Quantifying the inclusion gap in entomology

Academic STEM fields in the USA have historically been largely represented by white scholars. Entomology, the study of insects, is no different. Our recent analysis of NSF statistics show that entomology is less inclusive than most fields in biology (e.g., physiology, genetics) and roughly on-par with some of the least diverse STEM fields (e.g., ecology, physics, mathematics). This lack of inclusion also has an intersectional element. We found that the so-called “leaky-pipeline” for female academics in biology is significantly leakier for Black, Latinx, and Indigenous women. The data are clear, entomology (as other fields) is not inclusive to Black, Indigenous, and other peoples of color (BIPOC). In an attempt to better quantify the sources of this inclusion gap, we discuss results from an initial survey to ~66 entomology departments across North America and detail a revised survey currently underway that focuses on ways to better identify potential drivers of the inclusion gap. We propose corrections for systematically racist patterns.