Planning: Advancing Geosciences Cultural Change in Access, Diversity, and Inclusion via History of Geology and Environmental Justice (ADI Geo-History)

Mississippi State University, Mississippi State MS

Investigators

Abstract

The Geosciences are one of the least diverse of the sciences, and representative voices and stakeholders are needed as the discipline navigates scientific and societal issues of national concern. The Advancing Geosciences’ Cultural Change in Access, Diversity, and Inclusion via History of Geology and Environmental Justice project (ADI Geo-History) supports participation of students with diverse identities by engaging them in the history of Earth Sciences from non-traditional perspectives. The Geological Society of America (GSA) and the History of Earth Sciences Society (HESS) collaborate to involve students from historically excluded groups in their professional societies, increasing not only students’ participation in the Geosciences, but also broadening the culture of the respective societies. ADI Geo-History recruits college students with diverse identities and supports their participation in the Geological Society of America annual conference, with accompanying field excursions that focus on exposing full histories of resource extraction and its impact on humans and the landscape. Students will experience virtual mentoring sessions before and after the conference with professional geoscientists of diverse identities. Following GSA, student scholars will prepare outreach materials for their home institutions based on what they have learned through their conference participation and fieldtrip experience. ADI Geo-History delivers a proof-of-concept to engage Geosciences-associated professional societies in activities that promote diversity and diversify society membership with the intention to expand this effort in the near future. The Advancing Geosciences’ Cultural Change in Access, Diversity, and Inclusion via History of Geology and Environmental Justice project (ADI Geo-History) is a 2-year planning effort emerging from the Geosciences ASCEND RCN (NSF #2037271) and spearheaded by the History of Earth Sciences Society (HESS), an affiliated Geological Society of America (GSA) society. The proposed effort conceptualizes a sustained initiative to diversify the HESS membership and encourage participation of diverse identities in documenting and telling the history of Earth Science from non-traditional perspectives. For this effort, the PIs will implement experimental field trips/short courses and sessions for the 2023/2024 GSA Connects annual meetings (Pittsburgh, PA; Anaheim, CA), and engage students with diverse identities to focus on acknowledging, understanding, and accurately portraying the history of resource extraction and the legacy of extractive activities in the geosciences. ADI Geo-History will demonstrate a proof-of-concept to engage Geosciences-associated professional societies in activities that promote diversity and diversify society membership. As such, Geosciences-associated societies become active agents in developing their diversity profile, build social capital among diverse communities, broaden professional networks, and welcome diverse perspectives into professional societies. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.