Broader Impacts

The geoscience community does not reflect the people it serves. Let's change that.

Building a representative community

We all need allies and a support system. Furthermore, collaboration is the backbone of innovative, ethical science, and studies show that scientific research benefits from a diverse working group. Groups like the Society of Women in Physical Sciences (SWPS) and the Berkeley Science Network at UC Berkeley helped me find allies beyond my department in graduate school, provide lab tours to Berkeley high school students in the STEMinist club, and interact with visiting prospective students in search of a more diverse network of colleagues. I have recently joined the Princeton Women in Geosciences (PWiGS) group, in an effort to promote and mentor other women in science.

Telling our stories

Geoscientists from historically underrepresented groups often lack role models and mentors with shared life experiences. These mentors, when present, demonstrate that we all belong in the geoscience community. In telling our stories of how we got to be geoscientists, we may find mentors and colleagues with shared experiences, and we may provide context for others with different experiences so we may all work together toward our scientific goals with inclusivity in mind.

At the Human Evolution Research Institute (HERI), we promote cutting-edge human origins research, student skills development, and diversity in the paleosciences. Our goal is to drive transformative research on the African record of human evolution, while prioritizing the training and support of multidisciplinary teams that are diverse, inclusive and passionate.

What is my story? How did I get interested in geology and geochemistry? How did I get here? Read my interview with Scientific American, or with HERI, or my blog post with SWPS, or listen to my interview with the Graduates at KALX UC Berkeley, listed under my name.

Beyond Academia

Beyond campus, scientists can reach more diverse audiences through platforms outside of the university setting, as most universities do not reflect the demographics of their community. As a participant in the Bay Areas Scientists in Schools program, we brought earth science lessons into local public school classrooms.