We have worked closely with the Bureau of Labor Statistics for decades and, in the belief that people are more likely to value what they understand, are adding some historical context focusing on the early days at the Bureau, to the ongoing discussion of the many probable repercussions of President Trump’s firing of Commissioner Erika McEntarfer on August 1st, AKA “Jobs Friday.”

The Bureau of Labor Statistics was established in 1884 to study the many issues affecting working men and women. In the words of the first commissioner, Carroll D. Wright, the mission was to conduct “Judicious investigations and the fearless publication of the results.” That was a tall order for a team of three on a $25,000 budget! Continue reading The BLS over time: “A tin can tied to my coat tail” →

All fields of science are now addressing legacies of injustice that can shape who participates in specific fields, research projects, and policy outcomes, but many focus on research labs, or on  top-down administrative changes. In a recently released study of college students’ awareness of institutional, structural, and cultural racism and sexism in the field of ecology, Karina A. Sanchez, Amanda J. Bevan Zientek, and Emily A. Holt,  all part of the University of Northern Colorado’s department of biological sciences, identified college classrooms as centers of social change around the world. They intend their work to help fill the research gap on how inequities can be addressed in colleges and universities. Continue reading How to Diversify Ecological Science →