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Click on the image cards to learn more about our new DEIA Committee. We are actively involved in multiple activities related to diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility. Efforts to change dialog and hiring practices are underway as well as a strong commitment to recruit and train graduate students from diverse backgrounds.
In 2016-2017, Angela Fuller, Unit Leader, New York Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit and Dawn Childs, Information Specialist, USGS Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units, partnered with Fairfax County, Virginia Public Schools and trained one industrious high school graduate (remotely from Virginia) on an Ecuador camera mapping project, working remotely from Virginia.
This partnership motivated leadership and staff at all levels of the organization.
In 2020, the CRU Management Team received a letter signed by 15 female USGS scientists with three suggestions aimed at increasing diversity in the workforce: (1) require or encourage implicit bias training for federal staff at units, (2) raise the profile of the issue with Unit Coordinating Committees at the outset of hiring, and (3) develop a dialogue amongst CRU staff to cultivate a culture that encourages collaboration, flexibility, and fairness. In response to the letter, the Acting Chief established a Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee (DEIC) to develop a dialogue to identify ways and make recommendations to the Management Team that would promote diversity in hiring and workplace inclusivity. This action also supported multiple Executive Orders (13583, 14035, 13985, 13988, 14020).
In FY22, the DEIC (Abby Powell, Amanda Rosenberger, Angela Fuller, Grace DiRenzo, Jeff Muehlbauer, Mark Henderson, Mark Scheuerell, Reynaldo Patino, Wendy Turner, and Barry Grand) accomplished several important goals. In 2021, they initiated the development of a mentoring program with CRU.
First, they designed and implemented a survey sent to all Unit scientists to determine the level of interest in a mentoring program, the desired format of mentoring relationships, and potential topics for discussion. Using the results of the survey as a guide, the DEIC then developed and facilitated a virtual workshop on attracting and retaining students from diverse backgrounds in April 2022. The workshop consisted of three breakout sessions: (1) recruiting and attracting students from diverse backgrounds, (2) retaining and mentoring students, and (3) what Headquarters can do to support these efforts by CRU scientists.
The workshop was attended by 41 CRU scientists from 26 states
Finally, DEIC has also developed a proposal for a plenary entitled: “Real talk: The Relentless Day-to-Day of Undoing Our Biases” for the upcoming CRU All Hands Meeting (2023). The DEIC is working with Dr. Mamie Parker and Dr. Maria Estrada as the invited speakers and facilitators of this plenary.
The committee will also facilitate two breakout sessions: one that follows the plenary on unconscious bias and another that continues the discussion of the recommended practices for recruiting and retaining students from diverse backgrounds.
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