Vision Statement
Diversity Drives Discovery
Purpose
USRA seeks to reflect the increasingly diverse workforce in the space-related sciences by promoting awareness, understanding, and appreciation of diversity throughout the organization and beyond. USRA values diversity, equity, and inclusion as this increases the quality of the workforce and brings diverse opinions, life experiences, and points of view to the decision making process.
The purpose of the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Committee is to:
- Develop, recommend, plan, and implement initiatives that support DEIA at USRA
- Strengthen the sensitivity of all employees to diverse races, cultures, ethnicities, nationalities, lifestyles, genders, and ages
- Serve in an advisory role in areas such as diversity and equity in recruiting, hiring, and promoting
- Promote opportunities for underrepresented groups to apply to and onboard at USRA
- Increase understanding of working within a diverse workforce, to include managing a diverse workforce
Membership
The President and CEO of USRA appointed the chair of the DEIA Committee and, together with the Vice President Human Resources and the chair, selected the 14 members from a pool of self-nominated employees to represent the Institutes and Programs across the organization.
Operation
The DEIA Committee shall meet formally once per month. In addition, informal “pop-up” meetings may be called on short notice to discuss a particular topic or topics.
DEIA initiatives are formulated and discussed by the committee. Members can then edit descriptions in a series of google docs. Once an initiative is complete, the DEIA Committee Chair submits it to the USRA President and Vice President of HR for discussion and approval.
The DEIA Committee Chair shall present a summary of DEIA activities and initiatives at the USRA Directors’ Meetings.
The DEIA Committee will communicate the initiatives via the USRA monthly newsletter and possible emails to all staff from the USRA President and the Vice President of HR.
"So many organizations seem to struggle when it comes to improving diversity in leadership. In my experience, unless and until diversity becomes a routine consideration in hiring and promotion decisions, little is likely to change. The best leaders recognize the value of diversity, equity, and inclusion to the organization and reflect that in their actions."
"USRA is a champion of diversity, fostering a culture where differences are embraced and celebrated, not merely tolerated. Our belief in the strength of diverse talent and different cultures fuels our organization’s success.
Through our dedicated DEIA committee, we drive impactful initiatives that address systemic inequalities and promote collaboration among various cultures. This creates a sense of belonging and empowerment within our organization.
As a leader I am proud… proud of heading an organization that not only values DEIA but also integrates it into everyday practices."
Committee Members
Dr. Elena Einstein
Chair, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Committee
Manoj Agrawal
Senior Data Scientist, NAMS
Carlene Campbell
Executive Assistant to the President and Chief Executive Officer, USRA
Dr. Suraiya Farukhi
Director, Communications, Office of the President
Denisse Garza
Senior Manager, Intern Program
Dr. Haiquan (Heidi) Guo
Senior Scientist, GEARS
Eric Hammond
Director, Government Relations
Dr. Sumant Jha
Scientist (IMPACT), Science and Technology Institute
Dr. Kennda Lynch
Scientist, Interdisciplinary, LPI
Dr. Maheshwari Neelam
Earth Scientist, USRA
Dr. Bill Reach
Director of Science Mission Operations, USRA
DEIA Initiatives
Initiative 1 – USRA staff consider adding Personal Gender Pronouns to their e-mail signature
DEIA Committee Members: Elena Einstein, Ryan Hendricks, Ed Rivera-Valentin
Approved 8/25/2020
Status: Complete
- 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.
Initiative 2 – USRA hosts a Career Expo exhibit booth at the 2020 National Society of Black Physicists (NSBP) virtual conference (5-8 Nov)
DEIA Committee: Kennda Lynch & Sha’Rell Webb
Approved 10/19/2020
Status: Complete
- 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.).
Initiative 3 – USRA sets standards and uses templates for new employee introductions and promotion announcements
DEIA Committee members: Elena Einstein and Angie Quaranta
Approved 11/19/2020
Status: Complete
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.
