, outreach at the UTSC campus homecoming, and showcase events.

2.  Host high school co-op students from underrepresented communities every semester, providing hands-on experience and mentorship to support their academic and professional development. 3.

3.  Annual participation in the Sparking Science Mentorship Program for Grade 9 girls, hosted at UTSC.

4. Commitment to engage in purposeful hiring practices and lab operations to maximize diversity and inclusivity of underrepresented/marginalized groups within the lab environment.  

5. Encouraging collaborations with diverse colleagues, including laboratories and companies with like-minded diversity and inclusivity policies. 

6. Targeted publication in journals with publicly available diversity and inclusivity policies.

7.  Targeted mentorship to help identify and overcome barriers to success within the Guzzo lab and in future academic and career pursuits, with individual development plans (IDPs) targeted to each trainee.

8.  Expected lab-wide participation in seminars and events addressing inequities in research and scholarship, to continuously educate and re-educate ourselves. 

Diverse perspectives advance knowledge and enhance our ability to meet local and global challenges. By cultivating awareness, fostering collaboration, and taking actionable steps, we strive to contribute meaningfully to the broader movement for equity, diversity, and inclusion in academia and research. Together, we can build a research community that empowers all members to excel and thrive. 

Dr. Guzzo welcomes suggestions and reflections on how our lab team can improve our commitments to promoting EDI in the lab throughout the year. 

 

Acknowledgement: Some ideas and initiatives outlined in this statement have been inspired by and adapted from the concepts presented in Success in Graduate School and Beyond by Nana Lee and Reinhart Reithmeier. 

 

Note: This EDI statement was originally crafted together with input of all lab members in June 2020, and most recently updated on December 19th, 2024. It is subject to updates as needed upon reflection, or at minimum every 2 years as a group exercise.