Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)

• Including your Personal Gender Pronouns in your email signature helps to normalize and de-stigmatize non-binary gender pronouns;
• Gender is not always reflected or cued by someone’s outward appearance;
• Including Personal Gender Pronouns in email signatures ensure we respect everyone’s identity;
• Announced in Jeff Isaacson’s 22 Sep 2020 email to all USRA staff;
• Summarized in Oct 2020 USRA newsletter;
• Presentation by Joan Schmelz at the Nov 2020 USRA Directors meeting.

• Kennda Lynch (LPI), Sha’Rell Web (LPI), Jennifer Becerra (NASA Intern Program), Melissa Corning (AFRL Scholars), and Taifa Simpson (NASA NPP) staffed the USRA exhibit booth at the virtual conference;
• Kennda Lynch presented an invited talk in the Earth and Planetary Systems Track of the conference;
• Leslie Proudfit (SOFIA) created the meeting graphic;
• Joan Schmelz wrote the summary for the Dec 2020 USRA Newsletter;
• Kennda Lynch wrote the Lessons Learned summary with the input from all who participated in the booth;
• Presentation by Joan Schmelz at the Mar 2021 USRA Directors meeting;
• Under construction: a plan to leverage this experience and lay the groundwork for future recruitment at similar conferences (NSBE, SACNAS, SHPE, SWE, etc.).

New Employee Introductions:

• Elena Einstein drafted an employee introduction template that HR can include with the 90-day checklist – the set of instructions sent to hiring managers;
• Angie Quaranta submitted it to HR and shepherded it through the vetting process;
• Presentation by Joan Schmelz at the Mar 2021 USRA Directors meeting.

Promotion Announcements:

• Promotion announcements will become a regular part of USRA corporate life;
• USRA will adapt the model that Jeff Isaacson uses when he announces promotions at the VP and Director level;
• The Executive Leadership Team will set new corporate policy by determining what management level will make the promotion announcement and how widely that announcement with be distributed within USRA.

• USRA partnered with PeopleGrove on a one-year, mentoring pilot program;
• DEI committee members volunteered for this program: Zaheer (SOFIA), Assaf (GESTAR), Elena (NAMS), Rosa (GEARS), Falguni (STI), and Carlene (HQ);
• Mentors completed training and onboarding;
• Mentors were connected with mentees;
• Presentation by Joan Schmelz at the Mar 2021 USRA Directors meeting;
• Pilot program ended in Dec 2021.

• Create DEI content for the USRA public facing web page;
• Include DEI photos and bios of committee members;
• Include DEI initiatives and status of each;
• Presentation by Joan Schmelz at the Mar 2021 USRA Directors meeting;
• Add more content as the work of the DEI committee continues.

• The speaker series includes talks on DEI topics via Microsoft Teams;
• Presentation by Joan Schmelz at the Jun 2021 USRA Directors meeting
• Potential topics include broadening participation in STEM, unconscious biases, anti-racist philosophy, intersectionality, cultural sensitivity, microaggressions, imposter syndrome, stereotype threat, and vulnerability in the workplace.

USRA DEI Speakers Series Kickoff: Diversity 101
19 Aug 2021
Joan Schmelz (Director of the NASA Postdoctoral Program, Chair of USRA’s DEI Committee)
Ed Rivera-Valentín (Planetary Scientist at LPI, Member of USRA’s DEI Committee)
Eric Hammond (Director of Government Relations, Member of USRA’s DEI Committee)

USRA DEI Speakers Series: Bold Leadership Actions in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Access
28 Jan 2022
Alicia J. Knoedler (Office of Integrative Activities, National Science Foundation)

• Hello! My pronoun is... 
  • Issue: Oct 2020 

• NSBP 2020 Conference Participation 
  • By Joan Schmelz; Issue: Dec 2020 

• Book Recommendation: How to be an Antiracist 
  • By Joan Schmelz; Issue: Feb 2021 

