As we close LGBTQ+ Pride Month and look forward to International LGBT STEM Day celebrations on July 5, Fermilab proudly supports inclusion and recognizes the contributions of the LGBTQ+ community in STEM. Workforce and workplace diversity, equity, and inclusion are laboratory and DOE Office Science priorities.
The science we perform as the DOE complex of laboratories is critically important to our nation’s leadership in security and energy and to the economy. Scientific research has historically provided the advances that become the backbone of our economy. As individual contributors or team members, people from diverse backgrounds bring different perspectives and innovative approaches to problem solving.
Although hard to measure, the evidence is in history. Three of my favorite examples are Leonardo da Vinci, arguably the greatest scientific genius to have lived; Alan Turing, the father of theoretical computer science and artificial intelligence; and Sally Ride. As a more modern example, Sally was the first U.S. woman in space, the youngest person in space and a physicist. The list goes on and on.
Inclusion matters. Accept people for who they are. In the workplace, I expect each member of the Fermilab community to treat their colleagues with respect. I am proud to tell people I meet around the world that Fermilab is a place where innovative ideas and scientific discoveries come from an accepting, inclusive and diverse workforce and user community.