October 4th, 2017
The Department of Biological Sciences at NJIT advances the understanding of living systems, from neurons to ecosystems, through research and education. We encourage academic excellence, rigorous conduct of research based on the scientific method, original thinking, and clear communication. We support the open discussion of ideas, and aim to nurture department members and students in the pursuit of science. We are proud of our outstanding students and staff, who make this possible, and of the diversity of people that engage with us in this endeavor. As part of a broader community we adhere to the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which establishes that “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.”
On current events, we strongly object to the use of pseudoscience to support racist ideology. In particular, we object to attempts to use details related to human evolution to support eugenics and white supremacy. Such opinions have been expressed by Jason Reza Jorjani, who until recently taught some of our students in courses on science, technology and society. What we have learned in the last decade and a half of human genomics, and more than a century of human paleontology, is that humans share much more than they differ; and that epigenetics, development and environmental factors can have as much effect as the slight genetic difference among individuals. We believe that Dr. Jorjani’s beliefs, as revealed by his remarks, cannot help but produce a discriminatory and intimidating educational environment for our diverse student body. This makes him unfit to teach at NJIT, or indeed at any academic institution that considers its students to have equal value and potential.
Philip M. Barden
Dirk M. Bucher
M. Sherri Brown
Shamay A. Carty
Daniel E. Bunker
Caroline M. DeVan
Brooke Flammang
Eric S. Fortune
Simon J. Garnier
Jorge P. Golowasch
Gal Haspel
Mary Konsolaki
Farzan Nadim
Karen Roach
Horacio G. Rotstein
Gareth J. Russell
Daphne F. Soares
Maria L. Stanko
John J. Yarotsky