Initiative 4 – USRA begins a mentoring program for underrepresented minority students
DEIA Committee members: Zaheer Ali
Approved 12/10/2020
Status: Complete
- USRA partnered with PeopleGrove on a one-year, mentoring pilot program;
- DEIA 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.
Initiative 5 – DEIA component of USRA’s public facing web page
DEIA Committee members: Carlene Campbell & Falguni Patadia
Approved 2/2/2021
Status: Ongoing
- Create DEIA content for the USRA public facing web page;
- Include DEIA photos and bios of committee members;
- Include DEIA initiatives and status of each;
- Presentation by Joan Schmelz at the Mar 2021 USRA Directors meeting;
- Add more content as the work of the DEIA committee continues.
Initiative 6 – USRA DEIA Speaker Series
DEIA Committee members: Eric Hammond & Ed Rivera-Valentin
Approved 4/6/2021
Status: Ongoing
- The speaker series includes talks on DEIA 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 DEIA Speakers Series Kickoff: Diversity 101
19 Aug 2021
Joan Schmelz (Director of the NASA Postdoctoral Program, Chair of USRA’s DEIA Committee)
Ed Rivera-Valentín (Planetary Scientist at LPI, Member of USRA’s DEIA Committee)
Eric Hammond (Director of Government Relations, Member of USRA’s DEIA Committee)
USRA DEIA Speakers Series: Bold Leadership Actions in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Access
28 Jan 2022
Alicia J. Knoedler (Office of Integrative Activities, National Science Foundation)
Initiative 7 – USRA Discovery Newsletter Articles on DEIA Topics
DEIA Committee Members: Bill Reach & Joan Schmelz
Approved 6/30/21
Status: Complete
- 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 DEIA 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
Initiative 8 – USRA Social Media Manager
DEIA Committee member: Elena Einstein
Approved 1/31/22
Status: Ongoing
- 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.
Initiative 9 – Inclusion Infusion
DEIA Committee member: Joan Schmelz
Approved 2/19/22
Status: Ongoing
Inclusion Infusion
These check lists should help infuse DEIA culture throughout USRA as staff members build DEIA awareness, become stronger DEIA allies, and transition to DEIA 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 DEIA awareness (learning, reading, viewing, listening)
- Attend DEIA seminars and participate in DEIA events at USRA, NASA, etc;
- Read DEIA blog posts from the diversity committees of your professional organization (AAS, AGU, DPS, AMS, etc.);
- Attend a lecture or workshop about DEIA topics at a meeting of your professional organization (AAS, AGU, DPS, AMS, etc.);
- View a Ted Talk on diversity;
- Listen to DEIA 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 DEIA 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 DEIA topic of your choice for a diversity blog or newsletter;
- Invite and escort your supervisor/manager to a DEIA event at NASA or your professional organization (AAS, AGU, DPS, AMS, etc.);
- Write the DEIA 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 DEIA event at USRA, NASA, or your professional organization (AAS, AGU, DPS, AMS, etc.);
Performance Appraisal Level 5 Activities:
Transitioning to a DEIA advocate (leading, managing, guiding)
- Chair a diversity committee or working group at NASA or your professional organization (AAS, AGU, DPS, AMS, etc.);
- Start a DEIA committee at USRA, NASA, etc;
- Give a colloquium on a DEIA topic at USRA, NASA, or a university;
- Write and publish a peer-reviewed paper on a DEIA topic;
- Give an invited talk on a DEIA topic at a professional conference;
- Lead a DEIA-related discussion for your team/department.
Note: This material was presented by Joan Schmelz at the June 2022 USRA Directors meeting.
Initiative 10 – USRA Booth at SACNAS
DEIA Committee member: Ed Rivera-Valentin
Approval Pending
- 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.
Initiative 11 – Unconscious Bias
DEIA Committee member: Bill Reach
Approved 5/24/22
Status: Ongoing
- 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.
