Using Mathematics to Uncover Inequities in Plant Science

The field of plant science has grown dramatically in the past two decades, but global disparities and systemic inequalities persist. In this talk, I will discuss the role of mathematicians in analyzing ~300,000 papers published over the past two decades to quantify disparities across nations, genders, and taxonomy in the plant science literature. Taken together, these analyses reveal a problematic system of publication, with persistent imbalances that poorly capture the global wealth of scientific knowledge and biological diversity. As a step to combating these disparities, I will discuss my experience with the collaborative Plants and Python course, which brings together students in the global South and the global North to work at the intersection of mathematics and plant biology.

Bio
https://math.unm.edu/people/academic-personnel/sarah-percival