Another toxic lab: Akito Kawahara, entomologist at U Florida and director of the Florida Museum's McGuire Center. [Update: Kawahara holds lab meeting and asks students to write positive comments]
Another toxic lab: Akito Kawahara, entomologist at U Florida and director of the Florida Museum's McGuire Center. [Update: Kawahara holds lab meeting and asks students to write positive comments]
A leading expert in the evolution and diversity of butterflies and moths has allegedly left a trail of depressed and disillusioned young scientists. Is there a better model for doing science?
After years of Akito Kawahara's truly disturbing behavior toward graduate students, postdocs, and employees, it is nice to finally see this brought to light. This has been the Florida Museum and McGuire Center's darkest open secret. Students, postdocs, and employees in his lab all seem disappear out of thin air over the years, with no follow up by other higher ups at the Florida Museum. Despite different labs around the country knowing from experience how Akito operates, somehow the University of Florida still allows him to take on students. I hope that curators at the McGuire Center will finally do something about this.
Your comment raises an important point, which is that UF and Florida Museum officials and other colleagues know about Kawahara. That has been the case with almost every investigation I have done: the higher ups knew but did nothing about it. That makes them complicit or worse, or course.
He's definitely not the only one that everyone knows about at the Florida Museum with no actions taken. Even with multiple students and staff coming forward to museum HR, Chair, and Director.
One would be hard pressed to find a previous student of Kawahara who he didn't outright steal research from. He views and treats his students as commodities to be exploited, extracted from, and then discarded. Plagiarism and theft for him doesn't even register as something with an ethical line or boundary, it's just the way he works, all in service of his ego and reputation. He does not mentor. He takes on students and has no idea what they are doing or how to help them, but if they do something he thinks is interesting, he will copy it and use it to try to extract more grant money, which he won't use on students, they have to be mostly self funded.
When he does do something a normal professor should do for or with a student, he uses it as a bargaining chip to manipulate them into doing something out of their job scope or that he himself doesn't want to be bothered with.
I can confirm that all the experiences described here are accurate, but the detailed examples not listed are so much more egregious. Kawahara's patterns of behavior are so consistently abusive, manipulative, and unethical. Funding agencies should conduct their own investigations outside of UF. I will not be surprised if he is debarred from receiving funding.
The abuse to students in the Kawahara lab is real and serious. I graduated from another lab in McGuire but always heard horror stories from Kawahara lab members. Every student seemed to have an awful experience with Akito except for one, and the reason she didn't have an awful experience is because of her relationship to another toxic professor in academia who works very closely with Akito.
This professor and colleague of Akito's was caught cheating on his wife with his own PhD student, who was originally his Master's student too. She ended up transferring to Akito's lab shortly after the University there found out about his affair with the student. In McGuire, for years, no one could figure out why Akito gave this student such special treatment. She was on many papers with just him, and was given the attention and support no other Kawahara lab or museum members ever received. Eventually, it was confirmed that the reason Akito gave this student special attention and care was because she was his very close colleague's girlfriend. They all knew what they were doing was wrong, it was intentionally kept secret by the professor, the student, and Akito, as it was explicitly said on a research trip that no one can ever find out.
Somehow even with the extreme ethical breach and blatant favortism from being Akito's close colleague's girlfriend, both the colleague and the former student still carry out research at the McGuire Center. I'd like to believe other PIs in McGuire I know and respect aren't aware of this, and will eventually put a stop to it.
Akito needs to step down as Director of the McGuire Center immediately. How does the museum have someone like this in charge of its entirety? The museum should force a resignation after the abuse these students suffered, and at the very least he should not be able to take on new students again. Surely there is another scientist there that can replace him that wouldn't damage students.
