COAST hosts workshops and panels to increase awareness, stimulate discussion and develop strategies to increase diversity, equity and inclusion in marine science and related fields. This page will be updated as additional events are held.
Updated May 11, 2022
Why Historically Excluded STEM (Educational) Researchers Can Help Save the Planet! | May 4, 2022 On May 4, 2022, CSU COAST and the Center for Diverse Leadership in Science at UCLA hosted a talk by Dr. Ebony O. McGee, professor of diversity and STEM education at Vanderbilt University. Dr. McGee spoke about what it means to be racially marginalized while minoritized in the context of learning and achieving in STEM higher education and in the STEM professions. She presented her work on equity ethic and the propensity for BIPOC STEMers to gravitate toward empathic social causes, the elimination of disparities, and racial justice efforts within and beyond STEM. Her work suggests that providing Black, Latinx, and Indigenous STEMers with robust opportunities to apply their scientific and engineering insights to societal problems could be a powerful approach to retention.
The CSU COAST 2021 Annual Meeting featured a talk by Dr. Erika Zavaleta, a Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at UC Santa Cruz. Dr. Zavaleta spoke about how to create an inclusive community that aims to propel excellence by diverse undergraduates in ecology and conservation. After the presentation, participants engaged in a meaningful discussion on how to make their campuses, departments and labs more inclusive. The audience consisted of faculty members, administrators, staff members and students from across the CSU. The recording of this talk can be found here and a list of suggested readings can be found here.
CSU COAST partnered with ADVANCEGeo, an initiative formed to address the problem of sexual harassment and other exclusionary behaviors that lead to hostile working and learning climates in the earth, space and environmental sciences. During the Active Bystander Intervention Workshop, CSU faculty, staff, students and administrators learned to recognize sexual harassment, bullying, and other hostile behaviors and learn how to effectively intervene. Attendees participated in interactive discussions where they were presented with various hostile scenarios, including fieldwork settings, and developed strategies to safely intervene. More information on the workshop, including COAST slides, resources, and suggested readings, can be found here.
CSU COAST partnered with
ADVANCEGeo, an initiative formed to address the problem of sexual harassment and other exclusionary behaviors that lead to hostile working and learning climates in the earth, space and environmental sciences. During the
Implicit Bias and Microaggression Workshop, COAST graduate students learned how unconscious bias and microaggressions impact the workplace and were given tools to combat it while in school and during their professional roles following graduate school. Other CSU faculty and staff also attended the workshop. Attendees participated in small breakout groups and large group discussions centered on identifying implicit bias and creating strategies to prevent it from negatively impacting various academic scenarios. More information on the workshop, including COAST slides, resources, and suggested readings, can be found
here.
CSU COAST and CSUPERB jointly hosted Dr. Terrell Morton, Assistant Professor of Identity and Justice in STEM Education at the University of Missouri-Columbia, who discussed identity, positionality, systemic racism, and implications for racially-minoritized people in STEM. Through the Critical Race Theory-informed approach, Dr. Morton prompted participants to examine their own identities to determine where they can take action toward racial equity and justice and change the perception of what is “normal” in STEM. The webcast consisted of a presentation followed by a facilitated conversation with Dr. Morton. The links to the recordings, along with annotations of the slides used, can be found below.
Virtual Implicit Bias Workshop | January 13, 2021
CSU COAST hosted a workshop on implicit bias as part of our larger efforts to fight systemic racism and cultivate inclusive diversity in marine science across the CSU. The workshop explored how bias works and how we can reduce its harmful effects through a mix of presentations, large group discussions, small group discussions, interactive activities and evidence-based strategies for addressing implicit bias. More information on the workshop, including handouts and suggested readings, can be found here.
The CSU COAST 2020 Annual Meeting included a
panel on inclusive diversity in scientific research, teaching and mentoring. Following the presentations by the panelists, there was a robust discussion on the importance of meaningful inclusion with actional steps everyone can incorporate into their lab, classroom and everyday life. Recordings of the panel and additional information on the panelists can be found here.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in NSF Broader Impacts Webcast | June 23, 2020
CSU COAST and the Department of Research at the CSU Chancellor's Office held a webcast titled "Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in NSF Broader Impacts" on June 23, 2020. The webcast focused on helping CSU researchers understand the value of broader impacts and how PIs can make this aspect of their NSF research proposals stronger, particularly with regard to meaningful inclusion of underrepresented students. Find out more here.