Leadership in Inclusive Science Education and Training: Who Are We, and How Did We Get Here?

This brief essay tells the stories of two people who ended up in positions of leadership in science education and workforce diversity. Only relatively recently did our paths intersect. Writing this essay crystallized for us the difference between planning and preparation. Whatever accomplishments emerged in our professional lives were less the result of intentional planning and much more the outcome of living with curiosity which prepared us for unanticipated opportunities. As a person wonders what might lie ahead, they also should never forget from whence they came. We know that serendipity and good luck are not distributed equally in this world, and the journey can be very difficult especially for persons who are already excluded from the system. Thus, we offer these stories with humility, hoping to avoid the hubris which is all too common: “Just do what I did, and you, too, will be successful if you’re good enough.” Clif Poodry served for 20 years as the founding director of the Division of Training, Workforce Development, and Diversity in the National Institute of General Medical Sciences. After retiring from the NIH, Clif was Senior Fellow in Science Education at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. David Asai retired in 2024 after more than 15 years at HHMI where he was Senior Director for science education in the Center for the Advancement of Science Leadership and Culture.