Susan L. Perkins, Ph.D.
Martin & Michele Cohen Dean of Science
The City College of New York
City University of New York
Click for links to various outreach projects.
Diversity in STEM
Science, technology, engineering and math - STEM - benefits enormously from increased diversity. Diverse viewpoints, expertise, and priorities help to make better solutions, better teams, and more fair and equitable institutions and societies.
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I have been an active member of various women in science groups, spoken at the 2018 NYC March for Science and am an advocate for diverse voices in STEM and beyond.
Early Career Reviewer Database
The process of peer review is critical for the scientific process, yet reviewers are often disproportionately more senior people (which in turn decreases the diversity of this pool).
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I curate the "Early Career Reviewer Database" for Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics. Anyone who has authored a peer-reviewed publication in this field may volunteer as a reviewer and any editor in these fields may request access.
Book
My colleague Rob DeSalle and I wrote the book Welcome to the Microbiome, published by Yale University Press. It is a fun and gentle guide into the world of why all life depends on the trillions of bacteria that live in and on us.
Exhibit
Rob DeSalle and I also co-curated an exhibit called "The Secret World Inside You" that was at AMNH from 2016-2017 and is currently traveling to other museums.
Games
I love all sorts of tabletop games and I was thrilled to have had the chance to design one along with Barry Joseph and Eric Teo. Gutsy is a strategic game that also teaches about the human microbiome - who the microbes are and how bacteria are transferred from person to person. It is no longer for sale, but can be printed and played.