IDEA
Our group was formed when passionate conversations following a panel on Women in Science made us realize that the topic was too big and important to be covered during a single symposium. We created a biweekly journal club that met in Gamboa to discuss papers on a topic related to the struggle that women, people of color and other marginalized groups face while working in scientific fields. We also invited speakers to give presentations on their experiences in science. In 2018 we voted to change our name to Diversity in Science. This move reflected that our group had always been attracted to intersectional issues of access in science, that many of the most pressing issues in tropical research are not limited to women, and that our group had always been open to people of all genders. In 2021, to better capture the scope of our work, we changed names again to IDEA: Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access. Past discussion topics have included unconscious biases, intersectionality, scientific outreach to young girls, and ways men can work as allies. Our broad goals for this group have been to learn together and to bring to light the underlying social forces that create additional barriers for some of us to succeed in scientific careers. As we expand we encourage people of all genders and career stages to attend and will strive to continue creating a space for learning, compassion, open discussion, and positive solutions.
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To join the IDEA email list-serv go here
Timeline
See Calendar page for a description of recent events

Our group truly began in 2018 from a panel organized by Paola Gomez, with meetings initiated by Diana Abondano, Hannah Marti, Amanda Savage and Lynette Strickland
The IDEA mission statements:
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To educate ourselves on barriers to access to marginalized groups and systemic inequities in science
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To actively share, discuss, and disseminate research on diversity in science
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To generate solutions for how to make tropical research a more equitable and inclusive workplace
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To advocate for equitable policies in Panama, our home institutions, and in science as a whole.
Our guiding principles:
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We welcome people of all ethnicities, genders and career stages to attend.
We center the voices of our group members who may have direct experience with the struggles we are discussing concerning gender, race, nationality, socioeconomic background, sexuality, gender identity etc.
We value a diversity of opinions and voices. Within a discussion, if you have spoken a lot, encourage others to speak. If you have been quiet, consider adding your voice to the conversation.
We assume that everyone present is speaking and acting with the best of intentions around topics that can be difficult to discuss.
We strive to create a non-judgmental atmosphere for discussion.
We share responsibilities of planning, leading, and facilitating discussion.
Contact
Contact us if you have any questions