I am committed to improving diversity & equity across STEM at all levels, including:
institutional change, in my own research group, and through outreach. 

Institutional Change
Higher education needs top-down change along-side bottom-up efforts.

I am proud to be a part of the Working Group for Broadening Participation in Academia, a group of early-career researchers focused on generating data-driven recommendations for scientific societies and other institutions to improve the impact of their diversity & equity efforts.

Check out our recent Letter to the Editor in Nature Eco & Evo
addressing how the scheduling at biology conferences impact diversity initiatives!

Learn more about us by using links below!
Nick Burnett (lead, UC Davis)
Alyssa Hernandez (Harvard)
Emily King (UC Berkeley)
Rita Mehta (UCSC)
​Crystal Reynaga (Bryn Mawr)
​Mary Salcedo (Virginia Tech)
Richelle Tanner (UC Davis)
Interested in joining us?
​Don't hesitate to get in touch - kathrynwilsterman [at] gmail.com
My Research Group
I condemn racism and discrimination in any form, and it is not tolerated within my research group. I stand with the Black Lives Matter movement, and I acknowledge the historical legacy of exclusion and marginalization of underrepresented groups that persists across higher education.
  • Are you a University of Montana undergraduate interested in research? I am committed to improving access to research opportunities by working to provide paid opportunities and/or course credit for undergraduate researchers. Let's chat!
  • Are you a researcher looking for tools to improve your mentoring skills and inclusivity? I'm passionate about the fact that effective mentoring is critical and can be learned. I am always happy to share resources and talk about strategies I've learned through the years!
  • Are you looking for supportive mentors beyond your lab group or institution?  Reach out! I'm willing to help or work with you to identify mentors that are a good fit.
Outreach
Improving access begins by helping young minds imagine themselves as scientists, veterinarians, coders, and teachers. At UC Berkeley, I helped make these opportunities a reality for middle school girls from underserved school districts in the Bay Area by organizing the annual Expanding Your Horizons conference on the UC Berkeley campus.
Learn more about EYH at Berkeley or conferences in your area!

I have also volunteered for the Bay Area Scientists in Schools program, providing hands-on lessons about evolutionary biology to 1st through 8th graders in the East Bay .