Survey / Petition for Social Change at Rockefeller University

Updates on the action items proposed below, and the response from Rockefeller University can be found on the RiSI website.

June 9, 2020

We are disappointed in the administration’s tepid response to the Black Lives Matter movement and a lack of commitment to institutional changes to make the University a more diverse AND inclusive place. We demand that the administration immediately design, circulate, and implement an action plan to make Rockefeller University a supportive environment for all our members of Black and underrepresented minority communities, among our students, postdocs, faculty, and staff.

This is our opportunity as a community to communicate that issues of diversity and inclusion are fundamentally important and need to be addressed by Rockefeller University’s administration.

We ask that you stand with us in our efforts to make Rockefeller University more inclusive by becoming a model for these efforts across academia, and sign this petition by the end of the day on Wednesday.

IN ADDITION to the action items requested in the alumni petition, we demand that the University commit to:

1. Administrative position dedicated to diversity and inclusion: Hire a diversity/inclusion officer or similar position that reports to the president. We wholeheartedly agree that promoting diversity and inclusion should be in everyone’s job description, and we will continue championing that goal, but coordinating these long-term efforts takes a significant time commitment. We strongly feel that having a professional solely dedicated to the administrative side of these efforts will shift some of the burden from trainees.

2. Public statement on recruiting underrepresented faculty and trainees: Publicly make a commitment to recruit trainees and faculty from communities underrepresented in science on the university website (appropriate locations would be in the Faculty Recruitment and Graduate Program in Biosciences pages).

3. Town hall: Organize a town hall (or series of town halls) for community members to discuss incidents of institutional racism experienced at Rockefeller, to brainstorm ways to address these inequities, and for the administration to be transparent with details on how they are enacting institutional change. Recent examples have occurred at other institutions including Weill Cornell, UCSD, Caltech, and an upcoming vigil hosted by Columbia University Medical Center (this Wednesday at 6:30pm over Zoom).

4. Climate survey: Administer and publicly disseminate the results of a new, anonymous campus-wide climate survey that specifically addresses issues of racial inclusivity, discrimination, and bias on campus.

5. Inviting speakers from diverse backgrounds: Commit to increase the number of invited speakers for lectures and seminars who are from underrepresented backgrounds. Here, we propose to also create an annual Friday lecture that is centered on the issues surrounding diversity and inclusion in science.

6. Annual reporting on HOL mentorship: Require HOLs to complete an annual report on mentorship practices and undergo additional training if they do not actively work toward creating a diverse and inclusive work environment.

7. Research relationships with minority-serving institutions: Develop a research training relationship with medical schools, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), and other minority-serving institutions (as defined by the Higher Education Act of 1965) across the country. We aim to provide research experiences at Rockefeller laboratories to Black and Native American MD and MD/PhD students, and additionally, retain at least one spot in the SURF program for undergraduate students from HBCUs or other minority-serving institutions.

8. Anti-racism, anti-bias in science training: Require a module or class on the implications of race, gender, sexuality, gender identity, and disability on the history and future of bioscience. This could be incorporated as an extension of the Responsible Conduct of Research course.

9. Diversity statements from faculty candidates: Require faculty candidates to provide statements on their past, present, and future contributions to promoting equity, inclusion, and diversity in their professional career.

10. Increased diversity in executive team: Development of an institutional plan (with milestones) to increase diversity within Rockefeller’s executive leadership and board of trustees. Increasing diversity amongst the administration will push for decisions to be more inclusive on campus. Current executive leadership and board of trustees are listed here.

Scroll down below the petition form to see comments from our community retelling personal experiences of institutional racism at Rockefeller University and testimonials on diversity and inclusion.