These accusations have truly caught me by surprise and are difficult to reconcile with my own experiences working with Akito and others in his lab at UF. The sentiments expressed in this blog and comment section do not align with what I believe is the current atmosphere in the Kawahara Lab. I feel fortunate to be a part of this lab, and my time here has been nothing but positive. I have really enjoyed working with Akito and have not personally encountered, nor am I aware of, any other lab members experiencing the issues described above. Having worked in toxic lab environments before, this lab feels entirely different. I feel included, respected, and valued both as a person and as a scientist and think other current members do as well. I believe Akito genuinely prioritizes the well-being of his students and junior scientists and is committed to fostering a supportive and healthy lab culture. He meets regularly with individual lab members and actively supports professional development. This includes encouraging participation in meetings, highlighting members’ research and achievements, and supporting fieldwork and museum visits. Recognizing that no two students are the same, Akito seems to have a strong understanding of the unique needs of each lab member and is very accommodating. I also look forward to our lab meetings where he frequently leads discussions on issues relevant to professional development such as applying for grants and fellowships, interviewing, writing recommendation letters, and how to engage in open science. During my time in the Kawahara Lab, I have not observed any bullying or intellectual theft. Regarding authorship, Akito has been consistently transparent and, in my experience, more inclusive than others I’ve worked with when it comes to crediting contributions on papers.
I just want to be sure I understand your point. Are you saying that your personal positive experience negates the experiences of the numerous former lab members I talked to for the story? Are you accusing them of lying?
Well this is the problem, you are having difficulty believing it but not only did I communicate directly with the individuals affected but as soon as the story was posted others added their comments and confirmed the issues. So you must consider that your perceptions are not representative of everyone’s, that would be the scientific attitude to take. You have posted here anonymously, but does Dr. Kawahara know that you have done so? Have you discussed the allegations with him? Please answer honestly.
So the smear campaign begins, against me and no doubt others. Smear campaigns and lies about misconduct are not allowed on this platform so they will be deleted in a few minutes.
Hi Michael, I just want to say that if your goal is really listening to members of the Kawahara lab, you should listen to everyone's experiences, not only those that confirm the thesis of your article.
I am listening. I am also suspicious that you and two others have come onto this comments section within the last hour to defend Kawahara. The positive experiences of some do not at all negate the negative experiences of others. Have you been in touch with Kawahara about commenting here? Have the other two colleagues who have done so, again all within a short time? You should respect the experiences of others as much as you want them and me to respects yours. This is basic.
I know Akito personally and would never describe him as someone with bad intentions or with a toxic personality. In the past few years, Akito has gone through very difficult situations in his life, but he has always tried to maintain a positive attitude. Akito always encouraged me to attend conferences to present my research and improve my public speaking, he would organize board game evenings to help us relax in times of stress, he offered his support during a difficult period in my personal life, and he always brought snacks from his travels to share with all of his students. While I understand and sympathize with the students' frustration at not feeling heard, I find it deeply inappropriate to post a blog with the main goal of destroying the professional career of someone who has worked and is working very hard to be better every day. This whole situation seems unnecessary and destructive to me, why not address the concerns through an honest and respectful dialogue?
I don't believe it is appropriate for you or anyone else to make these allegations about Akito's relationships (especially since you were not involved in that relationship). Sharing details about someone's personal life in a public blog anonymously says more about you than it does about Akito.
If you were honest you would acknowledge that the comments made here by you and three other people were at the behest of Kawahara himself at a lab meeting. I’m afraid you are not familiar with how journalism works. The reporter receives reports and then attempts to confirm them which was done amply in this case. To not report on this situation would not have been responsible. I wish you luck in your career.
I was responding to anonuser, but this also applies to you, Michael. Best of luck to you in spreading hate and encouraging uncivilized behavior. If you truly care about helping students have their voices heard, you know that writing a malicious blog like this one is not going to solve the core problem of this situation. I also hope no one ever writes a blog about your personal life or that of any of the other anonymous people here.
You'll have to forgive Michael...he forgot he was logged in on his main account and not one of his many sock puppet ones.
Each comment from a newly created account, written with the same condescending tone and all purporting to know so many scandalous details. And each liking every one of the other posts (something which was public on their profiles yet mysteriously disappeared after it was brought up hmmmm).
We will see what the substack admins have to say...
Everyone around campus knows about Akito's relationships because of the very embarrassing and public event that happened on the University of Florida campus.
I am a current graduate student in Akito's lab. I have to say that I have had a very different experience from what is described in this article. Akito has always met with me regularly and been responsive and available despite his demanding workload as director of the McGuire Center. He has provided me with practical guidance on selecting a project that can be completed in a timely manner while generating high impact publications. In areas where he has been unable to provide detailed advice, he's been honest about it, and has pointed me in the direction of needed resources and expertise. I honestly feel as though he has done his best to transmit the key competencies that have allowed him to become a top researcher in his field. He has also always been kind to me and I have personally never heard him make belittling comments to anyone. He has fostered a fun and close-knit lab environment with lots of social activities. I can truly say that I feel like all my labmates are my friends. It doesn't feel like an isolating or divisive environment at all.
