OUR SCIENCE COMMUNICATION AND OUTREACH PHILOSOPHY
The scientific and academic communities’ capacity to advance knowledge, inform the public and enable evidence-based policy relies on our ability to communicate with and draw upon the perspectives of a diverse populace. This ability is hampered by the underrepresentation of many groups in STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) fields, reflecting both unequal access to opportunities and practices that can actively exclude marginalized populations.
The Surface Processes Group is dedicated to training new generations of scientists in understanding, valuing and ultimately embodying practices of equity and inclusion to improve the accessibility and diversity of the STEM community. We practice inclusive pedagogy, mentorship, science communication and public outreach starting with K12 to directly recruit and retain students from underserved communities while breaking down stereotypes and shifting public perception about the accessibility of STEM fields. We also work to promote awareness and equitable practices within the STEM research and education communities to create a more hospitable climate for all aspiring scientists.
We welcome the opportunity to branch out into novel mediums and develop new collaborations with anyone who shares our passion.
Science communication
The Language of Water: New Insights Into River Processes From Seismic Signals. National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine – Committee on Solid Earth Geophysics Spring 2021 Meeting: “Novel Geophysical Datasets for Environmental Applications: Moving from Discovering Signals to Societal Benefits.” 2021.
Throwing rocks down hills: wildfire, surface roughness and steepland sediment transport. Talk for EPSP Connects. 2021.
Wildfire and Surface Roughness. Talk for CSDMS Summer Science Series III. 2020.
Rapid Response to Geohazards – Hydrosphere/Cryosphere. IRIS Virtual Breakout Webinar. 2019.
2019 Science-a-thon #dayofscience (twitter thread)
2018 Science-a-thon #dayofscience (twitter thread)
Media coverage
What Comes Next | MINES Magazine | Jan 7, 2021
By smoothing out landscape, wildfire has measurable impact on potential for catastrophic mudslides, debris flows | Mines Newsroom | October 1, 2020.
TLS of Topographic Roughness and Sediment on Hillslopes | UNAVCO Highlight | March 30, 2017.
outreach and accessibility
AGU Earth and Planetary Surface Processes Section (EPSP) URGE Pod. 2021.
Mines Geoscience URGE Pod. Geology & Geological Engineering Department + Geophysics Department. 2021.
Orediggers for Equity in the Geology Department. 2020.
Beyond Grad School: a Guide to Landing Your Dream Job (Part 3: The Post-Application Negotiations). CUAHSI-AGU H3S Cyberseminar. 2019. (Other parts of this cyberseminar series can be found here or here)
Academic job search/interview tips. Twitter thread. 2018.
Geoscientists Encouraging Openness & Diversity in the Earth Sciences (GEODES). Co-founded at UCSC. 2016 – ongoing.
WiSE Up Reading Group for Equity in STEM. Co-founded at UCSC. 2015 – ongoing.
WiSE Pop-Up Museum Project. UCSC. 2015.
Funding Resources
General Graduate Funding
- NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program
- NASA Fellowship Activity
- DOD NDSEG Fellowship Program
- Fulbright U.S. Student Program
- Colorado Graduate Grant
- American Association for the Advancement of Science Programs
- The Smithsonian Institution Fellowship Program (SIFP)
- American Geosciences Institute Scholarship Programs
- American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS) Awards and Scholarships
Funding for underrepresented & minoritized students
- WiSTEM2D Scholars Award
- Significant Opportunities in Atmospheric Research and Science (SOARS)
- American Indian Education Fund Graduate Scholarship
- American Indian Graduate Center
- Colorado-Wyoming Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (CO-WY AMP)
- The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans
Funding for international students
- American Association of University Women (AAUW) International Fellowships
- Fulbright Foreign Student Program (varies by country)
- Philanthropic Educational Organization (PEO) International Peace Scholarship
- Schlumberger Foundation Faculty for the Future Fellowship Program
Funding for postdoctoral scholars
- American Association for the Advancemnt of Science: L’Oréal USA Fellowships for Women in Science
- NSF Earth Sciences Postdoctoral Fellowships
Other funding resources
- AGU Earth and Planetary Sciences Resource List
- UC Davis external fellowship database
- GoGrad Grants for Graduate Students
- Great College Deals scholarships and grants list
- Pathways to Science program and funding database
- Earth Science Women’s Network Resource Center
- STEM Diversity Network
- Científico Latino resource list
- Washington University resource list
This is by no means an exhaustive list. Many other funding resources can be found by searching online!
Other Resources
Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Access
- EPSP Connects Environmental Justice Resources
- Unlearning Racism in Geoscience (URGE) Resources
- Mines Racial Equity Resources
- 500 Women Scientists
- UW-Madison STEM Diversity Network
- Talking about Race in Earth and Space Science
- Geo Reading for Equity
- National Association of Black Geoscientists
- National Society of Black Engineers
Inclusive Teaching, Mentorship & Learning
- NAGT Early Career Geoscience Faculty Resources: Teaching, Research, and Managing Your Career
- GETSI – GEodesy Tools for Societal Issues
- American Geosciences Education GeoSource database
- The PocketLab Community Educators Page
- CATME Smarter Teamwork Tools
- STEMmentor
- Basic practices for group projects from CMU’s Eberly center
- UMI Inclusive Practices for Group Work
- Dynamic Ecology: Strategies for Mentoring Undergraduate Researchers
- Intelligent – Create a Study Plan