Celebrating the stories of black cellular biologists and the path towards diversity, equity, and inclusion in STEM

Abstract

Black scientists have made major contributions to their scientific communities, but their stories and work have not received well-deserved recognition due to systemic inequities within science and academia. By celebrating the stories of Black scientists, we aim to encourage students of color and underrepresented groups to pursue a caree in the natural sciences. Here we tell the stories of Ernest E. Just, Sandra A. Murray and Avery August, three Black cellular biologists from three different generations who have made major contributions to the scientific community using microscopy. The presented project is carried out as part of the Buehler Biomedical Imaging Center that was established in 2018 through a generous grant from the Buehler Family Foundation and its president A.C. Buehler '78 and Elisabeth Buehler Smith '11.