I don't mean to downplay the experiences of anyone. And like many of us in academia, I have heard stories of toxic lab environments, and I am fully aware that this is a problem in general. But, honestly, those stories have always made me feel even more grateful for Akito. I truly believe that he is doing his best to be supportive of us and help us become great scientists.
It’s very interesting that four days after this article was first posted, suddenly three people today have come onto the comments section to defend Kawahara, all within an hour or so. While not denying the positive experiences they describe, it smacks very much of a coordinated campaign. If Kawahara is asking students or other colleagues to do this, it would be very hard for them to refuse. Perhaps someone has information about whether this is in fact what is going on.
No one is pressuring us to make comments. We decided to do it of our own accord. If you wanted to provide a more complete, unbiased perspective, why didn't you reach out to more students before posting your article? We feel that our perspectives were intentionally excluded from your article.
So you admit that this is a coordinated effort to defend Kawahara, and that three of you (or more) decided to do this? At least you are being honest. And have you discussed this coordinated attempt with Kawahara, even if he did not “pressure” you to do it? Only if he knows you are doing it will you get credit from him for it. Again, I have to repeat, the positive experiences of you and your colleagues DO NOT negate the negative experiences of the six former members of the lab I talked nor others who have confirmed their experiences. For you or anyone to try to do that shows a serious lack of respect for colleagues who obviously did suffer, unless you want to claim that they are lying. I stand by the reporting in this story, which has been confirmed and cross checked in numerous ways. It reminds me also of a number of reports I have done over the years on sexual harassment. Some would try to negate the experiences of those victims by saying exactly the same thing, oh, he never harassed me. This is not an objective or scientific approach. Different people have different experiences.
What about all those comments and likes on November 11-12? Is there a specific group of people behind this? Why is this happening specifically at this time of year, especially while the ESA event is being held?
If by "coordinated campaign" you mean people who were shocked, overwhelmed, and deeply concerned by the malicious intentions of this blog and have now decided to take action, then yes.
I was unaware of this report until today, however as a member of the Kawahara Lab, I feel obligated to speak up for the truth and express my feelings. I am not accusing others, but as @Copiopteryx mentioned, I do not find the lab toxic at all. On the contrary, Akito has treated us with respect and dignity. He has never scolded me for any reason, nor has he ever belittled others in my presence. Although his advising philosophy is not solely hands-on, he is always willing to make time to talk, even if it’s just for 30 minutes when I need him. He has also been very supportive in helping students find resources, including funding for travel, conferences, and field/lab work.
I understand that in any group, conflicts can sometimes arise. However, based on my experiences and observations, I find it difficult to relate to these allegations. It’s easy to label others these days without truly understanding what’s going on, which can lead to devastating consequences. I feel saddened and sorry about what Akito has been accused of in the article, seeing a nice guy being accused as a devil. Of course you can say that my opinion is biased, just like your comment about @Copiopteryx. But from my perspective, this report may be even more toxic than the situation actually is.
And again, no one is forcing us to post anything. We did had a conversation and someone has to deal with this negativity.
Thank you for again confirming that this is a coordinated action which now involves four of you within an hour or so. Perhaps more will weigh in as well. Please see my comments on the other statements by your colleagues. I am glad to hear you have had a positive experience. Not everyone did and that is the point of this report. I will not comment any more on this coordinated campaign to defend Kawahara, and I would guess again that all of you are making sure that he knows you have posted here. I hope you get what you want out of it.
A comment that attempted to smear me and that made false allegations about my career as a journalist has been deleted. Please keep comments respectful and to the point. As I explained in the post itself, I do these investigations when people come to me and ask me to look into certain toxic situations or present allegations of sexual harassment. They are not fun, I am not paid for them, and so I do not feel the need to take abuse or accept recycled old lies from people who have tried to stop my reporting in the past. I will just add that the former lab members provided me with lengthy and very detailed accounts of their experiences, which I was able to cross-check in various ways. But since the details would identify them to Kawahara and invite retaliation, I was not able to publish them in full.
