Group Values
The Hartwig Group welcomes and is committed to fostering the development and long-term success of students from diverse backgrounds—including scientific, educational, regional, gender, sexual orientation, social, religious, or ethnic in all combinations. We work together to ensure everyone's success and are proud of the accomplishments of those from all backgrounds during and after their time in the laboratory. We acknowledge the enormous impact that alumni from traditionally marginalized groups have had in our research legacy: nine of our ten most cited papers were authored by women, African Americans, open members of the LGBT+ community, and those with disabilities.
Our group affirms the importance of an inclusive and supportive environment where every member feels free to express themself as an individual and to bring new ideas, perspectives, and expertise to the lab community. We expect every group member to aid in fostering a welcoming atmosphere and to disavow discrimination of any kind, including that based on a community member’s nationality, race, color, religion, age, ability, sexual orientation or gender expression. Through thoughtful constructive feedback and the attentive respect and integrity of each group member, we expect to continue to build a positive and encouraging community.
Examples of behaviors we aspire to:
- Helping without condescension
- Welcoming and embracing differences
- Respecting boundaries
- Sharing responsibility for communal tasks
- Being open without defensiveness to feedback as an opportunity for personal growth
- Respecting the privacy of the members of our community
- Promoting a more diverse and inclusive scientific community
Behaviors we recognize as harmful include, but are not limited to:
- Stereotyping
- Microaggressions; defined as commonplace verbal, behavioral or environmental slights, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative attitudes toward stigmatized or culturally marginalized groups1
- Not respecting one’s pronouns or chosen name
- Commenting on someone’s physical attributes
- Essentializing someone’s identity through tokenism
- Sharing details of someone else’s personal life without their consent
- Harassment, bullying, and discrimination of any kind as outlined in University Policy
1Sue DW (2010). Microaggressions in Everyday Life: Race, Gender, and Sexual Orientation. Wiley. pp. xvi. ISBN 978-0-470-49140-9.
Resources
Implicit Association Tests
Implicit bias is one of the mechanisms by which minoritized groups are systematically discriminated against in the scientific community. Such bias can be manifested through citations, hiring decisions, promotion decisions, speaking invitations, and other professional interactions.
We invite all group members to conduct implicit association exercises, found here. These can help reveal one’s automatic preference between categories of people. There are many different tests one can take, including tests about race, gender, sexuality, religion, weight, age, and more. Each test takes about 5 minutes and can enlighten an individual as to their implicit associations.
We encourage all group members to try one or several tests and reflect on how an implicit bias might be present through many levels of professional interactions. Becoming aware of our biases, which are largely a product of one’s cultural upbringing and socialization, is a first step to creating a workplace that is welcoming and inclusive.