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A message from the Life Sciences Interdisciplinary Graduate Programs

Dear IGP community,

By now, you have likely seen statements from President Drake and other leaders at Ohio State on the recent tragic events that have sickened and angered all of us. The horrifying and unjust death of yet another African American man, George Floyd, at the hands of people who should be protecting lives is, sadly, not an isolated incident.  

We are writing to add our voices to the condemnation of systemic racism and injustice that continues to plague our society, and the scientific community.  We stand fully behind President Drake’s words, knowing that it is now more necessary than ever to “reaffirm our commitment as Buckeyes to our university values of inclusion, diversity and tolerance.”   We also recognize the need to listen to our colleagues of color, and commit ourselves to doing the work needed to understand and address the pain, fear, and disappointment that has been part of the experience of scientists from marginalized communities, and their families, for far too long.  Importantly, we pledge to develop action items to actively promote these values such that real change is effected and sustained.

We are here to listen, support, and lift you up during this challenging time.  We encourage you to contact us if you feel that something is threatening your safety or the safety of those around you as well as if you just need to talk to somebody.  We remain committed to working with the entire IGP community to develop the inclusive, welcoming and affirming environment in which we know that the scientific efforts of everyone will flourish.

Sincerely,

The Directors and Program Coordinators of:

Biophysics (Ralf Bundschuh, Jeff Kuret and Kiley Morgan-Myrick)
MCDB (Tony Brown, Dawn Chandler and Lauren Pasquale)
Neuroscience (Jon Godbout, John Oberdick and Keri Knowles)
OSBP (Jane Jackman and Franci Brink)