Signed by

Organizations
Rockefeller Inclusive Science Initiative (RiSI)
Post-doctoral Association (PDA)
Student Representative Committee (SRC)
Science Communication and Media Group (SciCommMedia)
PRISM (People at Rockefeller Identifying as Sexual/Gender Minorities)
WISeR (Women in Science at Rockefeller)
SEPA (The Science and Education Policy Association)

Individuals
Donovan Phua, Graduate Fellow
Sarah Cai, Graduate Fellow
Olivia Goldman, Graduate Fellow
Gabrielle Paniccia, Graduate Fellow
Adriana Rosas, Graduate Fellow
Audrey Goldfarb, Graduate Fellow
Douglas Barrows, Postdoctoral Fellow
Sandra Nakandakari Higa, Graduate Fellow
Priyanka Lakhiani, Graduate Fellow
Nneoma Adaku, Graduate Fellow
Lindsey Lopes, Graduate Fellow
César Vargas, Graduate Fellow
Rochelle Shih, Graduate Fellow
Chad Morton, Graduate Fellow
Kara Marshak, Human Resources Staff
Ben Prizer, Research Assistant/Technician
Kristina Hedbacker, Postdoctoral Fellow
Anonymous, Research Specialist
Junghee Jin, Postdoctoral Fellow
Salvatore Caradonna, Research Assistant/Technician
Adrian Jacobo, Postdoctoral Fellow
Daniel Mucida, Head of Laboratory
Sarah Stern, Research Associate/Assistant Professor
Anonymous, Postdoctoral Fellow
Jessica Fyodorova, Research Assistant/Technician
Jennifer Balacco, Research Assistant/Technician
Nathan Parker, Postdoctoral Fellow
Sara Warrington, Research Assistant/Technician
Tom Hindmarsh Sten, Graduate Fellow
Anonymous, Postdoctoral Fellow
Anna Ryba, Graduate Fellow
Tatiana Kochetkov, Research Specialist
Nipun Basrur, Graduate Fellow
Ben Deen, Postdoctoral Fellow
Sairaj Sajjath, Graduate Fellow
Rachel Leicher, Graduate Fellow
Jean-Pierre Roussarie, Senior Scientist
Christopher Cowley, Graduate Fellow
Margaret Fabiszak, Graduate Fellow
Anonymous, Postdoctoral Fellow
Elizabeth Ventura, Human Resources Staff
Carolina Adura, Manager of Spectroscopy
Andrea Terceros, Graduate Fellow
Devany West, Graduate Fellow
Leah Gates, Postdoctoral Fellow
Anonymous, Research Assistant/Technician
Florian Hollunder, Graduate Fellow
Christian Pacheco, Research Assistant/Technician
Ana Milosevic, Senior Scientist
Adam Ogilvie, Lab Administrator
Amer Azim Hossain, Graduate Fellow
Christian Gaebler, Instructor in Clinical Investigation
Rebecca Timson, Graduate Fellow
Jeanne Garbarino, RockEDU Science Outreach Staff
Francisca Martínez Traub, Graduate Fellow
Frauke Muecksch, Postdoctoral Fellow
Alison Ashbrook, Postdoctoral Fellow
Kate Bredbenner, Alumnus/Alumna
Violeta Rayon Estrada, Alumnus/Alumna
Hala Iqbal, Alumnus/Alumna
Claire Atkinson, Alumnus/Alumna
Andrew Varble, Postdoctoral Fellow
Elena Waidmann, Graduate Fellow
Engin Ozertugrul, Research Compliance
Megan Elizabeth Kelley, Graduate Fellow
Dani Keahi, Graduate Fellow
Alex Stuart, Graduate Fellow
Philip Mojsov Nussenzweig, Graduate Fellow
Anonymous, Alumnus/Alumna
Anonymous, Postdoctoral Fellow
Carlos A. Rico, Alumnus/Alumna
Anonymous, Postdoctoral Fellow
Jasmine Nirody, Postdoctoral Fellow
Ruby Froom, Graduate Fellow
Lindsey Cantin, Graduate Fellow
Agata Smogorzewska, Head of Laboratory
Maryam Zaringhalam, PhD, Alumnus/Alumna
Olga Buzovetsky, Postdoctoral Fellow
