diversity matters
The Burger lab aims to set an example of how to foster a diverse and inclusive environment for learning and discovery in the Department of Biology at UK. Recognizing that “underrepresented students innovate at higher rates than majority students, but their novel contributions are discounted and less likely to earn them academic positions” (Hofstra et al. 2020 PNAS), our lab aims to attract, retain and amplify the next generation of diverse scientists to achieve just representation in academia and society. In doing so, we will pave new ground in understanding fundamental scientific questions in biodiversity and human ecology with new applications to conservation, equity and sustainability.
About me
My commitment to facilitating an inclusive environment for learning and discovery has been influenced by my personal, educational and mentoring experiences. For my undergraduate, I attended Francis Marion University (FMU) – a regional state university and Minority Serving Institution (MSI) in South Carolina with 50% Black/African American students. As a Filipino-American, I was a minority among minorities. During my time at FMU I served as Student Government Vice President and worked with a diverse student body to improve and promote a more inclusive campus environment. Also during my time at FMU, I took a Tropical Biology field course that changed my life forever by opening my eyes to career opportunities in science that I was previously unaware of as a first-generation Filipino-American and son of parents that did not complete traditional high school. From this experience, I realized I could and wanted to become a scientist.
For my masters’ degree, I attended another MSI at the University of Louisiana at Monroe (ULM) and pursued an international field project studying social mammals in Chile. As part of an NSF International Research Experience for Students (IRES) program, I had the opportunity to mentor several first-generation college and students from underrepresented groups from the U.S. gaining research experience in Chile. I led a bilingual collaborative field project involving scientists from multiple South American countries. Appreciation for and immersion in day-to-day culture and language differences abroad is an experience all students should have access to and I was drawn to UKY in-part, because of their commitment to providing these programs: https://international.uky.edu/ea/maps/biology; https://www.as.uky.edu/faculty-led-ea-programs
After my masters’ I attended another MSI at the University of New Mexico for my Ph.D. I was drawn to UNM because of its interdisciplinary programs and rich diversity of Hispanic, Latinx, and Native American cultures. I was awarded a Fellowship from an NIH funded Program in Interdisciplinary Biological and Biomedical Sciences, which allowed me to develop computational and communication skills required to work with scientists from across disciplines and diverse backgrounds. Additionally, one of my undergraduate mentees presented her research at the Ecological Society of America meeting, published her senior thesis in Ecosphere and attended graduate school at Oxford. This work was possible through the NSF-UnO (Undergraduate Opportunities) Program and the ESA SEEDS (Strategies for Ecology Education, Diversity, and Sustainability).
During my time as a Carolina Postdoctoral Fellow for Faculty Diversity at UNC from 2015-2017, I gained a deeper understanding of the systemic barriers that students and faculty from underrepresented groups face in science and society and the importance of role models in mentoring junior scientists from underrepresented groups. I have served as a member of the American Society of Mammalogists’ (ASM) Human Diversity and Grants-in-Aid/Fellowships Committees where I have advocated for Latin American, Black and Indigenous student grants and fellowships.
I particularly enjoy mentoring undergraduate and graduate students from diverse cultural and socio-economic backgrounds. I am proud of my track record of mentoring more than a dozen students to date from underrepresented groups including Black, Asian, Native American, Latinx and Hispanic students, several women of color, first-generation Americans and first-generation college students. I learn from my mentees as much as they learn from me. I have published several papers with students from underrepresented groups and several more are underway. I meet weekly with my students to make progress on projects and discuss opportunities and challenges for underrepresented groups in science including guidance on fellowship applications and career options in science that are often unknown to first-generation and many students from underrepresented groups. My mentees have gone on to pursue professional and graduate schools and careers in industry, science, NGOs, government agencies, technology and education.
I recognize that diverse voices and perspectives benefit society through enhanced innovation, creativity and societal well-being. My ultimate goal is to share my curiosity for the natural world and passion for social and environmental justice with others from underrepresented groups in science. I hope to provide students with enriched educational opportunities and access to careers in science, similar to my own experiences.
Additional Diversity, Equity and Inclusion resources at UKY:
https://gradschool.uky.edu/urm
https://education.uky.edu/academics/diversity-at-the-college/
https://www.uky.edu/inclusiveexcellence/
https://www.as.uky.edu/diversity
https://bio.as.uky.edu/college-arts-sciences-commitment-equity-and-anti-racism
https://uknow.uky.edu/campus-news/uk-named-forbes-2020-best-employer-diversity-list
https://www.as.uky.edu/anti-racism-and-anti-xenophobic-strategies-and-resources-times-covid-19