To be honest, most of the students/employees that excel or have positive experiences in Akito's lab have not recognized their privilege. A lot of them also excel because they replicate his behaviors- theft, exploitation, and not recognizing boundaries. These behaviors are rewarded by both Akito and pre-existing institutional/academic structures.
The same statement on privilege goes for Akito too, who is a millionaire.
It is now clear why four individuals came onto this platform to make positive comments about Kawahara: He asked them to do it at a recent lab meeting. See the update of this post.
Nothing can present more clearly the risk Akito is to all students he comes in contact with better than Akito himself, holding a secret lab meeting and demanding his students write positive statements to the University of Florida HR, to the comments on this article, and elsewhere. That he could read this devastating article about the abuses done to his lab and not feel an ounce of guilt or introspection, but rather immediately go on the defense, pressuring his current lab members to write positive things about him shows how dangerous it is to have him in any leadership position where student outcomes are at his discretion and his egregious abuse of power. Bravo to the members who despite this, were courageous enough to speak out.
Most of the former lab members who told me their stories (at great length, I want to stress, and with lots of details that could be checked with those from other sources) were very afraid of retaliation and NONE of them made the decision to relate their experiences lightly. In a few cases it took months before they were able to get over their fears, despite measures to protect their identities. I have written about many such cases over the past nine years and the damage that toxic profs can do is terrible and life changing for the victims.
We've seen an interesting but depressing display today. When the first member of Kawahara's lab came here to comment about their very different experiences, I accepted them as valid. Even when the second person commented, I still gave them the benefit of the doubt although I was suspicious. We ended up with four in just over an hour, and then we find out that Kawahara held a meeting and "asked" all of them to do this. So not only did they try to throw their scientific colleagues under the bus to curry favor with the lab director, but they have now amplified the toxicity of the lab. Not sure that people who would do this make good scientists, because they don't have the courage to put the truth above all else.
I realize the experiences listed here are not consistent with the experiences of everyone, but that doesn't diminish what these people brought forth. Six students from a mid career faculty is not an insignificant amount, and should draw attention to the fact something is clearly wrong here.
However, I personally believe the biggest issue is why are there no resources for students to report this and get the help they needed? The University of Florida loves to toute around their status as a high ranking school, but they have little to no resources for graduate students facing these sorts of problems. Akito is most likely one of many PIs that have had students feeling unsupported, alone, and depressed, either due to their actions or just as a result of the brutality of academia. I am sure he isn't the worst PI at UF, possibly even the department as others have stated. But does that make these people's experiences okay? Graduate students often pick up their entire life and move to a new city, school, possibly even a new culture for an advisor they barely even know. Even doing your due diligence by carefully screening potential advisors doesn't guarantee that you will root out the ones that aren't a good fit. But by the time you realize that it isn't working you are trapped in their lab, beholden to them.
I understand this is the reality of academia and this post isn't going to change that. But I think it might be a good time to reflect as a PI, lab, department, and University, why this group of students felt so desperate to be heard that they had to reach out to a reporter and beg him to write an article. Why was there nobody else who was willing to listen? Or did they just listen and ignore them?
All I hope for is a wake-up call to those in power. Please ask yourself why something like this happened and how we can move forward creating a better environment for everyone.
A better environment starts with the PI acknowledging there are issues in the lab. That will never happen with Kawahara. I refuse to believe he was not aware of all these students struggling to fit in and left to feel abused. There are plenty of resources for graduate students and PIs at UF. However, it is not easy to reach out and report toxic behavior when in fear of retaliation, while feeling unsupported and likely lost in an unfriendly toxic environment. It’s easy to ask why they didn’t report it. It is also obvious this is a lab where students are placed against each other. I know some of this toxic behavior is transferred to others in his lab who feel they have permission to behave like their PI. It’s a competitive, vicious circle and some of them can handle it better than others, which is why some of his students are so defensive. It is actually very sad these students don’t realize the pain some of their peers go through. In any case, this PI is one of the most self-absorbed, opportunistic, power-greedy PI I know. If a prospective grad student asked me, I would never recommend to join this lab. What’s also troubling is the comment regarding collection permits. I hope UF will follow up and investigate these claims because this colonial approach to science has to freaking stop! We all pay the consequences for people behaving unethically in the field. It should not be hard to check whether collections from Ecuador were legally obtained. In short, it is heartbreaking to read this blog and all of the comments, but as in many other cases Balter reported in the past, nothing here is surprising. We can only hope that administrators take them seriously and provide a path for change.
