DEI Action Plan
"Our DEI action plan enables us to hold ourselves accountable for the change we aspire to see on our campus and throughout our scientific community."
- Committee Chair Gwen Rudie
Starting in 2019, the Observatories committed to an informal, community driven process by which campus-level DEI concerns could be addressed. Spurred by a multi-day workshop led by Drs. Darryl Dickerson and Stephen Secules, the Observatories collectively identified DEI-associated challenges and opportunities at Carnegie, proposed approaches to address them,and recognized ways in which we could help build an intellectually rich and inclusive academic community.
Since that time, the Observatories has actively maintained a DEI Action Plan, a living document outlining concrete goals with associated timelines designed to meet the needs and aspirations of our community and to grow our community into one where all individuals in all job roles can flourish and be appreciated for their contributions. Currently the Observatories DEI standing committee is charged with updating the Action Plan.
Some examples of community driven goals completed as a result of the action plan include: the creation of gender neutral restrooms on campus, moving the weekly colloquium to a more family-friendly time slot, developing improved onboarding materials for postdocs, and increased Spanish-language outreach within Pasadena and its surroundings. In 2022-2023, we also established a series of community lunches designed to reunite campus members as they returned to on-site work, required the inclusion of a broader impact statement for postdoctoral fellowship applicants, and are currently working to create two new DEI awards to recognize service by our campus community members.
The action plan’s ongoing goals include drafting recommendations for improved hiring procedures, improving mentoring throughout the Institution, increasing supervisor support for DEI efforts, making our campus more accessible to those with limited mobility, and increasing recruitment for scientists from backgrounds that are historically underrepresented in STEM.
If you’d like a copy of the current Observatories DEI Action Plan, please reach out to the Observatories DEI Committee Chair, Gwen Rudie.