Initiative 12 – DEIA Employee Development Plan Manager/Supervisor Track
DEIA Committee members: Elena Einstein & Joan Schmelz
Approved 3/15/23
Status: Ongoing
What is an Employee Development Plan: An employee development plan documents the goals, required skill development, and objectives an employee will need to accomplish in order to support continuous improvement and career development. The plan is a collaborative, actionable list of steps that an employee completes with their manager to meet their desired career goals.
Steps
Step 1: Request a self-assessment (create intake form); could also be a discussion.
Include: interests, skills, goals (short term and long term). Learn about:
- What skills, career opportunities, technologies interest the individual?
- Do those skills/interests/goals support the organization's needs and goals?
- What are the short- and long-term steps to get there?
Step 2: Consider the business needs of the organization.
Step 3: Draft development opportunities with the employee.
- New Projects & Responsibilities (stretch assignments)
- Workshops, Classes, Seminars
- Volunteer opportunities
- Mentorship & Coaching
- Reading material
- Job shadowing, Job Rotations
Step 4: Develop an action plan that is clear and descriptive.
After determining the goals of the organization and the employee, as well as the resources required for employee development, the manager should organize this information into an actionable plan that is clear and descriptive. Develop this plan together with the employee, and make sure they agree on the actions and timeline.
Details
Engineering and science have different paths to management. The engineering path is more formal, with training and even project management classes in college. The science path is less structured, with individuals picking up skills throughout their student and early career days. Here are some suggestions on how to begin developing management skills that can prepare an engineer for their first supervisory position.
Engineering
- Volunteer as a sub-lead, in charge of a small team responsible for a part or component of a project.
- At the entry level, there is plenty of supervision to make sure the work stays on track.
- With experience, the individual can step up to bigger projects with more responsibility and less supervision.
Science
- Start volunteering to chair simple, short-term activities like a session at the next professional meeting (AGU, AAS, DPS, AMS, etc.), the colloquium series, or a search committee.
- Step up to chairing a review panel or a committee of the professional organization.
- Organize a small conference or an intern program.
The engineering path to management is more project oriented, so a leadership class would complement the acquired skill set. The science path is more people oriented, so a project management class would help prepare individuals for their first supervisory position.
Other disciplines
For other disciplines, USRA presents many opportunities to train for supervisor role. Some of these are listed here, and our example is set up for a future financial manager.
- Take online leadership course.
- Read leadership books.
- Find a mentor.
- Present Quarterly Review Data.
- Volunteer on a board/team (internal or external).
Plan Template
Employee Name: Employee Name
Date: Today’s Date
Current Title: Job Title
Current Strengths: List of current strengths
Development Needs: List of current Development Needs
Professional Goals: List of Professional Goals (short term and long term)
Step 1: Timeline for step and actionable steps toward completion of the goal
Step 2: Timeline for step and actionable steps toward completion of the goal
Step 3: Timeline for step and actionable steps toward completion of the goal
Step 4: Timeline for step and actionable steps toward completion of the goal
Plan Example
Employee Name: EXAMPLE
Date: August 1, 2022
Current Title: Finance Associate
Current Strengths: Detailed oriented, excellent communication technical skills
Development Needs: Improve leadership skills
Professional Goals:
- Short-term goals: Develop leadership abilities, gain experience, and build relationships.
- Long-term goal: Become finance manager.
Step 1:
- Action: Take online leadership course.
- Objectives: Learn how to lead employees.
- Timeline: Complete course by Dec 1 2022.
Step 2:
- Action: Present Quarterly Review Financial Data.
- Objectives: Refine research coordination, public speaking, and presentation skills.
- Timeline: Perform research, draft presentation for the quarterly financial review meeting. Present quarterly beginning Oct 2022.
Step 3:
- Action: Volunteer on a board/team (Internal or external).
- Objectives: Learn how to lead projects (including budget review, schedule reviews, and teamwork).
- Timeline: Identify opportunity by Jan 1 2023 and commit to 1 year.
Step 4:
- Action: Read leadership books
- Objectives: Learn leadership fundamentals
- Timeline: Read one of the assigned readings per month and discuss with your manager.
References
Indeed Employee Development Plan
Duke Human Resources Professional Development Plan