Doing science differently
Doing science is a political act. In our lab, we operate with the guiding principle that how we do our research is as important as what we research. As a lab, we center use three values to guide us towards crafting the future in science and academia that we want to be a part of:
Safety: The most important value of the lab. We start by building and maintaining each lab member’s psychological and physical safety. Safety can mean: physical safety, psychological and emotional safety, financial safety. Maintaining our mutual safety and upholding everybody’s boundaries is a shared commitment we make to each other.
Transparency: Clarity and openness in our communication, both interpersonal and scientific. As we grow our foundations, sharing why we do the things we do and thinking about how we do them helps us assume the best out of each other and build trust.
Community: Everything we do, in science and otherwise, we do in relation to others. Therefore, we are committed to actively building and maintaining relationships with those involved in our work, both in and out of the laboratory. This involves interpersonal accountability and responsible stewardship of the science that we do.
Devoting our research practices to these values sometimes means swimming against the tides of dominant academic culture and capitalism. We embrace this tension when it arises because we believe that doing science differently is necessary for building safer, more inclusive communities–and safer, more inclusive communities are worth fighting for.
The approach of building a lab community around core values was directly informed by the works of Max Liboiron and the CLEAR Lab, Mariame Kaba, Sara Ahmed, Mia Mingus, Isabelle Stengers, Mary H O’Brien, and through community with friends and colleagues (Drs. Sama Ahmed, Natalia Piland, Daniela Palmer, Shane DuBay, JC Buckner, Tom Stewart).
ZYWang Lab @ UW Seattle 