“‘A university is a place where the universality of the human experience manifests itself.’ -Albert Einstein
This committee advocates for better representation, inclusion, and support of diverse perspectives, scientific approaches, identities, backgrounds, and cultures among the faculty, post-doctoral researchers, staff, graduate students, and undergraduate students in the Geology and Environmental Science Department at the University of Pittsburgh. It is the mission of the Department to not only encourage diversity, but also treat each individual with the greatest respect, no matter their race, sex, age, ancestry, marital status, familial status, background, beliefs, ethnicities, gender identity and expression, national origin, religious or political affiliation, sexual orientation, ability, or other visible and non-visible differences, among others. The committee includes members from the Department, including undergraduate and graduate students, post-doctoral scholars, tenure-track and Appointment Stream Faculty (AS) faculty, and staff, to represent all career stages within the Department. The committee will work to increase diversity and inclusion of the Department of Geology and Environmental Science, the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, and the University of Pittsburgh. The Diversity Committee aims to be a voice for all members of the Department and a means to bring concerns to the attention of everyone, so that positive changes can be implemented.
Why is Diversity Important to Our Department?
- We recognize that diversity and inclusion of all forms are invaluable, leading to a range of perspectives that foster growth, communication, and awareness at the individual and community level.
- Individuals with a diverse set of perspectives and from a variety of scientific disciplines, are necessary for new ideas and insights in science and scientific progress is driven by the broadest possible participation and by an open-ness to new ideas.
- Cultural and social diversity are sparse in the geosciences, and more generally in STEM.
- With increased diversity comes greater perspective, more varied ideas and information, a greater range of possible solutions to problems, and higher productivity.
- Increased diversity in Earth and Environmental Sciences promotes a broadening of societal ownership and involvement in the sciences. This creates greater opportunity for those affected by issues to work towards finding workable, equitable solutions. As more groups in society are involved in Earth and Environmental Sciences there is also likely to be an increase in public support for the sciences.
- Responsible decision-making and leadership require consideration of the variety of stakeholder perspectives.
- Encountering a diverse set of perspectives promotes critical thinking and requires us to consider the perspectives and experiences of others, enhancing the educational experience within our Department and University.
