Resources To Support Student Diversity

We are committed to growing our support for students from diverse backgrounds

Read the SES Statement on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Financial

NAU offers scholarships and assists in advertising scholarships specifically for students from under-represented backgrounds:

• 2021 Fund for Student Diversity in Earth and Environmental Sciences: SES is committed to providing dedicated funding and support to serve a wider diversity of graduate students. As part of this year’s admission cycle (applications due January 15, 2021), we are offering supplemental funding  for students from backgrounds currently underrepresented in our graduate programs. If you are interested in applying to our graduate programs, talk to any faculty member you are interested in working with, or email the funding coordinator with any questions you have or to get help finding a potential mentor.
• Tribal scholarships for NAU students
• The Quayle Scholarship for current or future NAU graduate students who are members of a Native American tribe or nation
• National and international scholarships for students from diverse backgrounds
• National and international scholarships for LGBTQ students
• National and international scholarships for students with disabilities

Other organizations offering scholarships specifically for students in earth / environment / sustainability fields (list in progress):

• American Geosciences Institute

Community

Looking to connect with other students who share your background, culture, or interests? Check out the list of NAU Clubs and Organizations as well as the Native American Cultural Center.

Research and Careers

• Wondering how to get involved in research in STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics)? Check out LSAMP (the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation). No prior experience or connections needed.
• Master’s and undergraduate students interested in projects related to environmental health (the links between humans, ecosystems, and pollution) can also apply to be part of the RISE (Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement) program at NAU.
• NAU is also extremely fortunate to host ITEP (the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals), which works to “strength[en] tribal capacity and sovereignty in environmental and natural resource management through culturally relevant education, research, partnerships and policy-based services.” Spend some time at their website to learn more about their accomplishments and opportunities – ITEP offers internships to NAU students in a number of environmental areas.

Beyond NAU, you might be interested in:

• AISES (American Indian Science and Engineering Society)
• GeoLatinas (Latinas in Earth & Planetary Sciences)
• MANRRS (Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences)
• NABG (National Association of Black Geoscientists)
• SACNAS (Advancing Chicanos/Hispanics & Native Americans in Science)
• SEEDS (Strategies for Ecology Education, Diversity, and Sustainability)
• SOLESS (Latinxs/Hispanics in Earth and Space Science)
• Many of these groups have a presence on social media, which can be a great way to connect to other researchers and scientists from a wide range of backgrounds. E.g., check out #BlackBirdersWeek on Twitter and the amazing scientists and naturalists who made it happen!

Change making

See something that needs improvement to support diversity and inclusion in SES or at NAU? We’d love to hear about it in whatever way feels best to you. You can talk to your professors or graduate program coordinators or advisors, or you can reach out to the Office of Inclusion or the Native American Cultural Center.

School of Earth and Sustainability Statement on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

The School of Earth and Sustainability (SES) is committed to cultivating an environment where people of all backgrounds and identities are welcomed and treated with equity and respect. In SES, we value diversity in race and ethnicity; gender identity, expression, and sexual orientation; socio-economic and cultural background; religious beliefs; physical abilities; ages; nationalities; and life experiences. We celebrate the unique identities and perspectives in our community and continually strive to increase diversity and inclusivity in our school.

We remain mindful in our efforts of the entrenched dynamics, behaviors, and beliefs historically known to be present in STEM fields. SES stands committed to removing such institutional barriers that may prevent participation from underrepresented groups. We recognize these barriers as a disservice both to the Earth and Environmental Sciences and to individuals from underrepresented groups who may feel discouraged from participating in these fields. As such, SES is taking intentional, deliberate, communal action to ensure a more inclusive atmosphere that is actively anti-racist, while continually striving to improve policies and procedures that reflect this ethos. As Northern Arizona University occupies homelands sacred to 11 tribes, we are especially committed to increasing representation and inclusion of Indigenous people in SES, along with the inclusion of people from other underrepresented groups; we believe we all stand to share and learn in a reciprocal manner from our unique perspectives. Furthermore, we recognize the need to acknowledge and change exploitative colonial practices of resource and information extraction from Indigenous lands and peoples around the world.

In our diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, we are committed to the following:

1. Re-examining elitism and bias that favors white, western ways of knowing in the environmental movement, as well as in associated research and policy-making. We are doing this by:

• Increasing the number and frequency of invited speakers, advisors, and mentors from underrepresented groups, including bringing professionals into lower-division majors classes;
• Increasing the number of course readings by authors from underrepresented groups;
• Increasing the inclusion of Indigenous knowledge in our curriculum and invited speakers;
• Increasing the number of students from underrepresented groups who are enrolled, retained, and graduated from SES programs;
• Supporting programs on campus that actively create opportunities for students in underrepresented groups (see above), by responding to calls to provide research opportunities and advertising these widely to our students;
• Improving awareness of opportunities in the Earth and Environmental Sciences in K-12 schools.

2. Including options and accommodations in field course curriculum that make these courses accessible to all. In doing so, we also aim to broaden the conception of Earth and Environmental Science education and engagement to include laboratory and other analytical approaches in addition to field opportunities.
3. Hiring faculty from underrepresented groups, to balance the preponderance of white mentors, supervisors, and others in positions of power.
4. Ascribing value to improving diversity in our community, and increasing awareness, discussion, and understanding of institutional barriers. We are doing this by sustaining and nurturing the SES Diversity and Inclusion committee, and by developing a Code of Conduct to better define valued boundaries and behaviors, while recognizing that unacceptable conduct has an impact, regardless of intent.

Several of these actions are promoted and described in further detail in our School’s Strategic Plan. We encourage suggestions on how to advance our efforts regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion. If you have thoughts on this topic, please contact Denielle Perry or Ellie Broadman, the co-chairs of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee.