Our Commitment
The School of Integrative Biology (Departments of Entomology, Evolution, Ecology and Behavior, and Plant Biology) is the center for education and research in basic organismal, ecological, and evolutionary biology at University of Illinois. Research in SIB encompasses plants and animals and their associated microbes, in both natural and model systems. Our interdisciplinary research is guided by the unifying theme of addressing “grand challenges in 21st century biology.”
We are committed to the engagement, equity, inclusion and leadership that dismantles systems that utilize power, privilege and violence to disenfranchise, diminish and destroy. We are committed to using the scholarship and lived experiences to build our efforts. As part of our community, we all play a vital role in our path forward. We invite you to share your ideas, experiences, and perspective on how we as a learning community can better engage with and empower everyone equitably.
The strength of our community comes from our talents, ideas, and perspectives. We look forward to coming together to establish shared community norms of inclusion, as well as use our combined knowledge to serve the public good.
To share resources or feedback, please submit using the Anytime Anonymous Feedback Form.
Below are members of the SIB Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Taskforce:
Carla Cáceres, Director SIB, cecacere@illinois.edu
Steven Burgess, Assistant Professor Plant Biology, sjb287@illinois.edu
Dominic Evangelista, Assistant Professor Entomology, dominice@illinois.edu
Eva Fischer, Assistant Professor Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, efischer@illinois.edu
Becky Fuller, Professor and Head Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, rcfuller@illinois.edu
Katy Heath, Professor Plant Biology, kheath@illinois.edu
Mark Lara, Assistant Professor Plant Biology, mjlara@illinois.edu
Allison O’Dwyer, Assistant Director for Academic Affairs SIB, aodwyer@illinois.edu
Mission and Goals
Our objective is to foster a sense of collaboration and understanding where community members feel empowered to share their experiences and suggestions for enhancement, leading to mutual growth and trust.
Native Land Acknowledgement
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign recognizes the land acknowledgement statement is an expression of gratitude and appreciation to those on whose territory we reside, and a way of honoring the Native peoples who have been living and working on the land from time immemorial. SIB asks that you recognize and acknowledge Native peoples as the traditional guardians of the lands on which the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is situated by including this statement in your events:
"As a land-grant institution, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has a responsibility to acknowledge the historical context in which it exists. In order to remind ourselves and our community, we will begin this event with the following statement. We are currently on the lands of the Peoria, Kaskaskia, Piankashaw, Wea, Miami, Mascoutin, Odawa, Sauk, Mesquaki, Kickapoo, Potawatomi, Ojibwe, and Chickasaw Nations. It is necessary for us to acknowledge these Native Nations and for us to work with them as we move forward as an institution. Over the next 150 years, we will be a vibrant community inclusive of all our differences, with Native peoples at the core of our efforts."
For more information on how to include the land acknowledgement into your materials or meetings, please visit the Office of the Chancellor website.
