Why Academia’s Diversity Efforts Need to Include Postdocs
Lessons from an open discussion with UC Berkeley postdocs
Academia faces a massive diversity problem. Diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts have exploded across US campuses in recent decades. Yet, they failed to achieve their envisioned successes so far.
In 2017, 76% of US faculty were white, compared to 55% of undergraduate students. Women make up only 30–40% of tenured professors. Though the diversity gap stretched even wider 20 years ago, we are still nowhere near bridging it.
A crucial group is too often forgotten in diversity efforts: postdoctoral scholars.
Postdoctoral training (a postdoc) is often a crucial step towards transforming to faculty. More research experience with top professors can supercharge the career of young scientists.
Postdocs make up a significant chunk of the university community. They also shape a high percentage of scientific output. The percentage of postdocs has ballooned by 150% from 2000 to 2012. Data from the NSF shows that, in STEM fields alone, there were more than 60,000 postdocs in the US in 2015.
Postdocs will often rise to be future leaders in academia or industry. Yet, the postdoc population is not diverse. Though data about postdoctoral…
