Lab Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
The Thompson-Schill Lab is actively committed to working towards equity and justice for all its members and potential members, as well as for those in the larger community. We believe that our team is strongest when its members bring a variety of perspectives and backgrounds to their work (and there’s research to back that up!).
We encourage people of all backgrounds to join our lab, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, age, culture, religion, ability status, or socioeconomic status. We are committed to ensuring the lab is a safe and positive place to work for all its members. We do not tolerate any harassment or discrimination, no matter what the intentions are behind it. We continually strive to improve, to learn and to do more, and to rigorously examine ourselves and our actions.
We are involved in ongoing activities to make our lab and our community a more just and inclusive place, including:
- Professional development and education
Web-based resources can provide professional guidance to individuals that do not have the same level of access to a traditional network of support. They can also be used to spread information on actions that trainees can take, now and as future PIs, to enhance the diversity and acceptance of their lab environment. We are working with MindCORE, Penn’s hub for the integrative study of the mind, to develop and maintain web content addressing both of these points. This includes a webpage of professional resources with the goal of aiding underrepresented minority students in gaining access to career opportunities. It also includes content targeting a broader academic audience that gives recommendations for how to improve academic labs with respect to diversity issues. - Revising trainee recruitment practices
Opportunity imbalances in science begin long before the undergraduate level. While our lab cannot eliminate these forces, we can adjust our trainee recruitment practices in recognition of their existence. We are changing our recruiting practices in order to advertise to a wider pool of applicants and specifically encouraging those from underrepresented backgrounds to apply. We are also establishing objective criteria upfront for all applicants. - Continued monitoring
A commitment to working for justice and equity is not just a one-time promise—it is a consistent effort. As such, we have implemented a working group within the lab that meets on a regular basis to monitor our progress on our goals and to find and discuss new information.
We do not currently have any positions open for research specialists, PhD students, or postdocs. However, we encourage anyone who is interested to get in contact to discuss future opportunities or positions that may open soon.
If you are an undergraduate interested in our work, email schilllab@gmail.com to inquire about paid positions, independent studies and mentorship, or volunteer work. If you would like to volunteer but need to be paid, please reach out! Even if there are no paid positions available, we can help you find funding opportunities and apply for them.
