The Bauman Lab is committed to supporting diversity in STEMM (science, technology, engineering, math and medicine) fields. We are part of the broader UC Davis community and active partners in efforts to create a learning environment in which people from all backgrounds thrive. In our lab, we are committed to creating an inclusive environment where we respect and value differences and leverage these strengths to advance our program of research.
Undergraduate Research Opportunities
Students interested in gaining research opportunities in our laboratory should email Staff Research Associate and Student Research Coordinator Riki Kar anukar@ucdavis.edu to learn more.
Women in STEMM
Dr. Bauman has a strong commitment to advancing women’s careers in science and medicine. From 2018-2024, she served as the Director of the UC Davis Women in Medicine and Health Sciences (WIMHS) program and has led efforts to improve gender equity in academic medicine. She has participated in Association of American Medical Colleges Early and Mid-Career Women Faculty Leadership Development Seminars and is an alumna of the 2022-2023 class in the national Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) program. While serving as the UC Davis Group on Women in Science and Medicine (GWIMS) Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), Dr. Bauman co-authored an updated toolkit on “Equity in Promotion” as part of the GWIMS Toolkits and Webinars designed to provide practical guidance on a variety of topics relevant to women faculty in academic medicine and science.
In collaboration with Dr. Colleen Clancy, Dr. Bauman obtained funding from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and its funding partner – the Burroughs Wellcome Fund to fund “A Novel Program to Identify, Support and Retain Clinical Scientists Impacted by Pandemic Caregiving Challenges.” This program provided research funds to early-career biomedical researchers working on clinical research projects and facing extra-professional demands of caregiving increased by the COVID-19 pandemic. For more information on this innovative program see Jagsi et al., 2022.
Dr. Bauman is also deeply committed to mentoring the next generation of biomedical researchers and Bauman has also co-taught a first-year seminar “Women in Science” for over a decade in collaboration with Dr. Cyndi Schumann. She is currently offering this class with lab member Riki Kar through the UC Davis University Honor Program curriculum.
Lab Mentorship Activities
Postdoctoral researcher Dr. Josephine Hubbard has a strong passion for mentorship in teaching and research. She has mentored many undergraduate students in her own research and as a member of collaborative research projects at UC Davis. She has also participated in several programs to mentor prospective graduate students as a part of the Ecology & Evolution Graduate School Preview Program and the Envision Program at UC Davis. As a senior graduate student, she advised several incoming graduate students as a member of the Animal Behavior Graduate Group (ABGG) Advisory Committee. She has also organized opportunities for graduate students to hone their scientific presentation skills as lead organizer for the ABGG Biennial Regional Conference in 2022. She continues this commitment to training undergraduate students as a member of the Undergraduate Education (UGE) Committee at the California National Primate Research Center. In collaboration with staff research associate Sasha Montero-De La Torre, Hubbard developed a teaching module for the Training Biomedical Professionals of the Future program focused on the use of non-human primate models for translational research on mental health and the emergence of neurodevelopmental disorders in humans.
Dr. Hubbard is also committed to promoting diversity and inclusion in the workplace. She served two terms as the co-chair for the ABGG Diversity and Inclusion Committee where she spearheaded initiatives such as removing the GRE from the admissions requirements for the ABGG. She also co-authored a guide to apply to graduate school that has been posted on the website and is used by ABBG faculty to provide guidance for prospective graduate students. She continues this commitment to DEI as a member of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee at the California National Primate Research Center.
Finally, Dr. Hubbard believes in the importance of science communication and outreach to demystify the roles of scientists as a way to increase diversity and inclusion in STEMM. As a graduate student she held leadership positions as editor for a variety of columns in the ABGG official blog, the Ethogram including Creature feature, Newsroom, Fieldnotes, and Field fiascos. She has written articles outlining her own experience conducting fieldwork with whales, wild macaques, and urban birds. She has outlined some of the trials and tribulations of fieldwork through satirical field fiascos including an encounter with a pangolin, tick bombs while searching for salamanders, unusual field lunches, the importance of bag weighing when traveling, and the consequences of not paying attention to your study group. She has also written general pieces on unique wildlife species such as the african clawed frog, California golden trout, greater racket-tailed drongo, San Joaquin kit fox, tree kangaroos, tailless whip scorpions, and peacock spiders. Finally, she has highlighted her most recent publication studying humpback whales as well as science heroes such as Rachel Carson.
Graduate student, Felisa is committed to fostering diversity and inclusion in STEMM fields. As a Pen-Pal for Letters to a Pre-Scientist, she mentors a fifth-to-tenth grade student by exchanging letters throughout the school year in hopes of sharing insights about pursuing a career in STEMM. Felisa has served as a panelist in the Bilingual Graduate Panel for UC Davis undergraduate students in Danzantes del Alma, and the Cafe con Pan Dulce Discussion for Woodland Community College MESA students, both organized by the GSPD SACNAS Davis Chapter. Felisa also participated in the UC Davis Psychology Department Diversity Breakfast to help prospective graduate students tour and meet fellow students in the Psychology Department.
In addition to her role at the CNPRC, Felisa serves as the Graduate Student Representative for the Community Advisory Committee. Here, she advocates for trainee needs, collaborates to enhance their experiences, and organizes events that foster community engagement and networking opportunities.