PEW 2025

Savannah Thais

John Radzilowicz

Biprateep Dey

Brett Andrews

Direction Action Coalition (DAC) is a grassroots organization founded by and for early career scientists in our department. Comprising of a community of graduate students and postdocs with a wide range of identities–LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, and allies–our campaign revolves around, and is motivated by the following principles: 

• Community building & engagement

• Consensus-based decision making

• The equitable (re-)distribution of educational & financial resources

Since DAC’s inception roughly a year ago, our work has provided other early career scientists in the department with the opportunity and resources needed to successfully create, sustain, and navigate social & professional relationships within the department community. This process, which has manifested itself through town halls and other informational/community events, has also brought awareness to some of the dynamically complex inequities that negatively impact members from historically excluded and presently marginalized communities. We believe that it is essential to continuously raise awareness of and discuss these issues. We believe that it is time for the rest of the departmental community to hear and learn about these issues.

Conduct

We aim to foster a productive, collaborative experience at PEW for all participants. We do not tolerate the following:

• Harassment and bullying

• Violating the ‘stack,’ or the ordered list of speakers, repeatedly

• Screen-shotting or screen-recording at any point of the conference without the expressed permission from speakers

• Spam in chat windows or contact forms

We have a zero-tolerance policy for harassment and bullying, which we define as:

• Negative comments about race, ethnicity, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, disability, age, religion, physical appearance, country of origin, citizenship among other axes of identity.

• Intimidation or threats, including of the moderators

• Misusing screen-sharing capabilities

• Sharing images especially to threaten or sexually harass, or any unwelcome sexual attention

• Ad hominem attacks

 The above guidelines apply to all interactions within the boundaries of in person PEW events and Zoom rooms. Participants are also expected to follow the department code of conduct (provided here).

Meeting Policy

We ask that in order to continue to keep this conference accessible, you:

• Do not interrupt participants when they are speaking

• Mute your microphone when you are not speaking

• Respect the speakers and your fellow attendees and their needs

Two moderators will be active during the events to assist with needs and to moderate in-person discussions, control screen-sharing and other security issues.

Enforcement

Violations of the code of contact will be dealt with as per University of Pittsburgh Policies, the event and the department code of conduct (provided here). Reports of harassment should be made to the Office for Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion report form (provided here). Please contact the organizers for questions and comments.

Physics Department Equity and Inclusion Committee - Anonymous Feedback Form

Office for Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion