WHY THE GOLDEN RULE DOESN’T WORK: REFRAMING MENTORSHIP IN THE CONTEXT OF NEURODIVERSE SCIENTISTS

“Do unto others as you would want them to do unto you”. Great in concept, but with increasing rates of neurodivergence diagnoses, particularly in underrepresented and minoritized populations, combined with increased pushes for diversity in the geosciences, we must acknowledge that “that’s the way it worked for me” or "that worked best for me" isn’t indicative that a mentoring and/or teaching approach will work well for others. While the term neurodivergent can imply a wide range of clinical diagnoses, applying a framework of mentorship and education that acknowledges the diverse needs of the entire range, from those considered neurotypical, to students and colleagues with varying support needs and diagnosed neurodivergence, we can foster academic atmospheres that invite collaboration from and with all members of the geoscience community. By approaching mentorship with the platinum rule “Do unto others as they would want to be done to them", we can assuage misunderstandings brought on by the inherent differences of neurodiversity and foster an atmosphere of inclusion and equity in the geosciences.

As a recent graduate, with late-diagnosed neurodivergence, and a special interest in justice and equity in education, I will present recommendations, based on published literature and personal experience, for approaching mentorship in populations as diverse as the rocks we study (very)!