ABSTRACT:

We examined data from the American Geophysical Union (AGU), the world’s largest earth and space science society, to characterize demographics of multiple milestones in a biogeoscientists’ career. Geoscientists of color and White women make up a smaller proportion of those participating in activities critical to transitioning from student to professional (submitting manuscripts, getting published, and receiving review invitations) in comparison to White men. Gender parity for biogeoscientists appears within reach at earlier career stages, with 37% of AGU Biogeosciences members and 41% of Biogeosciences attendees at the Fall Meeting identifying as women in 2020. The demographics of those successfully completing activities required for career advancement, i.e. publishing and reviewing with Journal of Geophysical Research and Global Biogeochemical cycles, two biogeoscience journals, illustrate more progress is needed. A large majority of manuscripts were submitted by men (73%), many of which have no co-authors that identify as women or non-binary geoscientists. Further, our communities’ bias of who we suggest as reviewers, results in 85% of the reviewer invites going to White geoscientists and 63% going to men. Thus, while representation of diverse communities has improved in some areas, barriers to publishing result in authorship not reflective of society: only 25% of accepted manuscripts were led by self-identified geoscientists of color and fewer than 5% were led by women geoscientists of color. It is critical that efforts to diversify move beyond gender, to ensure that scientists of color are also afforded the access and opportunity needed to thrive as biogeoscientists.

ABSTRACT:

Exclusionary Behaviors Reinforce Historical Biases and Contribute to Loss of Talent in the Earth Sciences

accepted, Earth Futures

E. Marin-Spiotta (1), E.J. Diaz-Vallejo (1), R.T. Barnes (2), A. Mattheis (3), B. Schneider (4), A.A. Berhe(5), M.G. Hastings (6), B. Williams (7) and V. Magley (8)

(1)Department of Geography, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA; (2) Environmental Studies Program, Colorado College, Colorado Springs, CO, USA; (3) Division of Applied and Advanced Studies, California State University, Los Angeles, CA, USA; (4) Kansas Geological Survey, Lawrence, KS, USA; (5) Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of California, Merced, Merced, CA, USA; (6)​​ Department of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences and Institute at Brown for Environment and Society, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA; (7) American Geophysical Union, Washington, D.C., USA, (8) Department of Psychology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA.

Geosciences remain one of the least diverse fields. Efforts to diversify the discipline need to address the role of hostile work and learning environments, including sexism, racism, ableism, and homophobia. A climate survey distributed to professional organizations illustrates varied experiences of earth and space scientists over a 12-month period (pre-COVID). A majority experienced positive interactions in the workplace. However, scientists of color, women, scientists with disabilities, non-binary and LGBQPA+ scientists more frequently experienced negative interactions, including interpersonal mistreatment, discriminatory language, and sexual harassment. Geoscientists of color were more likely to experience devaluation of their work than white scientists. More than half of women, non-binary, and LGBQPA+ respondents experienced identity-based discriminatory remarks. Disabled geoscientists were more likely to hear negative remarks about race, health, and gender than those who did not disclose a disability. Overall, 14% of all respondents experienced sexual harassment in the previous year. Rates were greatest for historically excluded groups: non-binary (51%), LGBQPA+ (33%), disabled (26%), women (20%), and geoscientists of color (17%). Overall, geoscientists reported avoiding colleagues (51%) and considering leaving their institution (31%) or a career change (30%). Identity matters: historically excluded groups were more likely to report activities with negative professional ramifications. Stereotypes in the geosciences and current organizational structures, policies, and practices maintain hostile workplace environments. To address continued exclusion and low retention in the earth and space sciences, recruitment is not enough. We need to create environments that ensure opportunities for all to thrive.