Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

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Diversity Statement

I am the son of a first-generation immigrant and scientist from India and a Wisconsinite teacher. My parents faced significant prejudice and systemic racism due to their early 1970’s interracial marriage. They dealt with this opposition and persevered through it in a time when very few marriages looked like theirs. They set a strong example of working towards your goals in the face of obstacles and demonstrating the value of inclusion and understanding the views of others. I believe working towards an education is the best path to inclusion and understanding others.

The lab goal is to establish  a lab and training environment that both represents a unique perspective in our scientific niche and also leverages as many viewpoints as possible while fostering scientific teamwork and collaboration. The lab will consider everyone’s strengths and I believe those diverse strengths and viewpoints have will advance scientific knowledge and create success. We will work towards those goals through our actions by supporting diversity and inclusion at every stage of academic science.

Mehta Lab Native Land Acknowledgement

The Mehta lab acknowledges that the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus is in the sacred homeland of the Hoocąk (Ho-Chunk) people.  Besides the land that is known as the Teejop, the University of Wisconsin extension system extends to the borders of the state, so we also recognize the inherent sovereignty of the 12 First Nations of Wisconsin.

This land grant university could not have been established or sustained were it not for state and federally sponsored colonialism that displaced American Indian nations and communities within Wisconsin.  We confront the outcomes of unjust land treaties and the harm caused by this state’s past complicity with policies of cultural and physical genocide as we seek reconciliation with Indigenous nations and communities of Wisconsin.