Tyson Research Center is made up of people who care deeply and aspire to a culture of inclusivity, equity, respect, and belonging.
This webpage is intended to be a living document where we articulate our organizational values, our commitment to social justice, and our ongoing work to make Tyson a better place for all. We are hopeful that the voices of our entire community of researchers, educators, students, and colleagues will be present in this work.
We believe human diversity should be embraced and celebrated as a strength within our community.
Tyson sits at the intersection of academia, research, and education in environmental disciplines and sustainability. These are historically exclusive spaces, and a closer look reveals that this exclusivity upholds white supremacist norms and widens the professional and economic gaps between marginalized people and white-centered American society. Though we may think our work is grounded in the so-called “greater good”, we are culpable in perpetuating systemic exclusion and marginalization. We at Tyson are called to recognize and understand the roots of systemic exclusion and marginalization and to take tangible actions to dismantle barriers to access, equity, and a sense of belonging.
We take responsibility for how our community treats anyone with an oppressed or systemically minoritized identity. We will not allow acts of aggression, whether subtle or overt, aimed towards people due to racial/cultural/ethnic identity, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy status, nation of origin, ability status, neurodiversity, religious or non-religious belief system, age, socioeconomic status, etc. As such acts are grounded in ignorance, we are committed to continuing education within our community on the history of bigoted misinformation and on understanding the intersectionality of marginalized and minoritized identities.
OUR VISION:
Tyson is a constantly evolving, radically inclusive environmental field station where people feel they belong and can thrive.
Where we are
In recent years we have been engaged in a journey to elevate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) at Tyson, including attention to the intersectionality of personal identity.
+ See our current steps
Where we are going
We aspire to challenge white supremacist norms embedded within our systems. Bigger steps are obviously necessary and we are adding specific anti-racism and DEAI (diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion) goals to Tyson’s strategic plan. We are committed to establishing and communicating norms and values of anti-racism through our administrative policies, physical spaces, education programs, and communication methods. Some of our concrete next steps are below.
+ During the 2022-23 academic year
+ Going forward
How we will hold ourselves accountable
We expect that some of this work may be difficult and some of it will require additional financial resources. We are fully committed to moving forward and will be measuring our progress in the following ways:
Tyson staff will be evaluated annually based on growth and support of mission in this area.
We will hold quarterly half-day staff meetings dedicated to reporting on and discussing our progress and opportunities as identified and prioritized by our DEAI advisory boards.
We will make public the summary reports from our DEAI advisory boards, as well as progress on our steps to move forward with suggested action items.
Description of our anti-racism progress within the Tyson annual report will be approved by our DEAI advisory boards prior to publication.
Do you want to help?
We will need assistance from our community to make our vision a reality. If you feel called to support the transformation of Tyson into an anti-racist environmental field station and a more equitable and inclusive community, please contact us.
You may have ideas related to our action items above or other steps we should consider. We welcome your creative advice, personal perspective, honest critique, and valuable time. (Anonymous comments are welcome.)