Systemic inequities exist in all facets of life, and academia is no exception. Despite the oft-quoted statistic that diverse and inclusive groups are more productive[1,2,3,4], issues like lack of representation, loss of a sense of belonging, and biases in publishing[5,6] and funding rates[6,7,8,9] are just some of the barriers in place to keep people from historically excluded groups from succeeding in academia. As a privileged South Asian American woman studying ecology and evolutionary biology, I am committed to alleviating these burdens and uplifting historically excluded communities through my scientific outreach and communication, leadership, and activism.
Moving forward, I will continue to leverage my privilege and skills to support people from historically excluded groups. While much of my previous work has focused on uplifting women in STEM, I look forward to creating new connections and uplifting those that identify as part of a historically excluded group – including but not limited to those who identify as Black, Indigenous, or People of Color, LGBTQIA+, disabled, undocumented, first generation to college, or from low socioeconomic backgrounds, and any and all intersections there within. To do this, I use my skills in collaboration and project management to work with university staff, teachers, community partners, and other groups already serving these populations to co-create goals and programming beneficial to all involved parties. Through an integrative and collaborative approach, we can continue to dismantle systemic barriers and move towards a more equitable society.