Supporting and Enhancing Diversity

FWS Diversity and Equity Statement

The Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences at the University of Idaho affirms its commitment to deconstruction of barriers to Black, Indigenous, Hispanic/Latinx, Asian, Pacific Islanders, People of Color, LGBTQ+ and other underrepresented groups in the Fish and Wildlife (F&W) profession. The F&W profession is conspicuously underrepresented by individuals and perspectives that reflect all people of the country and the world. As a result, our profession lacks the richness of ideas and engagement to address the complex breadth of challenges facing us. We recognize that enhancing diversity in our profession entails much more than simply recruiting from underrepresented groups and that achieving our goals must be built on a foundation of equity and inclusion. Advancing these efforts calls for a number of deliberate and immediate efforts.

• We must listen to the needs of those we serve and adapt our thoughts, actions and organizations to address structural racism and other inequalities.

• We must continue to build welcoming and inclusive learning communities, where differences are respected, celebrated, and promoted rather than discounted. Every person must feel valued, listened to, and included. 

• We must open up pathways that have historically precluded people representing diverse perspectives and backgrounds from seeking and advancing in the F&W profession.

• We must continue to build partnerships across universities and outside of academia, with K-12 and community programs, agency and industry groups, and others to partner in ways that build stronger pathways into the profession for individuals from underserved communities.

The Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences commits to addressing these critical issues to ensure that, collectively, the F&W profession moves from discussion to action.

All-Nations LSAMP – Bridge to Doctorate Program

Faculty in the Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences are excited to be participating in the All-Nations LSAMP – Bridge to Doctorate Program. This effort, funded through the NSF Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation Bridge to Doctorate fellowship program, provides funding to train 12 Native American doctoral students starting in Fall 2020. Read more here. 

Land Acknowledgement Statement – U of I Moscow is located on the homelands of the Nimiipuu (Nez Perce), Palus (Palouse), and Schitsu’umsh (Coeur d’Alene) tribes. We extend gratitude to the indigenous people that call this place home, since time immemorial. U of I recognizes that it is our academic responsibility to build relationships with the indigenous people to ensure integrity of tribal voices.