1. It is the right thing to do.

2. Our lab is predominantly funded by the taxpayers of the United States. The population of the United States is diverse, and they deserve to have their concerns and interests investigated by scientific research. We do basic and applied research that improves US agriculture, health, and the environment. The best way to ensure we are meeting the goals of a diverse US is to have a group that reflects those diverse backgrounds.

3. Diverse teams are more functional and higher performing. Numerous studies and personal experience highlight that diversity is incredibly useful in defining the important questions to address (Freeman & Huang, 2015, 313; Phillips et al., 2014, 46). Coming up with the right question and hypothesis is frequently the biggest challenge in science. By bringing together scientists of all backgrounds, experiences, and identities from the US and world, we help identify the most important questions, the best set of hypotheses to test, and then develop approaches to address these (Nature, 2020, 196).