After years of Akito Kawahara's truly disturbing behavior toward graduate students, postdocs, and employees, it is nice to finally see this brought to light. This has been the Florida Museum and McGuire Center's darkest open secret. Students, postdocs, and employees in his lab all seem disappear out of thin air over the years, with no follow up by other higher ups at the Florida Museum. Despite different labs around the country knowing from experience how Akito operates, somehow the University of Florida still allows him to take on students. I hope that curators at the McGuire Center will finally do something about this.
Your comment raises an important point, which is that UF and Florida Museum officials and other colleagues know about Kawahara. That has been the case with almost every investigation I have done: the higher ups knew but did nothing about it. That makes them complicit or worse, or course.
He's definitely not the only one that everyone knows about at the Florida Museum with no actions taken. Even with multiple students and staff coming forward to museum HR, Chair, and Director.
One would be hard pressed to find a previous student of Kawahara who he didn't outright steal research from. He views and treats his students as commodities to be exploited, extracted from, and then discarded. Plagiarism and theft for him doesn't even register as something with an ethical line or boundary, it's just the way he works, all in service of his ego and reputation. He does not mentor. He takes on students and has no idea what they are doing or how to help them, but if they do something he thinks is interesting, he will copy it and use it to try to extract more grant money, which he won't use on students, they have to be mostly self funded.
When he does do something a normal professor should do for or with a student, he uses it as a bargaining chip to manipulate them into doing something out of their job scope or that he himself doesn't want to be bothered with.
I can confirm that all the experiences described here are accurate, but the detailed examples not listed are so much more egregious. Kawahara's patterns of behavior are so consistently abusive, manipulative, and unethical. Funding agencies should conduct their own investigations outside of UF. I will not be surprised if he is debarred from receiving funding.
The abuse to students in the Kawahara lab is real and serious. I graduated from another lab in McGuire but always heard horror stories from Kawahara lab members. Every student seemed to have an awful experience with Akito except for one, and the reason she didn't have an awful experience is because of her relationship to another toxic professor in academia who works very closely with Akito.
This professor and colleague of Akito's was caught cheating on his wife with his own PhD student, who was originally his Master's student too. She ended up transferring to Akito's lab shortly after the University there found out about his affair with the student. In McGuire, for years, no one could figure out why Akito gave this student such special treatment. She was on many papers with just him, and was given the attention and support no other Kawahara lab or museum members ever received. Eventually, it was confirmed that the reason Akito gave this student special attention and care was because she was his very close colleague's girlfriend. They all knew what they were doing was wrong, it was intentionally kept secret by the professor, the student, and Akito, as it was explicitly said on a research trip that no one can ever find out.
Somehow even with the extreme ethical breach and blatant favortism from being Akito's close colleague's girlfriend, both the colleague and the former student still carry out research at the McGuire Center. I'd like to believe other PIs in McGuire I know and respect aren't aware of this, and will eventually put a stop to it.
Akito needs to step down as Director of the McGuire Center immediately. How does the museum have someone like this in charge of its entirety? The museum should force a resignation after the abuse these students suffered, and at the very least he should not be able to take on new students again. Surely there is another scientist there that can replace him that wouldn't damage students.
Florida Museum HR is there to protect the faculty. I personally have never received help from speaking up.
These accusations have truly caught me by surprise and are difficult to reconcile with my own experiences working with Akito and others in his lab at UF. The sentiments expressed in this blog and comment section do not align with what I believe is the current atmosphere in the Kawahara Lab. I feel fortunate to be a part of this lab, and my time here has been nothing but positive. I have really enjoyed working with Akito and have not personally encountered, nor am I aware of, any other lab members experiencing the issues described above. Having worked in toxic lab environments before, this lab feels entirely different. I feel included, respected, and valued both as a person and as a scientist and think other current members do as well. I believe Akito genuinely prioritizes the well-being of his students and junior scientists and is committed to fostering a supportive and healthy lab culture. He meets regularly with individual lab members and actively supports professional development. This includes encouraging participation in meetings, highlighting members’ research and achievements, and supporting fieldwork and museum visits. Recognizing that no two students are the same, Akito seems to have a strong understanding of the unique needs of each lab member and is very accommodating. I also look forward to our lab meetings where he frequently leads discussions on issues relevant to professional development such as applying for grants and fellowships, interviewing, writing recommendation letters, and how to engage in open science. During my time in the Kawahara Lab, I have not observed any bullying or intellectual theft. Regarding authorship, Akito has been consistently transparent and, in my experience, more inclusive than others I’ve worked with when it comes to crediting contributions on papers.
