COLLECTIONS BENEFIT FROM DIVERSE PERSPECTIVES: CREATING INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENTS FOR STUDENTS

Creating inclusive collections spaces supports scientists who innovate research and collections with diverse perspectives. This is especially true when bringing in the fresh insights of underrepresented and underserved students, who contribute their unique voices to spaces that have historically lacked their input. The Division of Invertebrate Paleontology at the Peabody Museum cultivates a workspace filled with undergraduate students from diverse backgrounds whose interests span wide range of disciplines. Their lived experiences and cross disciplinary backgrounds have shaped and enhanced the quality of research, outreach, and other collections use. Additionally, many of these students care deeply about contributing to future efforts to increase DEAI in our division. In this presentation, I highlight feedback from students who have worked in our division, focusing on what they considered most important for creating an inclusive environment. I spoke to them about how they found our division, what attracted them to work in collections, and what about our working environment provided them the best support for their success. The goal of this presentation is to prompt us all to consider our own practices and how we can improve inclusion in collections spaces by listening and learning from voices that are historically underrepresented in museums, and whose presence is critical to the vitality of collections spaces in the future.