Daniel Poston, Graduate Fellow
Jan Soroczynski, Graduate Fellow
Nicole Pagane, Research Assistant/Technician
Lisa Pomeranz, Research Associate/Assistant Professor
Elizabeth Campbell, Research Associate/Assistant Professor
Linamarie Miller, Graduate Fellow
Anonymous, Research Associate/Assistant Professor
John Zinder, Postdoctoral Fellow
Nicky Blobel, Graduate Fellow
Gabriella Chua, Graduate Fellow
Lauren Shalmiyev, Staff
Ryan Farrell, Graduate Fellow
Amanda Shilton, Graduate Fellow
Ryan Mayle, Postdoctoral Fellow
Ariën Schiepers, Graduate Fellow
Jakob Rostol, Graduate Fellow
Molly Weiner, Research Assistant/Technician
Elif Magemizoglu, Graduate Fellow
Buck Trible, Alumnus/Alumna
Kip Lacy, Graduate Fellow
Adriane Otopalik, Postdoctoral Fellow
Peter Fridy, Postdoctoral Fellow
lorena Buitrago, Research Associate/Assistant Professor
Anonymous, Postdoctoral Fellow
Bernardo Sgarbi Reis, Research Associate/Assistant Professor
Sofia Avritzer, Graduate Fellow
Emma Donohue, Lab Manager
Orlee Zorbaron, Staff
Kärt Mätlik, Postdoctoral Fellow
Jacob Mathai, Research Assistant/Technician
Agata Lemiesz, Graduate Fellow
Josh Salvi, Alumnus/Alumna
Anonymous, Postdoctoral Fellow
Olivia, Research Assistant/Technician
Melissa Pamula, Alumnus/Alumna
Kavita Rangan, Alumnus/Alumna
Benjamin William Fait, Graduate Fellow
Alice Gadau, Graduate Fellow
Carlota Montagut, Postdoctoral Associate
Kathryn Eckartt, Graduate Fellow
Margo Herre, Graduate Fellow
Sofia Landi, Postdoctoral Fellow
Anonymous, Research Assistant/Technician
Marisa Cerio, Staff
Sanjeethan Baksh, Graduate Fellow
Charlie Mo, Postdoctoral Fellow
Caroline Lara, Research Assistant/Technician
Brooke Phillips, Research Assistant/Technician
Jason Manley, Graduate Fellow
Haley Tector. Research Assistant/Technician
Disan S Davis, Alumnus/Alumna, Staff
Brigid Maloney, Graduate Fellow
Tatsuya Murakami, Postdoctoral Fellow
Polina Weitzenfeld, Postdoctoral Fellow
Elizabeth Krisch, Staff
Carla Nowosad, Postdoctoral Fellow
Anonymous, Alumnus/Alumna
Katherine Varandas, Postdoctoral Fellow
Nicholas Poulton, Graduate Fellow
Dale Miller, Staff
Veena Padmanaban, Postdoctoral Fellow
Melissa Jarmel, Postdoctoral Fellow
Sofia Axelrod, Postdoctoral Fellow
Bianca Cotto, Postdoctoral Fellow
Naama Aviram, Postdoctoral Fellow
Pooja Viswanathan, Postdoctoral Fellow
Penelope Ruiz, Postdoctoral Fellow
Sarah Szwed, Graduate Fellow
Neel Shah, Alumnus/Alumna
Emily Mastrocola, Research Assistant/Technician
Fanny Matheis, Graduate Fellow
Anonymous, Visiting Research Fellow
Willa Kerkhoff, Research Assistant/Technician
Molly Liu, Alumnus/Alumna
Lauren Lubeck, Research Assistant/Technician
Nia Lyn, Research Assistant/Technician
Alexander Epstein, Graduate Fellow
Kristen Vogt, Graduate Fellow
Katherine High, Visiting Professor
Audrey Harnagel, Graduate Fellow
Manon Valet, Postdoctoral Fellow
Marina Schernthanner, Graduate Fellow
Amy Huang, Graduate Fellow
Geena R Ianni, Graduate Fellow
Tien Phan-Everson, Graduate Fellow
Pascal Maguin, Graduate Fellow
Caitlin Gilbert, Graduate Fellow
Kasia Turbek, Laboratory Administrator
Nicole Infarinato, Graduate Fellow