I just want to be sure I understand your point. Are you saying that your personal positive experience negates the experiences of the numerous former lab members I talked to for the story? Are you accusing them of lying?
I am not accusing them of lying, but it seems really difficult to believe given my own equally valid experience working in the lab
Well this is the problem, you are having difficulty believing it but not only did I communicate directly with the individuals affected but as soon as the story was posted others added their comments and confirmed the issues. So you must consider that your perceptions are not representative of everyone’s, that would be the scientific attitude to take. You have posted here anonymously, but does Dr. Kawahara know that you have done so? Have you discussed the allegations with him? Please answer honestly.
So the smear campaign begins, against me and no doubt others. Smear campaigns and lies about misconduct are not allowed on this platform so they will be deleted in a few minutes.
Hi Michael, I just want to say that if your goal is really listening to members of the Kawahara lab, you should listen to everyone's experiences, not only those that confirm the thesis of your article.
I am listening. I am also suspicious that you and two others have come onto this comments section within the last hour to defend Kawahara. The positive experiences of some do not at all negate the negative experiences of others. Have you been in touch with Kawahara about commenting here? Have the other two colleagues who have done so, again all within a short time? You should respect the experiences of others as much as you want them and me to respects yours. This is basic.
Of course I respect others' experiences. And their experiences do not negate mine, either.
I know Akito personally and would never describe him as someone with bad intentions or with a toxic personality. In the past few years, Akito has gone through very difficult situations in his life, but he has always tried to maintain a positive attitude. Akito always encouraged me to attend conferences to present my research and improve my public speaking, he would organize board game evenings to help us relax in times of stress, he offered his support during a difficult period in my personal life, and he always brought snacks from his travels to share with all of his students. While I understand and sympathize with the students' frustration at not feeling heard, I find it deeply inappropriate to post a blog with the main goal of destroying the professional career of someone who has worked and is working very hard to be better every day. This whole situation seems unnecessary and destructive to me, why not address the concerns through an honest and respectful dialogue?
Very difficult situations in the past few years? Do you mean like when he very publicly cheated on his ex-wife, who also happens to be UF faculty?
I don't believe it is appropriate for you or anyone else to make these allegations about Akito's relationships (especially since you were not involved in that relationship). Sharing details about someone's personal life in a public blog anonymously says more about you than it does about Akito.
If you were honest you would acknowledge that the comments made here by you and three other people were at the behest of Kawahara himself at a lab meeting. I’m afraid you are not familiar with how journalism works. The reporter receives reports and then attempts to confirm them which was done amply in this case. To not report on this situation would not have been responsible. I wish you luck in your career.
I was responding to anonuser, but this also applies to you, Michael. Best of luck to you in spreading hate and encouraging uncivilized behavior. If you truly care about helping students have their voices heard, you know that writing a malicious blog like this one is not going to solve the core problem of this situation. I also hope no one ever writes a blog about your personal life or that of any of the other anonymous people here.
You'll have to forgive Michael...he forgot he was logged in on his main account and not one of his many sock puppet ones.
Each comment from a newly created account, written with the same condescending tone and all purporting to know so many scandalous details. And each liking every one of the other posts (something which was public on their profiles yet mysteriously disappeared after it was brought up hmmmm).
We will see what the substack admins have to say...
Everyone around campus knows about Akito's relationships because of the very embarrassing and public event that happened on the University of Florida campus.
I am a current graduate student in Akito's lab. I have to say that I have had a very different experience from what is described in this article. Akito has always met with me regularly and been responsive and available despite his demanding workload as director of the McGuire Center. He has provided me with practical guidance on selecting a project that can be completed in a timely manner while generating high impact publications. In areas where he has been unable to provide detailed advice, he's been honest about it, and has pointed me in the direction of needed resources and expertise. I honestly feel as though he has done his best to transmit the key competencies that have allowed him to become a top researcher in his field. He has also always been kind to me and I have personally never heard him make belittling comments to anyone. He has fostered a fun and close-knit lab environment with lots of social activities. I can truly say that I feel like all my labmates are my friends. It doesn't feel like an isolating or divisive environment at all.
