Building Spaces

Caitlin Casey's Inclusion Page

Making Research and Learning Inclusive.

Fostering equity and ethical behavior is essential to scientific research; without proactively diversifying our community – with respect to race, gender, cultural norms, and communication/learner types, etc. – the best research won’t get done. More importantly, all people deserve equal access to scientific discovery and to be a part of the scientific process. As an educator, it is important for me to work towards tearing down traditional barriers that limit equal access to scientific discourse. A focus on ethical behavior is intimately intertwined with equal access, so that scientists of certain backgrounds do not fall victim to bullying, sexism, racism, and microaggressions, and so that we maintain a healthy work culture which thrives not only on competition, but also our respect for one another.

One of my main areas of work in E/I topics in the past year has been in founding and directing the TAURUS program. Check out what we're about in the video below, or read more in my guest blog at Scientific American, or via the links below on the TAURUS website.

  • Teaching

    Expanding scientific literacy is my top priority, and I try to do this every day in the classroom by building a safe, equitable, and fun learning environment. Learn more about my teaching experience, experience learning pedagogy, and overall philosophy.

  • TAURUS

    With the help of many at UT Austin, I launched the TAURUS program in summer 2016; TAURUS is a full-time, 9-week summer research experience for highly-motivated undergraduate students from underserved and traditionally marginalized groups.

  • The Gray Zone

    With my colleague Kartik Sheth, I designed a workshop called The Ethical Gray Zone aimed at spreading awareness about bullying, microaggressions and harassment for academic researchers of all levels. We introduced the workshop at the Aspen Center for Physics in 2013 and have brought it to many institutions since. Read our column about it in Nature here.

  • Columbia Public Schools Planetarium

    In the past I've been an active member of the fundraising committee for my hometown's planetarium, in Columbia, Missouri. The planetarium fell into disrepair in 2011 after fourty years of heavy use, and we've worked hard to revitalize this important resource. This planetarium played a pivotal role in my development as a scientist, and I hope it continues to serve as an inspiration for generations to come.

  • Lemonade

    Learn about my experience dealing with harassment and how it has changed my outlook on science and inequity.

  • Further Reading

    Just like everything else, understanding the motivation for equal opportunity in science requires reading. With the help and contributions of many in our community, we've built a resource page for scientists to understand more about the reasoning and goals of those who aim to make our professional community more equitable. Find it on Astrobetter.