Ethos and Values

Here in the McLaughlin Lab, we’re not just committed to doing good science– we’re also always trying to do better as people. That means we agree to a set of principles to guide how we conduct ourselves as researchers.

Science is, at its heart, a way of studying this world we all share, and that’s a pursuit everyone should be able to take part in if they want. We do not exclude anyone on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, age, disability, health status, body size, sexual orientation, gender and gender expression, citizenship and/or immigration status, or other characteristic, and we do not tolerate those who seek to discriminate against others in our lab spaces. Furthermore, we commit ourselves to understand the barriers those from historically excluded identities have and continue to face to their full participation in science, and we seek opportunities to promote inclusion, equity, and justice so that everyone is truly able to bring their full selves to the lab.

For more info on UAA resources and guidelines about equity, click here

The University of Alaska Anchorage is located on the unceded homeland of the Dena’ina, Ahtna, Alutiiq/Sugpiaq, Chugachmiut, and Eyak/dAXunhyuu peoples. Our research takes place on this land and those of the Bokota, Buglé, Emberá, Guna, Naso, Ngäbe, and Wounaan peoples in Panama. For those of us who are settlers in these lands, we have a responsibility to recognize the deep history of harm that underlay our ability to live and do research in these places, and in particular the role scientific institutions have played in this history. We seek to respectfully and equitably collaborate with the Indigenous peoples whose homelands we work in, from proper acknowledgment of expertise (rather than extractive models of including Indigenous knowledge in western science) to working with community leaders to investigate questions of interest that further their own sovereignty and cultural values.

Image: Mural of Tlingit activist Elizabeth Peratrovich in downtown Juneau. Art by Crystal Worl, image via Travel Alaska.

In this lab, we believe that science is at its best when it’s a cooperative endeavor. We’re about teamwork here, not lone geniuses. We’re not in competition with each other or other research groups, and we embrace working with others– whether that’s on research collaborations, or simply sharing advice on making your way through grad school. We treat each other with respect, kindness, and the assumption of good-faith intentions until proven otherwise, and we help each other out. We conduct ourselves in a manner appropriate to working in a setting with people of many backgrounds, identities, and experiences. While conflict is inevitable, we always seek to address it in ways that center repairing trust, respecting the dignity of those harmed, and making a path forward for all involved.

Research is hard! But often we make it even harder for ourselves by pushing ourselves past our limits, or by centering collecting data over our own health and safety. In the lab, we prioritize the health and safety of the people doing research (whether lab members or community members) over the research. We ask for help when we need it, and we don’t create or perpetuate risky situations for ourselves or others. We stay up-to-date on safety training, whether that’s basic lab safety or wilderness first aid for fieldwork, and we seek opportunities to grow our skills in this area. As PI, I am committed to finding flexible solutions to allow participation when it would otherwise be difficult, such as remote work, and I never expect anyone to work when they’re sick. Take care of yourself and each other.