Our Commitment
The Jackson School of Geosciences at The University of Texas at Austin is steadfast in our commitment to fostering a diverse community of scientists and lifelong learners and to providing an equitable and enriching educational and research experience for every member of our community.
Our commitment is rooted in the belief that the geosciences, and all other academic and intellectual pursuits, are stronger when they are inclusive of people with diverse backgrounds, experiences and perspectives. Therefore, we strongly believe that increasing the diversity of the Jackson School’s faculty, workforce, student body and educational programs is critical to meeting and maintaining the high academic and research standards that we hold ourselves to, and that are expected of a world-class geosciences institution.
We are committed to being a welcoming place where students, faculty, scientists, and staff of all cultures, races and ethnicities, genders, political and religious beliefs, physical and learning differences, and sexual orientations and identities, can thrive. Building a diverse and welcoming environment is an integral part of achieving our goals of educating the geosciences leaders of tomorrow and conducting impactful research that can help solve many of society’s greatest challenges.
Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion: Julia Clarke
Dr. Julia Clarke is the Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), the John A. Wilson Professor in Vertebrate Paleontology and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Professor. Dr. Clarke is leading the effort to bring DEI into the Jackson School of Geosciences’ classroom practices, pedagogy, academic processes, culture and workplace policies. Dr. Clarke is also the leader of the Geoscience Ambassadors and the faculty advisor to the Geoscience Leadership Organization for Women (GLOW).
Email: julia_clarke@jsg.utexas.edu
Diversity and Inclusion Highlights
Creating a diverse and welcoming environment where students, faculty, researchers and staff from all backgrounds can thrive is a top priority of the Jackson School of Geosciences.
The school’s efforts in justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion are aimed at overcoming a longstanding challenge in the geosciences, which are among the least racially diverse of all the STEM disciplines, according to data on degrees earned at U.S. universities collected by the National Science Foundation. The Jackson School has programs to address the issue at every level. These include programs to introduce and teach the geosciences to minority and underserved high school students; to help those students pursue a college education; and to help undergraduate and graduate students succeed at the Jackson School and beyond
A selection of the Jackson School’s many efforts to address these issues (see more at Programs & Opportunities):
GeoFORCE Texas
A nationally recognized outreach program that introduces students from underserved areas of the state to the geosciences by taking them on field trips each summer throughout high school to visit geologically significant sites across the country.
Read MoreGeoscience Ambassadors
An outreach program that seeks to cultivate a larger and more diverse geoscience community by helping geoscience students, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds, reflect on their own path to the geosciences and present their personal stories to young people and others in their home communities.
Read MoreGeoscience Empowerment Network (GEN)
A Jackson School-sponsored organization dedicated to increasing diversity among the students, faculty, researchers and staff members at the the Jackson School so that the community more closely resembles the diversity found in Texas. Strategies include: mentorship; community building; professional and personal development; advocating for change; and promoting diverse voices in geosciences.
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