Aquatic Sciences Center: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee Formation and Initiatives

By the Aquatic Sciences Center Equity and Diversity Committee

Following the murder of George FIoyd in 2020, the staff of the Aquatic Sciences Center (ASC) came together to form the ASC Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee.

The mission is to engage, educate, and empower the people of ASC to build a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive organization. Through much learning, listening, and sometimes difficult conversations, the committee is proud to share some of its ongoing DEI initiatives across the center.

Investments in systemic change

• Hired an outside consulting firm, EQT by Design, to perform a thorough assessment of ASC values, knowledge and goals. This company then developed the Aquatic Sciences Center Strategy Roadmap (2022) to support ASC in further developing an inclusive and equitable culture in both practice and design.
• Incorporated DEI into the calls for proposals for the two state research competitions that ASC coordinates (Wisconsin Sea Grant and University of Wisconsin Water Resources Institutes). This has resulted in investments of close to a half a million dollars over two years on two research projects, Nimaawanji’idimin Giiwitaashkodeng Project and Lake Winnebago InterTribal Connectivity Project, that center Native partners and research.
• Coordinated Freshwater@UW Summer Research Opportunities Program to provide immersive mentored research experiences that work to increase diversity in water-related STEM fields. Thirty-one students were matched with faculty mentors in FY23. (Funding provided by: WRI, Sea Grant, Water@UW-Madison, the Graduate School and the Freshwater Collaborative).

Opportunities for individual and group learning, reflection, and relationship building

• Lunch n’ Learns provided opportunities for all staff to gain knowledge on DEI topics or informal time to discuss and reflect on current DEI priorities after advancing knowledge through recent readings, podcasts, presentations, or films.
• Staff DEI Spotlights provided an opportunity for staff to share specific ways they engage in DEI work through their research projects or outreach.
• Travelogues provided an informal opportunity for staff to share stories, maps and cultural knowledge about trips they have taken.
• Required Annual All-Staff in-person DEI Meeting allowed staff to build trust and relationships with each other and dive deeper into specific DEI goals and strategize how they can be integrated in their own work.

Formation of sub-committees to focus on specific staff-selected DEI activities

• The Student Hiring Guide Committee is working on increasing equitable practices for hiring students.
• The Land and Water Acknowledgement Committee is working on developing a Land and Water Acknowledgement for ASC.

Leadership and participation through state and national DEI networks:

• Sea Grant Association Ethics Committee
• Sea Grant DEIJA Community of Practice
• Sea Grant Traditional and Local Knowledge Community of Practice
• Sea Grant’s Community Engaged Internship Leadership Committee
• Sea Grant DEIJA Evaluation Committee
• Land Acknowledgement Training
• Leadership in organizing a panel on the Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) community at the 2021 UW Diversity Forum
• Leadership in organizing Healing Our Waters Great Lakes Conference, a national conference focusing on environmental justice