In Chemistry we support equity, diversity and our community

Friday, June 5, 2020

Dear fellow members of the Chemistry Department, 

Some of you may be familiar with an article, since retracted, that appeared on Angewandte Chemie this week that expressed very hurtful and unacceptable views on diversity, training and other aspects of academia, under the guise of a look back at thirty years of organic synthesis. Having read the article, I was appalled and shocked by the views expressed there, and wish to state that there is no place for such sentiment in our Department. We are committed to the pursuit of knowledge and its dissemination to all individuals in our community, and can only accomplish that if we are fully supportive of everyone in it. We treat members of our community with respect and support, and work together to make sure everyone’s contributions are recognized and celebrated. It is sad that even thirty years ago such views may have been held by an unfortunate few – to see them resurface today, after so much progress has been made – and must continue to be made – is painful. But it is also a reminder that we must never cease in our efforts to remove them from our environment today and the days to come. I for one will continue those efforts, and I hope each of you will join me.

Best wishes, Bill

Bill Power