As a microbial ecologist, when Dr. Juan Carlos López examines soil he sees it teeming with life and intrinsic connections, brimming with ‘friendly fungi’ that form symbiotic relationships with most land plants.

This notion of creating strong relationships that allow systems to thrive is fundamental to his personal and professional philosophy and has fostered an appreciation for essential connections that produce alliances and allies.

As a biology professor and Assistant Dean of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in the Faculty of Science at Acadia University, what motivates him is a capacity to support one another to flourish and grow. Even more, he encourages the institution to recognize and invest in connections that will create change and make Acadia more inclusive and welcoming.

“Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism (EDI-AR) are human rights,” he says, “and protecting and promoting those rights is what any socially responsible institution must do. We know this leads to innovation and progress. Having different people on teams advances our research and social endeavours.”

Dr. López has taught at Acadia since 2014, learning as much from his colleagues and students as he himself has imparted and stepping into roles that have been challenging and difficult, walking in spaces where he is not expected to be as an immigrant and settler.

Originally from Venezuela, Dr. López says the burden of being ‘from away’ can be heavy. He has felt marginalized and struggled to assimilate, to play the game and secure professional and financial stability for him and his family. There were times when he couldn’t be his authentic self and admits, even now, to self-editing, dissembling and strategizing about what to say, when to say it, and how to say it.

However, he has accumulated knowledge and privilege throughout, he says. “I have some stability and safety in my job and the best thing I can do is to speak up. I am always striving to use the space and privilege I have to create awareness and tell my story.”

Peer recognition

His ongoing efforts were recognized recently when the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) honoured him with the CAUT Equity Award. Established in 2010, the award celebrates academic staff or groups who show exceptional dedication to confronting exclusionary behaviours and practices such as racism, sexism, and homophobia. Dr. López was nominated for the award by the Acadia University Faculty Association (AUFA).

Dr. Stephanie Jones, then President of the Acadia University Faculty Association (and with the unanimous endorsement of the AUFA Executive) wrote in Dr. López’s nomination that “AUFA fully supports Dr. López in his tireless efforts to understand and disseminate EDIA-AR-related barriers that students, staff and faculty face in their educational and work paths. His work has resulted in legitimate change to the practices of AUFA, Acadia University, his colleagues and students and has created a growth mindset on campus related to EDIA-AR.”

Dr. López has advanced this mindset in several ways: serving since 2022 as co-chair of Acadia’s Employment Equity Committee (EEC); actively presenting the work of the EEC and the knowledge he has gleaned from committees, attending conferences, and in presentations through the Association of Nova Scotia University Teachers (ANSUT); and as a Racialized Academic Staff member on CAUT’s Equity Committee. Dr. Jones adds, “he truly embraces the long-term vision of creating an equitable workplace for all association members.”

Change comes slowly

Patience and persistence are essential, Dr. López says. Change is slow to come and doesn’t happen naturally because universities are based on colonial systems with rules that leave some people and knowledge behind and excluded. However, collaboratively and collectively, he and his colleagues have found a path forward.

“I was adamant that we do it together, that we would train and grow together. It doesn’t work in isolation,” he says. “We had to do this as a community.”

The CAUT award is important because the recognition creates ideas and awareness that amplify the work that must be done. The existence of awards acknowledging Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism (EDI-AR) initiatives bring the discussion to the table, he says, and that’s crucial.

As a proof point, he recalls a note congratulating him after he received the Acadia Alumni Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2021 which said that Venezuelans in the diaspora were happy for him.

“I didn’t realize I was part of a diaspora,” he says, “and it moved me. When the work I do becomes visible, it also becomes visible to people like me, to the many people who for some reason or another have had to leave their homes. There’s another dimension to the recognition and exposure of the work, and it’s bigger than me.”Given the challenges, though, is it reasonable to expect meaningful change?

“Of course,” he says. “I recognize the difficulties we’re facing, but I also see the bright future that is waiting for us if we nourish, embrace and support EDI-AR efforts. The work is heavy, but I am encouraged. Change is a sustained effort. It’s not one person; it’s what many people have worked for slowly over time, and it doesn’t happen overnight. The CAUT award conveys the value of the work, and we can’t give up, my friend. We have to keep going forward.”