I don't mean to downplay the experiences of anyone. And like many of us in academia, I have heard stories of toxic lab environments, and I am fully aware that this is a problem in general. But, honestly, those stories have always made me feel even more grateful for Akito. I truly believe that he is doing his best to be supportive of us and help us become great scientists.
It’s very interesting that four days after this article was first posted, suddenly three people today have come onto the comments section to defend Kawahara, all within an hour or so. While not denying the positive experiences they describe, it smacks very much of a coordinated campaign. If Kawahara is asking students or other colleagues to do this, it would be very hard for them to refuse. Perhaps someone has information about whether this is in fact what is going on.
No one is pressuring us to make comments. We decided to do it of our own accord. If you wanted to provide a more complete, unbiased perspective, why didn't you reach out to more students before posting your article? We feel that our perspectives were intentionally excluded from your article.
So you admit that this is a coordinated effort to defend Kawahara, and that three of you (or more) decided to do this? At least you are being honest. And have you discussed this coordinated attempt with Kawahara, even if he did not “pressure” you to do it? Only if he knows you are doing it will you get credit from him for it. Again, I have to repeat, the positive experiences of you and your colleagues DO NOT negate the negative experiences of the six former members of the lab I talked nor others who have confirmed their experiences. For you or anyone to try to do that shows a serious lack of respect for colleagues who obviously did suffer, unless you want to claim that they are lying. I stand by the reporting in this story, which has been confirmed and cross checked in numerous ways. It reminds me also of a number of reports I have done over the years on sexual harassment. Some would try to negate the experiences of those victims by saying exactly the same thing, oh, he never harassed me. This is not an objective or scientific approach. Different people have different experiences.
What about all those comments and likes on November 11-12? Is there a specific group of people behind this? Why is this happening specifically at this time of year, especially while the ESA event is being held?
If by "coordinated campaign" you mean people who were shocked, overwhelmed, and deeply concerned by the malicious intentions of this blog and have now decided to take action, then yes.
I was unaware of this report until today, however as a member of the Kawahara Lab, I feel obligated to speak up for the truth and express my feelings. I am not accusing others, but as @Copiopteryx mentioned, I do not find the lab toxic at all. On the contrary, Akito has treated us with respect and dignity. He has never scolded me for any reason, nor has he ever belittled others in my presence. Although his advising philosophy is not solely hands-on, he is always willing to make time to talk, even if it’s just for 30 minutes when I need him. He has also been very supportive in helping students find resources, including funding for travel, conferences, and field/lab work.
I understand that in any group, conflicts can sometimes arise. However, based on my experiences and observations, I find it difficult to relate to these allegations. It’s easy to label others these days without truly understanding what’s going on, which can lead to devastating consequences. I feel saddened and sorry about what Akito has been accused of in the article, seeing a nice guy being accused as a devil. Of course you can say that my opinion is biased, just like your comment about @Copiopteryx. But from my perspective, this report may be even more toxic than the situation actually is.
And again, no one is forcing us to post anything. We did had a conversation and someone has to deal with this negativity.
Thank you for again confirming that this is a coordinated action which now involves four of you within an hour or so. Perhaps more will weigh in as well. Please see my comments on the other statements by your colleagues. I am glad to hear you have had a positive experience. Not everyone did and that is the point of this report. I will not comment any more on this coordinated campaign to defend Kawahara, and I would guess again that all of you are making sure that he knows you have posted here. I hope you get what you want out of it.
A comment that attempted to smear me and that made false allegations about my career as a journalist has been deleted. Please keep comments respectful and to the point. As I explained in the post itself, I do these investigations when people come to me and ask me to look into certain toxic situations or present allegations of sexual harassment. They are not fun, I am not paid for them, and so I do not feel the need to take abuse or accept recycled old lies from people who have tried to stop my reporting in the past. I will just add that the former lab members provided me with lengthy and very detailed accounts of their experiences, which I was able to cross-check in various ways. But since the details would identify them to Kawahara and invite retaliation, I was not able to publish them in full.
To be honest, most of the students/employees that excel or have positive experiences in Akito's lab have not recognized their privilege. A lot of them also excel because they replicate his behaviors- theft, exploitation, and not recognizing boundaries. These behaviors are rewarded by both Akito and pre-existing institutional/academic structures.
