About ICDS

ICDS Values

Penn State’s values – Integrity, Respect, Responsibility, Discovery, Excellence, and Community – represent the shared ideals of the University community. These ideals are integral to the ICDS mission and vision and we instill these values into our daily activities and programs through Openness, Connectedness, Teamwork, Creativity, and Inclusivity.

image of five values, listed in following paragraph
  • Openness: We promote truth and honesty in our engagements with each other and in our research.
  • Connectedness: We enable interdisciplinary collaboration among researchers in the ICDS network and the larger Penn State and research communities.
  • Teamwork: We create an environment in which team members build on each other’s strengths, and in which every member can pursue personal and professional development. 
  • Creativity: We empower ICDS community members to see the world from new perspectives and to explore innovation.
  • Inclusivity: We foster a respectful environment that encourages the ideas, thoughts, and contributions of all members of the ICDS community. 

As embodied in our values, we are committed to advocating for diversity, equity, and inclusion both within the ICDS community as well as within society more broadly. By facilitating interdisciplinary research collaborations involving the social sciences and computational and data sciences, we empower researchers to better understand the nuances involved in issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and we help scholars magnify the impact of their research.

Throughout all our work, ICDS upholds the values and spirit conveyed in Penn State’s statement on diversity, equity, and inclusion:

The Pennsylvania State University is committed to and accountable for advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in all of its forms. We embrace individual uniqueness, foster a culture of inclusive excellence that supports both broad and specific diversity initiatives, leverage the educational and institutional benefits of diversity, and engage all individuals to help them thrive. We value inclusive excellence as a core strength and an essential element of our public service mission.