Community
Arguably my most important work in SESE and as a member of the STEM community is centered on advancing equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility. Science itself is best advanced when all perspectives are at the table, which requires spaces that are genuinely safe, supportive, and just. Examining and recognizing the ways in which our organizations fall short of these standards allows individuals and groups to move forward toward meaningful change. I have been fortunate to be involved in several groups in SESE that have prioritized these goals and helped our community flourish in a safe and welcoming environment.
Groups and Activities
Inclusive Community Committee
SESE's Inclusive Community Committee (ICC) was created to bring together representatives from all communities within our department in order to better understand each community's unique challenges and develop actionable plans for improvement. I am currently one of the representatives for the graduate student population, which is ~150 students strong. The ICC is responsible for implementing and updating SESE's Strategic Plan, which outlines community specific priorities, as well as "cross-cutting themes" which apply across all communities. The graduate student priorities include building a framework for explicitly defined mentoring norms and expectations, developing standardized learning outcomes for PhD degrees and rubrics for the qualifying exam process, and creating standardized on- and off-campus risk assessments.The Strategic Plan is revisited and updated annually based on community input.
​
In addition to the priorities in the Strategic Plan, the ICC also forms working groups for other projects related to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion within SESE. In Summer 2022, we completed a code of conduct which includes resolution pathways for each of the communities in our department. In Fall 2021, we implemented a lottery-style application fee waiver program for prospective graduate students. We have also developed Individual Development Plans for graduate students to improve student-mentor relationships. During the Fall 2023 semester, I worked with two other ICC members to organize and submit SESE's application to the AGU Bridge Program, which included input and commitments that we solicited directly from faculty. The graduate students are also currently in the process of drafting a graduate student Bill of Rights with community input, which is projected to be published by the end of the Spring 2025 semester.
SESE Graduate Council
The SESE Graduate Council (GC) is a group of graduate students elected by our peers to advocate for and support graduate students, as well as to increase transparency between graduate students, staff, and faculty. I served as President of the GC during the 2022-23 academic year, during which I fulfilled responsibilities that included attending weekly faculty meetings and meetings with the Associate Director for Graduate Initiatives, as well as holding semesterly open meetings for the graduate student body.
​
GC activities focus on organizing professional, academic, and community development opportunities for graduate students. During my service, I worked with the Associate Director for Graduate Initiatives to form a process for including graduate students on faculty search/hiring committees and wrote an accompanying policy document. I also added two new student members to SESE's Colloquium Committee which is responsible for building the schedule for the weekly department seminar and inviting speakers.
Various working group activities included:
- revising and administering our annual satisfaction/climate survey
- Organizing the visitation weekend for prospective graduate students
- hosting three panels (NASA FINESST fellowship applications, qualifying exam preparation, and an alumni career panel)
- initiating a monthly Queer-Trans coffee hour
- collaborating with undergraduate representatives to make research opportunities accessible
- parsing a TA workload survey and drafting a preference survey
- holding several community social events
Other Groups:
Geophysics Seminar Series
The broader geophysics community in SESE meets for a weekly seminar where we share work progress and relevant and/or recent publications. When I became co-chair in 2020, I implemented an invited speaker program that prioritizes graduate students and early career scientists from minoritized communities. We also extend the option to invite all of SESE as a networking/exposure opportunity. If you're reading this and you're interested in speaking during our seminar, please send me an email!
Becoming Active Bystanders workshop
In 2019, graduate students in SESE developed a bystander intervention workshop. The workshop includes case studies that are based on real SESE graduate student experiences, and focuses primarily on sexual harassment and assault in academic settings. It also covers general bad behavior that includes power dynamics between graduate students, postdocs, undergraduates, collaborators, and advisors, and clearly outlines resources and reporting mechanisms. I was a facilitator from 2020-2022 and served as a lead facilitator during the 2021-22 academic year.
Equity in Academic Sciences project
As part of a SESE course called Equity in Academic Sciences taught by Dr. Christy Till, I wrote a white paper entitled "Leveling the playing field: making fieldwork in SESE and CLAS more equitable and accessible" that was issued to SESE and led to risk assessments being included in the Strategic Plan. With the rest of my classmates, I presented the work during the weekly department colloquium.
Prison Education Program
The Prison Education Program, also graduate student created, led, and composed of, develops geology, astronomy, and planetary science lessons. The lessons are given online and in-person at a local state prison, with the goal of expanding the knowledge base and critical thinking skills of the students to improve the eventual experience of reintegration into society, post-release. A completion certificate for the course can also be presented to parole boards. I primarily worked on developing the online lessons during the overhaul from in-person to virtual learning caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.