• USRA's Equal Pay Day 
  • By Joan Schmelz; Issue:  Mar 2021 

• Book Recommendation: Hillbilly Elegy 
  • By Zaheer Ali; Issue: May 2021 

• Why We Celebrate Pride 
  • By Edgard Rivera-Valentin; Issue: Jun 2021

• Film Recommendation: Picture A Scientist
  • By Bill Reach; Issue: Jul 2021 

• Book Recommendation : Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower 
  • By Taifa Simpson; Issue: Aug 2021

• Hispanic Heritage Month and Ways to Celebrate
  • By Elena Einstein; Issue: Sep 2021

• Unconscious Bias in Hiring, Evaluations, and Promotions
  • By Joan Schmelz; Issue: Oct 2021 

•  Reflections by a Principal Scientist from Kenya
  • By Assaf Anyamba and William Reach; Issue: Nov 2021

• Kicking Off 2022 with USRA's DEI Speakers Series
  •  Issue: Dec 2021

• The Deepness We Lost
  • By Kennda Lynch; Issue: Jan 2022

• Why Diversity, Equity and Inclusion?
  • By Carlene Campbell; Issue: Feb 2022

• Hire a social media manager to build the USRA brand; 
• Attract visitors/followers from diverse backgrounds to USRA programs; 
• Develop and execute a social media strategy; 
• Presentation by Joan Schmelz at the Jan 2022 USRA Directors meeting. 

Inclusion Infusion

These check lists should help infuse DEI culture throughout USRA as staff members build DEI awareness, become stronger DEI allies, and transition to DEI advocates. During the year, staff should participate in some of the activities below and keep a list with titles and dates. When filling out the annual performance appraisal, copy this list into the Diversity box of the current appraisal tool. 

Performance Appraisal Level 3 Activities: 
Building DEI awareness (learning, reading, viewing, listening)

• Attend DEI seminars and participate in DEI events at USRA, NASA, etc;
• Read DEI blog posts from the diversity committees of your professional organization (AAS, AGU, DPS, AMS, etc.);
• Attend a lecture or workshop about DEI topics at a meeting of your professional organization (AAS, AGU, DPS, AMS, etc.);
• View a Ted Talk on diversity;
• Listen to DEI Podcasts: pick one from a recommended list like here or here or just google ‘best podcasts on diversity and inclusion;’

Performance Appraisal Level 4 Activities: 
Becoming a stronger DEI ally (engaging, contributing, participating)

• Join a diversity committee or working group at USRA, NASA, or your professional organization (AAS, AGU, DPS, AMS, etc.);
• Write an article on a DEI topic of your choice for a diversity blog or newsletter;
• Invite and escort your supervisor/manager to a DEI event at NASA or your professional organization (AAS, AGU, DPS, AMS, etc.);
• Write the DEI section of a proposal or policy document you are working on;
• Mentor a student or intern from an underrepresented community;
• Give a talk at a minority-serving institution;
• Assist in planning and/or organizing a DEI event at USRA, NASA, or your professional organization (AAS, AGU, DPS, AMS, etc.);

Performance Appraisal Level 5 Activities: 
Transitioning to a DEI advocate (leading, managing, guiding)

• Chair a diversity committee or working group at NASA or your professional organization (AAS, AGU, DPS, AMS, etc.);
• Start a DEI committee at USRA, NASA, etc;
• Give a colloquium on a DEI topic at USRA, NASA, or a university;
• Write and publish a peer-reviewed paper on a DEI topic;
• Give an invited talk on a DEI topic at a professional conference;
• Lead a DEI-related discussion for your team/department.

Note: This material was presented by Joan Schmelz at the June 2022 USRA Directors meeting.

• USRA would sponsor a booth at SACNAS where it can advertise its many internship programs as well as other employment opportunities
• Complement LPI attendance at SACNAS where staff have hosted workshops that provide tools for writing competitive internship applications and introduce students to the broad studies in the planetary sciences
• Staffing: full-time by a member of the USRA communications team and part-time by those from LPI who attend the conference
• Presentation by Joan Schmelz at the June 2022 USRA Directors meeting.

• Require hiring committees to view short (~5 min) unconscious bias video
• Implementation: use NASA video shown during the orientation for proposal evaluation panels 
• Request: HR add viewing this video to the hiring process
• Presentation by Joan Schmelz at the June 2022 USRA Directors meeting.