How do we ensure the future of our discipline is vibrant? Student reflections on careers and culture of ecology
How do we ensure the future of our discipline is vibrant? Student reflections on careers and culture of ecology
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DOI：
10.1002/ecs2.2099
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发表时间：
2018-02-01
期刊：
影响因子：
2.7
通讯作者：
Shea, Monika E.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Hansen, Winslow D.;Scholl, Joshua P.;Shea, Monika E.
生态学必须吸引和留住各种人才，为21世纪的环境问题提供创新研究和相关解决方案。职业和文化构成了科学进步的基础，近几十年来在这两个领域都取得了实质性的进展。然而，在扩大职业道路、纳入代表性不足的群体以及与公众沟通方面仍然存在重大挑战。欧空局学生部组织了一次地平线扫描练习，以解决以下目标：（1）确定21世纪生态学家在职业生涯和社会推广方面面临的挑战，（2）预测帮助生态学家应对挑战的机会，（3）确定各个实验室，机构和欧空局可以采取的具体步骤，以促进进步。在2016年春天，欧空局学生部分征求了学生成员的意见，并组织了一个工作组来评估学科的状态，并设想我们如何培养一个更具包容性和有效的社区。我们确定了三大挑战。首先，博士学位的产生速度比学术职位的可用速度要快，学术界和其他部门之间的脱节可能会使早期职业生态学家无法实现可用职位的广度。我们建议建立一个在线就业中心，使生态学家更容易进入非学术部门。我们还建议学生开发技能组合，为非学术职位做准备。其次，生态学家的构成与更广泛的社会不同，部分原因是隐性偏见和制度障碍。我们提出了减少生态多样性流失的措施，包括抵制隐性偏见和创建导师网络。我们通过提高高中生和本科生的生态意识，并提供从事生态研究的机会，提供改善招聘的步骤。最后，生态学只有在公众认为它是相关的时候才是相关的。我们必须改善科学交流，开始培养信任。我们建议，特设的所有生态学家的沟通是不够的，翻译生态学家应聘请在每个部门和翻译生态学的正式培训是必要的。我们希望本文能促进学生，专业生态学家和欧空局之间的批判性思维和伙伴关系，以确保生态学的未来充满活力。
Ecology must attract and retain diverse talented people to produce innovative research and relevant solutions to 21st-century environmental problems. Careers and culture form the foundation of scientific advancement, and substantial progress has been made over recent decades in both realms. Yet, important challenges persist in expanding career paths, inclusion of underrepresented groups, and communication with the public. The ESA Student Section organized a horizon scanning exercise to address the following goals: (1) to identify challenges that 21st-century ecologists contend with or expect to contend with in careers and outreach to society, (2) to anticipate opportunities to help ecologists meet challenges, and (3) to identify concrete steps that could be taken by individual laboratories, institutions, and the ESA to foster progress. In spring 2016, the ESA Student Section solicited input from student members and organized a working group to assess the state of the discipline and to envision how we might cultivate a more inclusive and effective community. We identified three major challenges. First, PhDs are produced faster than academic positions become available and disconnects between academia and other sectors may keep early-career ecologists from realizing the breadth of available positions. We propose an online jobs hub to make non-academic sectors more accessible to ecologists. We also suggest students develop skills portfolios to prepare for non-academic positions. Second, the composition of people who are ecologists differs from broader society, partially due to implicit biases and institutional barriers. We propose steps to reduce attrition of diversity in ecology that include countering implicit biases and creating mentorship networks. We offer steps to improve recruitment by increasing awareness of ecology among high school students and undergraduates and providing opportunities to engage in ecological research. Finally, ecology is only relevant if the public perceives it to be. We must improve science communication and begin cultivating trust. We propose that ad hoc communication by all ecologists is insufficient; translational ecologists should be hired in every department and formal training in translational ecology is necessary. We hope this paper catalyzes critical thinking and partnerships among students, professional ecologists, and the ESA to ensure the future of ecology is vibrant.