Diversity and Inclusion

Our Committee and Departmental Commitment:

The Earth Sciences department recognizes that the geoscience community, both at the University of New Hampshire and nationally, does not reflect the demographics of the United States and we acknowledge it is our responsibility to change this reality. We assert that all individuals, regardless of racial identity, ethnic background, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, socioeconomic status, ability, religion, or national origin, must be provided equal opportunity in the field of geosciences. We are committed to making the geosciences more accessible to everyone, as diversity of people, backgrounds, cultures, and ideas will only enrich our field.

The ESCI DEI committee recognizes that the words of a statement cannot make things right. What we can do is reflect as a department on how we can better dismantle systematic racism, sexism and bias to ensure inclusion for all in academia– in our labs, in the field, in our classrooms, and in our mindsets and actions. We are actively engaged in changes at the departmental level including:

  • Establishment of the ESCI DEI committee with representation from faculty, staff and students
  • Increasing the diversity of our faculty through recruitment (ex. UNH’s Postdoctoral Diversity and Innovation Scholars program: Engagement and Faculty Development)
  • Partnering with more diverse institutions to provide training and opportunities to underrepresented students (GEOPaths: CLOSES-GAP)
  • Evaluation of common courses and experiences to ensure community building and inclusive teaching (ESCI 400, graduate student orientation, ESCI 997/998)
  • Adding discussions of equity, access, and inclusion in geoscience fieldwork to our 2 field courses, which are required for ESCI undergraduate majors
  • Utilizing our seminar series (Brown bag seminar and Chapman Colloquium) to have discussions about DEI and provide opportunities for a diverse range of geoscientists to share their research and outreach efforts with our department
  • Track and report our demographic metrics for applications, acceptances, retention and graduation rates in our associated undergraduate and graduate programs
  • Focus fundraising efforts on funds for current and incoming graduate students, particularly those from underrepresented groups

We will also collaborate with our associated programs, college and university administration level on:

As our national conversation and departmental programming evolve, so too will this commitment and action statement. We strongly encourage everyone to join in the conversation. Here are some places to start:

Diversity and Inclusion

The Earth Sciences department stands with the College Engineering and Physical Sciences and the University of New Hampshire to support the national racial justice movements and aid in the fight against systemic racism. Brutal murders of our fellow Americans have incited outrage and starkly highlighted the profoundly rooted racial injustices and inequalities in the United States. We recognize the destructive effects that police brutality and racial profiling, mass incarceration, and health, economic, and educational inequities have on communities of color. It is our responsibility to practice anti-racism, denounce racism, and understand the impact of our own implicit biases, acknowledging that we are sometimes complicit within an oppressive system. In response to these revelations, the Earth Science’s Department has established the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ESCI DEI) committee.

Committee Members:
Julie Bryce
Sophia Burke
Jackie Harris
Anne Hartwell
Anne Lightbody
Tom Lippmann
Tamara Marcus
Michael Palace
Clarice Perryman
Ruth Varner (Chair)
Elizabeth Weidner