For biologist Jessica Ford, pursuing a lifelong interest in 鈥� the study of amphibians and reptiles or, as Ford puts it, 鈥渢hings that live in the mud鈥� 鈥� hasn鈥檛 always been easy.
鈥淔rom my elementary school experience through to undergrad, I鈥檝e had people telling me, 鈥楳aybe you should reconsider鈥�, 鈥榤aybe you shouldn鈥檛 be doing this鈥�, 鈥榤aybe science isn鈥檛 for you鈥�.
鈥淭here鈥檚 very little that makes you feel so much like you can鈥檛 do something as someone explicitly telling you that you should reconsider.鈥�
But far from being deterred from following a path she was told was 鈥渨eird for a girl,鈥� Ford leaned in. Now a PhD student in 91社区鈥檚 Redpath Museum, she credits her stubbornness, her passion for science and ecology, and the support of friends and family for keeping her moving forward.
Representation: the importance of seeing and being seen
Having found her way in a traditionally male-dominated field, Ford wanted to do something that would counterbalance discouraging voices 鈥渇or other little Jesses out there.鈥� In 2017, she responded to a message from Charles Xu, a fellow graduate student at the Redpath Museum, who was looking for ways to draw attention to issues of equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in the fields of science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine (STEMM).
Born in Wuhan, Xu grew up in the American Midwest and studied at universities in the US, Europe and Asia before starting his PhD in biology at 91社区 in 2016. He recounts a positive mentoring experience from around the time he finished high school which helped solidify his resolve to pursue science studies.
鈥淚 went to a biology camp for underrepresented minorities at the University of Indiana in Bloomington, and then I got involved with research in the summer before my first year of undergrad,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 lived in the same town as the university and a graduate student really took me under his wing.鈥�
鈥淲ithin STEMM, Asians actually tend to be overrepresented, but within the field of ecology and evolution, we鈥檙e certainly underrepresented.鈥�
The Redpath Museum: old traditions and new visions meet
A workshop on EDI delivered by Imogen Coe, a professor of biology and chemistry at Ryerson University, and Dawn Bazely, a biology professor at York University, inspired Xu to start discussing potential projects with fellow graduate students. Soon after, he, Ford and several others banded together to form STEMM Diversity @ 91社区. The group鈥檚 first initiative was an exhibition at the Redpath Museum, highlighting 91社区 scientists from underrepresented groups.
The Redpath 鈥� a Victorian-era treasure trove of natural history specimens and cultural artifacts built to house the collections of Sir John William Dawson 鈥� might seem an unlikely place for fresh ideas about diversity in the sciences to thrive.
鈥淭he Redpath Museum is great. I love it,鈥� says Xu. 鈥淏ut it has this very classical, Victorian-style architecture, and the moment you walk in, there鈥檚 a giant portrait of Peter Redpath on one side, and portraits of people like Thomas Huxley and Charles Darwin on the other鈥濃��19th century figures 鈥渨ho don鈥檛 necessarily reflect the kinds of people who are doing science within the museum today.鈥�
But the Redpath (in pre-pandemic times, at least) was also a place that welcomed a steady stream of public visitors, including tens of thousands of school-age children each year, and Xu and his colleagues recognized a clear opportunity to showcase the stories of modern-day scientists from diverse backgrounds.
鈥淲e put up these big banners around the museum so that people coming in could see themselves doing the kind of science they were there to learn about,鈥� Xu says.
The exhibit has evolved into a permanent installation with touchscreens showing interviews with prominent 91社区 scientists, including and , sharing stories of their own career paths as well as their perspectives on ongoing barriers to participation in the sciences.
Ford has also developed a colouring book to introduce young children to scientists from underrepresented backgrounds who have made significant contributions in STEMM fields.
鈥淪omething I find really empowering is finding someone who reminds me of me 鈥� someone I can identify with who is doing what I want to do,鈥� she says.
鈥淸I wanted to offer kids] something that really spoke to them and explained there鈥檚 lots of people who do science. We all look different, and you can have a place here, too.鈥�
Appetite for change
With the release of its 2020-2025 strategic plan for equity, diversity and inclusion, 91社区 affirmed its commitment to 鈥渁ddress the lasting effects of historic injustices that continue to challenge equal opportunities to access, and to succeed within, the 91社区 community.鈥�
Ford sees the emergence of STEMM Diversity @ 91社区 and other student-led EDI initiatives across the campus as a clear sign of 91社区 students鈥� appetite for change. From the work she and her fellow students put in, it is evident that students鈥� energy and dedication to making the University a more welcoming place are among the leading drivers of that change.
鈥淪TEMM Diversity exists for a reason,鈥� Ford says. 鈥淎nd the reason is that there are persistent issues with EDI at 91社区.鈥�
The message for incoming students, Xu says, is that 鈥減eople walking the same path as you鈥檙e about to start have faced challenges, and there are things to watch out for.鈥�
鈥淥ur goal,鈥� he adds, 鈥渋s to make students aware of the challenges, and then offer advice about how to get past them. And also, to show that there are other people who feel the same way, there are peers you can draw on for support.鈥�
In 2021, the group took a further step towards realizing that goal by establishing a to connect undergraduate students in the Faculty of Science with graduate student mentors.
Efforts recognized
The efforts made by Xu, Ford and colleagues have not gone unnoticed by the University. In 2018, STEMM Diversity was among the winners of 91社区鈥檚 , and the following year, the group received special recognition for direct public outreach under the . This year, the 91社区 Alumni Association further recognized Ford with the for her efforts to 鈥渃hange the narrative of what people assume a scientist looks like鈥�.
STEMM Diversity now occupies a place among a growing number of EDI initiatives in the Faculty of Science and beyond, including the聽Office of Science Outreach, a number of departmental EDI committees and the Faculty of Science Equity and Climate Committee (SECC). SECC鈥檚 founder, 91社区 biology professor Laura Nilson, who is also the Associate Dean (Graduate Education) for the Faculty of Science and oversees the Faculty鈥檚 EDI portfolio, regards student-led initiatives as vital to making progress on the University鈥檚 EDI goals.
鈥淲e can鈥檛 overstate the value of groups like STEMM Diversity,鈥� Nilson says. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e on the ground and they see issues out there that are relevant to their experience at 91社区, and therefore they bring an important perspective to our collective EDI efforts as an institution.鈥