Community Philosophies
We are creating spaces, in our lab and our broader communities, that promote inclusivity, safety, respect, support, sustainability, and productivity.
Our lab is structured on community-oriented principles and liberatory practices, and we work to actively support each other and our communities.
We are committed to doing, thinking, learning, and talking about science in ways that meaningfully integrate diverse perspectives and communities. Our mentorship, education, and service philosophies, as detailed in our lab handbook (link coming soon), reflect these commitments.
Val’s Lens and Roles
As individuals, we all bring intersectional identities to how we work together and the science we do as a collective. This is something I learned very early on growing up in Port Chester, NY – a port town in which the majority of the population is working- and lower-class Latinx immigrants, my parents among them. My journey to academia started through public education and minority science outreach programs. Years later, I became part of the 7% of doctorates earned by Latinx in the U.S. Despite this underrepresentation as a first-generation Latina from a low socioeconomic background, I still hold many societal privileges. My environments and experiences shape the lenses through which I understand and interact with others. My philosophies and contributions to diversity, equity, and inclusion are integral to how I pay forward it forward so that all, no matter their backgrounds, have access to success in science. This work is inseparable from my scientific contributions past, current, and future.
Schematic of Val’s lenses and memberships (left), and how she views her roles to shape personal and group dynamics together with her team (right). Adapted from and inspired by Curry et al., 2012, Greco 2016, Greco et al., 2022, Scott K 2019.
My role is to build environments and foster systems, in and outside our lab, that cultivate excellence and challenge mutually exclusive ideals about what “excellence” entails. I take responsibility to start with myself: to educate myself; listen, reflect, and learn from mistakes; and work towards scrutinizing personal biases and complicity, systemic racism and ableism, and the power structures that actively maintain and reward inequities in science.
Centering “Servingness” as a lab at a future Hispanic Serving Institution
Our lab found its home here in part due to UCLA’s investment to become a federally-designated Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) by 2025. You can read more about the HSI Infrastructure Initiative here.
Our lab centers “servingness” towards equity, justice, and belonging in our mission.
This means we intentionally aim for liberatory practices and outcomes, including academic, non-academic, and experiential outcomes, towards personal growth and scientific discovery.
We share and cultivate an abundance mindset.
We strive to serve all members, including those from diverse populations that often navigate academic structures not built by or for us. Practices that lead towards a more equitable, diverse, inclusive, and accessible academia benefit everyone.
In practice, this means that we work to:
know and serve members well: we all come from different personal, cultural, and academic backgrounds. We aim to meet lab members where they are and create an environment where we can achieve rigorous standards together; understand members through strengths-based lenses; approach our science through their social implications and applications; and uphold a member-centered culture so we can proactively support one another. Additionally, we hold a yearly “Culture Fest”, and we invite family members and support staff to join our research team for a yearly state-of-the-lab meeting, to include our collective support systems in our work.
be receptive to learning and improving: our lab humbly acknowledges that we are always learning. Through weekly check-in meetings and yearly bi-directional reviews, we learn together how to best work together. The template for our year reviews is available here.
be dedicated to access and community: we aim to inform and openly share our work through multilingual and accessible public engagement, open-access science communication including preprinting and publications, and working directly with community partners. Lab members play an active role in deciding and executing this work.
Our lab is located on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded lands of the Tongva (Gabrieleno). As a land grant institution, UCLA acknowledges the Gabrielino/Tongva peoples as the traditional land caretakers of Tovaangar (Los Angeles basin, So. Channel Islands) and are grateful to have the opportunity to work for the taraaxotam (Indigenous peoples) in this place. We pay our respects to Honuukvetam (Ancestors), elders, and ‘Eyoohiinkem (our relatives/relations) past, present and emerging.
For more information and references for how we are building our philosophies and praxis, please visit our Resources page.
Select organizations and resources
Val has focused primarily on accessible science through intentional mentorship, open community engagement, and education and advocacy. She has specifically directed her efforts towards low-income, first-generation, Latinx, immigrant, and women/non-binary persons. Below are some select external organizations and resources.
Please check out the Resources page for other resources.
Leading Edge Symposium
An initiative to improve the gender diversity of life sciences faculty (postdoc to faculty transition) in the United States
Fellow 2020
Intersections Science Fellows Symposium
Intersecting science and diversity to support future leaders (postdoc to faculty transition) in the life sciences
Co-creator & steering 2020
Científico Latino
Aims to promote an environment of inclusivity in STEM and increase the number of scientists from minoritized backgrounds in higher education in the sciences through mentorship,
open-access resources, and professional development opportunities.
GSEC Co-Director 2023-24
Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics & Native Americans in Science
An inclusive organization dedicated to fostering the success of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans, from college students to professionals, in attaining advanced degrees, careers, and positions of leadership in STEM.
Skype a Scientist
Connecting scientists with classrooms (and more) across the globe
Prospera Institute
Engaging Latine, Black and Indigenous communities in advancing health equity
ad hoc member, Latinx Bioethicists network