Kasia Turbek, Laboratory Administrator
Albert Antar, Research Assistant/Technician
Nathan Harper, Graduate Fellow
Patricia Rodriguez, Postdoctoral Fellow
Priscilla Kong, Research Staff
Raphael Cohn, Alumnus/Alumna
Farid Aboharb, Graduate Fellow
Yadira Soto-Feliciano, Postdoctoral Fellow
Tatiane Kanno, Postdoctoral Fellow
Abby Janke, Postdoctoral Fellow
Taylor Hart, Graduate Fellow
Shiri Gur-Cohen, Postdoctoral Fellow
Tamar Feinberg, Postdoctoral Fellow
Anonymous, Visiting Student
Yael Tsitohay, Graduate Fellow
Mariluz Soula, Graduate Fellow
Xiphias Ge Zhu, Graduate Fellow
Claude Douglas, Security Dept. Staff
Matthew Tierney, Postdoctoral Fellow
Zachary Gershon, Graduate Fellow
Irena Feng, Research Assistant/Technician
Gregory W. Goldberg, Alumnus/Alumna
Yusuff Abdu, Postdoctoral Fellow
Tomoki Suzuki, Postdoctoral Fellow
Karolina Marciniak, Postdoctoral Fellow
Philip Kidd, Postdoctoral Fellow
Charles Xu, Postdoctoral Fellow
Ed Aguilar, Graduate Fellow
Eliza Llewellyn, Research Assistant/Technician
Maria Liberti, Postdoctoral Fellow
Noel Dublin, Research Assistant/Technician
Seth Darst, Head of Laboratory
Elias Scheer, Graduate Fellow
Anonymous, Graduate Fellow
Andrés Mansisidor, Postdoctoral Fellow
Sam Khodursky, Graduate Fellow
Lucas Tian, Postdoctoral Fellow
Adam Claridge-Chang, Alumnus/Alumna
Claire Kenney, Graduate Fellow
Anonymous, Postdoctoral Fellow
Trevor Sorrells, Postdoctoral Fellow
David Buchholz, Postdoctoral Fellow
Anonymous, Postdoctoral Fellow
Nandan Mandayam, Lab Manager
Ashlyn Gonzalez, Staff
Brian Hurwitz, Graduate Fellow
Victoria Schneider, Graduate Fellow
John Fak, Research Assistant/Technician
Bety Rostandy, Research Support Associate
Samara Brown, Staff
Lauren Bayer Horowitz, Postdoctoral Fellow
Pilar Mendoza Daroca, Postdoctoral Fellow
Soren Heissel, Research Specialist
Philip Pikus, Research Assistant/Technician
Lucas Kampman, Research Assistant/Technician
Anonymous, Research Administration
Anonymous, Postdoctoral Fellow
Takeshi Morita, Postdoctoral Fellow
Annie Sharak, Staff
Brian Fabella, Research Specialist
Dannikay Wilson, Animal Caretaker
Eva Bednarski, Research Associate/Assistant Professor
Hanan Alwaseem, Research Support Specialist
Elitsa Stoyanova, Graduate Fellow
Lauren Aguado, Postdoctoral Fellow
Amol Aher, Postdoctoral Fellow
Anonymous, Graduate Fellow
Andrew Siliciano, Graduate Fellow
Marwa Saad, Graduate Fellow
Irina Matos, Postdoctoral Fellow
Jennifer Bohn, Postdoctoral Fellow
Alice Cho, Postdoctoral Fellow
Zikun Wang, Graduate Fellow
Jennifer Bohn, Postdoctoral Fellow
Anonymous, Staff
Lijuan Feng, Postdoctoral Fellow
Kathleen Horan, Staff
Gabriella Spitz-Becker, Graduate Fellow
Rochelle Maxwell, Instructor in Clinical Investigation
Yashoda Krishna Sunkari, Research Associate/Assistant Professor
Anonymous, Postdoctoral Fellow
Lauren Vostal, Graduate Fellow
Krithika Venkataraman, Graduate Fellow
Nan Chen, Postdoctoral Fellow
Michelle Morochnik, Research Assistant/Technician
Itzel Ishida, Graduate Fellow
Vanessa Ruta, Head of Laboratory
Irem Izgi, Graduate Fellow
Paul Cohen, Head of Laboratory
Rory Coleman, Postdoctoral Fellow
Jeremy Rock, Head of Laboratory
