Statements — Thomas Desvignes

Diversity is the key to mutual respect and innovation.

by uniting each other’s strengths into creativity we can reach outcomes largely greater than the sum of OUR individual parts.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are more than ever at the cornerstone of our society. As educators of future generations, we cannot be observers, we must instead be the leaders in the effort to combat obscurantism and racism AND promote a more respectful, fair, open-minded, and kind society.

The University of Oregon, and thus our lab, was built and operates on the traditional land of the Kalapuya people. Most descendants of the Kalapuya people are now citizens of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde. I am deeply grateful for their hospitality and recognize their culture and original ownership of the land we work on.

I stand behind and I am an ally to other movements and actions such as:

Black Lives Matter. BIPOC lives matter. It is our collective duty to reverse centuries of oppression and systemic racism.
LGBTQ+: People are free to love who they want, the way they want, and free to be who they are without having to concede to traditional binary values of a past era.
Although I am a white male, scientists are NOT only white males and I fully support moving away from this decrepit stereotype.
As an immigrant myself, I am an advocate for DACA and Dreamers.
We trust Science, the Earth is round, human-caused global warming is real, vaccines work.

What I stand for

Diversity is the key to mutual respect and innovation.

by uniting each other’s strengths into creativity we can reach outcomes largely greater than the sum of OUR individual parts.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are more than ever at the cornerstone of our society. As educators of future generations, we cannot be observers, we must instead be the leaders in the effort to combat obscurantism and racism AND promote a more respectful, fair, open-minded, and kind society.