The Structural Petrology of the Lithosphere lab at UW values diversity. We are committed to justice and increasing equity and diversity within our group. We recognize that systemic injustice, including racism, have impacted the geosciences and the broader STEM community for far too long. Our group welcomes people of all races, gender identities, sexual orientations, national origins, and disability statuses. Here are some of the antiracist and inclusive actions we have taken and are planning to take:
We recognize that growth is continuous and not a one-time action, and welcome feedback on our actions. This space will evolve and grow as we continue to take meaningful antiracist actions.
- Condit is a co-founder of the group PetroNet (www.petrologynetwork.org), a slack-based community for petrologists and high temperature geochemists built within an inclusive and anti-racist framework. This community aims to create a space for geoscientists in the petrology and high T geochem subfields to discuss DEI issues, and our own DEI work. It is also a space for learning with and from each other's diverse lived experiences and petrologic and geochemical skillsets. Interested in joining? head over to https://www.petrologynetwork.org/mission-statement/ to learn more!
- Condit has worked with the RESESS (Research Experience in Solid Earth Science for Students) program through UNAVCO since 2013. RESESS offers intensive summer research experiences for undergraduates from underrepresented groups in the earth sciences. This research is coupled with mentorship and communication skill building. These students present their research at a national conference and build lasting relationships with their mentors. Condit has served as a primary research mentor to three students over the past two summers and has secured funding from NSF to host another student in the future.
- We devote at least a third of our group meetings to understanding barriers for minoritized scientists, and educating ourselves on anti-racist practices in teaching, research, and community building. As pointed out by Bernard and Cooperdock (2018), there has been little progress in diversity within the geosciences for the last 40 years. We need to understand this problem exists while taking action to address it.
- We support the departmental policy proposed by PI Condit, and approved but the ESS faculty, that aims to invite early career diverse scientists (Black, Indigenous, People of Color, Hispanics, Latinos/as, and LGBTQ+) as speakers for at least one third of our departmental colloquia with the aim of increasing the diversity of our faculty and at the faculty level across the geoscience community within the US.
We recognize that growth is continuous and not a one-time action, and welcome feedback on our actions. This space will evolve and grow as we continue to take meaningful antiracist actions.