September 9, 2021
SAFS Equity & Inclusion Annual Report Available
The 2020-21 academic year was a busy one for the SAFS Equity and Inclusion Committee. The latest Annual Report, available on the SAFS DEI webpage, documents over a dozen achievements reached by the Committee over the course of the year. The EI Committee, chaired by Jennifer Gosselin and Eleni Petrou, was raised to the level…
August 20, 2021
Ashley Townes Featured in Crosscut Video Series
Over the past weeks, Crosscut has released a number of of short videos for their series Deeply Rooted, which is “Exploring environmental justice in a changing Washington.” In one of the more recent episodes, titled “Barrier to Entry”, SAFS graduate student Ashley Townes shares how her scientific research and involvement in her community are deeply…
August 12, 2021
SAFS Equity Audit Survey Is Live!
Over the past couple of quarters, SAFS has been working with educational equity consultants to develop and conduct an Equity Audit of the School. This process was formally proposed about a year ago, and it is through the efforts and advocacy of dedicated students and postdocs that the Equity Audit is happening now. The Equity…
August 6, 2021
The ADA and Accessibility
July 26, 2021, marked the 31st anniversary of the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, better known simply as the ADA. At its core, the ADA is a civil rights law, prohibiting discrimination against people with disabilities in a variety of areas: employment, public entities (programs run by governmental bodies), public accommodations…
July 29, 2021
Equity Is Integral to Sustainability at UW
Earlier this month, the University of Washington announced its new definition of sustainability, the latest step in an iterative, community-based process in support of the UW Sustainability Action Plan. The definition is a working document, and will evolve as the UW’s understanding grows. The current definition of sustainability is as follows: “At the University of…
July 23, 2021
Social Location
This is the third part of a series exploring social identity and social location. Many of us are familiar with concepts like social identity and privilege. In the past ten/five/two years, these concepts have gotten more mainstream attention, especially in academic institutions and other educational settings. However, the concept/term “social location” might be newer for…
July 16, 2021
Power and Privilege
This is the second part of a series exploring social identity and social location. Everyone holds a myriad of social identities related to race, class, gender, sexual orientation, ability, nationality, etc. As discussed previously, our social identities convey status to us, as members of a group or as outsiders. Since the status (or lack thereof)…
July 8, 2021
Social Identity Theory: Overview
This is the first part of a series exploring social identity and social location. When we think about where we fit in the world outside our homes, whether institutions like UW or broader society, we tend to identify ourselves by our group memberships. This forms the foundation of social identity theory. Social identities can include…
June 24, 2021
Cheryl Barnes receives WDASD Diversity and Inclusion Service Award
The Western Division of the American Fisheries Society recently awarded Cheryl Barnes, SAFS Postdoc and NOAA Affiliate, their Diversity and Inclusion Service Award in recognition of her leadership in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in fisheries. Cheryl has been involved in DEI work in the Alaska Chapter AFS and more broadly in WDAFS: she is…
June 18, 2021
Juneteenth
Governor Inslee last month officially declared Juneteenth a paid state holiday in Washington starting in 2022. Yesterday, President Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, making Juneteenth also a federal holiday effective immediately. “Juneteenth celebrations are a good time, but they also serve to educate and reeducate the community about Black history and local…