Mila Jankovic, Research Associate/Assistant Professor
Sara Borghi, Postdoctoral Associate
Nicholas Gomez, Postdoctoral Fellow
Mariya London, Alumnus/Alumna
Qiang Liu, Staff Scientist
Marina Weinberger, Research Assistant/Technician
Gabriel Victora, Head of Laboratory
Anonymous, Graduate Fellow
Anonymous, Staff
Myles Marshall, Staff
Zachary Kerner, Graduate Fellow
Mila Jankovic, Research Associate/Assistant Professor
Rufei Li, Graduate Fellow
Edwin Rosado-Olivieri, Postdoctoral Fellow
Cayla Broton, Graduate Fellow
Gregory Alushin, Head of Laboratory
Camila Villasante, Graduate Fellow
Michelle Hong, Staff
Zetian Yang, Graduate Fellow
Stephanie Marcus, Graduate Fellow
Mizuho Horioka, Graduate Fellow
Anonymous, Staff
Dominic Polsinelli, Research Assistant/Technician
Moonjung Jung, Instructor in Clinical Investigation
Mengyin Zhang, Graduate Fellow
Matt Biegler, Postdoctoral Fellow
Kyle Windisch, Research Associate
Lihong Yin, Lab Manager
Sebastian Klinge, Head of Laboratory
Marian Okondo, Graduate Fellow
Kivanc Birsoy, Head of Laboratory
Sarina Karmacharya, Visiting Student
Joseph Luna, Postdoctoral Fellow
Jacquelyn Mountcastle, Research Support Associate
Zehao Zhang, Graduate Fellow
Yuriria Vazquez, Postdoctoral Fellow
Simin Liu, Graduate Fellow
Jordan Mattheisen, Graduate Fellow
Elizabeth A Thompson, Graduate Fellow
Joseph Luna, Postdoctoral Fellow
Anonymous, Postdoctoral Fellow
Hourinaz Behesti, Research Associate
John LaCava, Research Associate/Assistant Professor
Jeffrey Naftaly, Research Assistant/Technician
Alexandra Pinzaru, Postdoctoral Fellow
Anonymous, Research Assistant/Technician
Eiko Nishiuchi, Administrator
Justine Lottermoser, Graduate Fellow
Emma Garst, Graduate Fellow
Juliel Espinosa, Graduate Fellow
Stephanie Ellis, Postdoctoral Fellow
Ben Short, Rockefeller University Press Staff
Spencer Chen, Graduate Fellow
Anna Balchunas, Development Staff
James Chen, Graduate Fellow
Jason Pinger, Alumnus/Alumna
Meg Younger, Postdoctoral Fellow
Tom Wiley (He/Him), Genome Maintenance Staff
Devon Collins, Postdoctoral Fellow
Seon-Hui Hong, Postdoctoral Fellow
Edmondo Campisi, Research Associate
Anonymous, Graduate Fellow
Andrew Wong, Graduate Fellow
Laura Menocal, Graduate Fellow
Daniella Gonzalez, Veterinary Services CBC Staff
Alisha Dua, Graduate Fellow
Leonora Olivos-Cisneros, Staff
Alexander Meeske, Postdoctoral Fellow
Taylor Floyd, Graduate Fellow
Anthony C. Antonelli, Graduate Fellow
Allie Dananberg, Graduate Fellow
Nathaniel Heintz, Head of Laboratory
Howard Hang, Head of Laboratory
May Dobosiewicz, Alumnus/Alumna
Chiara Evans, Graduate Fellow
Matthew Davenport, Graduate Fellow
Mehrnoosh Oghbaie, Postdoctoral Fellow
Samantha Meadows, Graduate Fellow
Anonymous, Postdoctoral Fellow
John Watters, Graduate Fellow
Matthew Griffin, Postdoctoral Fellow
Anonymous, Postdoctoral Fellow
Douglas Heigl, Rock EDU Staff
Monica Mugnier, Alumnus/Alumna
Samantha Regan, Graduate Fellow
Victor Chen, Graduate Fellow
Isacc Ilyashov, Research Assistant/Technician
Arleen D Auerbach, Consultant
Emily Beckwitt, Postdoctoral Fellow
Diego Mourao, Postdoctoral Fellow
Violet Ivan, Research Assistant/Technician
Rodrigo Alonso, Postdoctoral Fellow
Menachem Katz, Postdoctoral Fellow
Peter Mussells Pires, Graduate Fellow
Clint Ko, Postdoctoral Fellow
Charles Hespen, Postdoctoral Fellow
Karl Palmquist, Graduate Fellow
Natalie Jones, Graduate Fellow
Sanraj Mittal, Graduate Fellow
Alice Cassel, Graduate Fellow
Aylesse Sordillo, Graduate Fellow
Mara Gnadig, Visiting Graduate Fellow
Hera Canaj, Graduate Fellow
Vicky Moya, Alumnus/Alumna
Madeleine Delbeau, Graduate Fellow
Eduardo Dias-Ferreira, Postdoctoral Fellow
Viviana Risca, Head of Laboratory
Andrea Jurado, Research Assistant/Technician
Lena Kutscher, Alumnus/Alumna
Isaac Kresse, Graduate Fellow
James Brandt, Graduate Fellow
Anna Erzberger, Postdoctoral Fellow
Brandon Fleischer, Development Staff
Anonymous, Animal Tech
Stephen Thornquist, Postdoctoral Fellow
Arnaud Vanden Broeck, Postdoctoral Fellow
Daniel Kronauer, Head of Laboratory
Anonymous, Staff
Anonymous, Staff
Xinglin Yang, Postdoctoral Fellow
Jonathan Green, Alumnus/Alumna
Lana Norris, Staff
Amy Shyer, Head of Laboratory
Sichen Yang, Graduate Fellow
Alex Paul, Postdoctoral Fellow
Lisa Fenk, Postdoctoral Fellow
Kevin Barber, Graduate Fellow
Iryna Ivasyk, Graduate Fellow
Dylan Kwart, Alumnus/Alumna
Ainhoa Perez, Research Associate/Assistant Professor
Ryan Kim, Research Assistant/Technician
Anonymous, Staff
Hironori Funabiki, Head of Laboratory
Sara Gannon, Undergraduate Volunteer
Santiago Otero Coronel, Graduate Fellow
Bernardo Tavora, Postdoctoral Fellow
Julia Uma Deere, Graduate Fellow
Sachin Sethi, Postdoctoral Fellow
Ianessa Morantte, Lab Manager
Emily Atlas, Graduate Fellow
Collette L. Ryder, Sponsored Programs Administration Director
Ruth Saecker, Research Associate/Assistant Professor
Christina Pressl, Graduate Fellow
Juhee Pae, Postdoctoral Fellow
Rada Norinsky, CBC Director of the Resource Center
Victor Cisneros, Staff
Anna Keyte, Staff
Hiroyuki Takai, Senior Scientist
Jason Banfelder, Director of High Performance Computing
Anonymous, Staff
Mariel Bartley, Alumnus/Alumna
Nicolas Velez, Graduate Fellow
Jordan Marrocco, Senior Scientist
Stephanie Sarbanes, Alumnus/Alumna
Yasmeen Khan, Staff
Chloe Burnside, Graduate Fellow
Libuše Janská, Graduate Fellow
Maria Passarelli, Graduate Fellow
Shawn Davis, Staff
David, Graduate Fellow
Dan Gross, Scientific Engineer
Anoushka Joglekar, Graduate Fellow
Christian Zierhut, Senior Scientist
Nadine Soplop, Staff
Evan Witt, Graduate Fellow
Likui Feng, Postdoctoral Fellow
Caleb Reagor, Graduate Fellow
Joshua Brewer, Graduate Fellow
Ilaria Ceglia, Science Informationist and Liaison
Kate Ross, Staff
Maura Gilmartin, Staff
Mukul Mathur, Staff
Kate Ross, Staff
Julien Catanese, Research Associate/Assistant Professor
Hessameddin Akhlaghpour, Postdoctoral Fellow
Josue Regalado, Graduate Fellow
Anna Yoney, Graduate Fellow
Yasuhiro Arimura, Postdoctoral Fellow
Anonymous, Staff
Irene Duba, Graduate Fellow
Tom Carroll, Staff
Alvaro Hobbs, Graduate Fellow
Kadija Fofana, Staff
Veronica Jove, Graduate Fellow
Kenneth Atkins, Alumnus/Alumna
Ezgi Hacisuleyman, Postdoctoral Fellow
Aarthi Maganti Vijaykumar, Postdoctoral Fellow