The same statement on privilege goes for Akito too, who is a millionaire.
It is now clear why four individuals came onto this platform to make positive comments about Kawahara: He asked them to do it at a recent lab meeting. See the update of this post.
Nothing can present more clearly the risk Akito is to all students he comes in contact with better than Akito himself, holding a secret lab meeting and demanding his students write positive statements to the University of Florida HR, to the comments on this article, and elsewhere. That he could read this devastating article about the abuses done to his lab and not feel an ounce of guilt or introspection, but rather immediately go on the defense, pressuring his current lab members to write positive things about him shows how dangerous it is to have him in any leadership position where student outcomes are at his discretion and his egregious abuse of power. Bravo to the members who despite this, were courageous enough to speak out.
Most of the former lab members who told me their stories (at great length, I want to stress, and with lots of details that could be checked with those from other sources) were very afraid of retaliation and NONE of them made the decision to relate their experiences lightly. In a few cases it took months before they were able to get over their fears, despite measures to protect their identities. I have written about many such cases over the past nine years and the damage that toxic profs can do is terrible and life changing for the victims.
We've seen an interesting but depressing display today. When the first member of Kawahara's lab came here to comment about their very different experiences, I accepted them as valid. Even when the second person commented, I still gave them the benefit of the doubt although I was suspicious. We ended up with four in just over an hour, and then we find out that Kawahara held a meeting and "asked" all of them to do this. So not only did they try to throw their scientific colleagues under the bus to curry favor with the lab director, but they have now amplified the toxicity of the lab. Not sure that people who would do this make good scientists, because they don't have the courage to put the truth above all else.
I realize the experiences listed here are not consistent with the experiences of everyone, but that doesn't diminish what these people brought forth. Six students from a mid career faculty is not an insignificant amount, and should draw attention to the fact something is clearly wrong here.
However, I personally believe the biggest issue is why are there no resources for students to report this and get the help they needed? The University of Florida loves to toute around their status as a high ranking school, but they have little to no resources for graduate students facing these sorts of problems. Akito is most likely one of many PIs that have had students feeling unsupported, alone, and depressed, either due to their actions or just as a result of the brutality of academia. I am sure he isn't the worst PI at UF, possibly even the department as others have stated. But does that make these people's experiences okay? Graduate students often pick up their entire life and move to a new city, school, possibly even a new culture for an advisor they barely even know. Even doing your due diligence by carefully screening potential advisors doesn't guarantee that you will root out the ones that aren't a good fit. But by the time you realize that it isn't working you are trapped in their lab, beholden to them.
I understand this is the reality of academia and this post isn't going to change that. But I think it might be a good time to reflect as a PI, lab, department, and University, why this group of students felt so desperate to be heard that they had to reach out to a reporter and beg him to write an article. Why was there nobody else who was willing to listen? Or did they just listen and ignore them?
All I hope for is a wake-up call to those in power. Please ask yourself why something like this happened and how we can move forward creating a better environment for everyone.
A better environment starts with the PI acknowledging there are issues in the lab. That will never happen with Kawahara. I refuse to believe he was not aware of all these students struggling to fit in and left to feel abused. There are plenty of resources for graduate students and PIs at UF. However, it is not easy to reach out and report toxic behavior when in fear of retaliation, while feeling unsupported and likely lost in an unfriendly toxic environment. It’s easy to ask why they didn’t report it. It is also obvious this is a lab where students are placed against each other. I know some of this toxic behavior is transferred to others in his lab who feel they have permission to behave like their PI. It’s a competitive, vicious circle and some of them can handle it better than others, which is why some of his students are so defensive. It is actually very sad these students don’t realize the pain some of their peers go through. In any case, this PI is one of the most self-absorbed, opportunistic, power-greedy PI I know. If a prospective grad student asked me, I would never recommend to join this lab. What’s also troubling is the comment regarding collection permits. I hope UF will follow up and investigate these claims because this colonial approach to science has to freaking stop! We all pay the consequences for people behaving unethically in the field. It should not be hard to check whether collections from Ecuador were legally obtained. In short, it is heartbreaking to read this blog and all of the comments, but as in many other cases Balter reported in the past, nothing here is surprising. We can only hope that administrators take them seriously and provide a path for change.