Background/Question/Methods The job of a 21st Century academic has expanded as we are called to broaden our focus beyond traditional conceptions of research, teaching, and service to more deftly respond to the critical needs of learners and society. Today’s academic depends on a more diverse set of skills, training, and competencies than ever before. There are many innovative and exemplar scientists who express their passions for public engagement and inclusive excellence by breaking norms of practice and challenging traditional disciplinary cultures to reinvent what it means to be a researcher and educator. Unfortunately, the academic system of reward and advancement often 1) fails to adequately acknowledge the work, 2) discourages and excludes early career faculty from making meaningful contributions, and 3) reinforces systemic inequities by disproportionally relying on those who have been minoritized in their disciplines to do the labor of engagement and inclusion without appropriately accounting for that labor. Results/Conclusions This presentation will explore recent national scale developments in the U.S. to reimagine the academic system of reward and advancement. Attendees will also learn about key findings from recent research on how individuals who identify as marginalized in their disciplines experience injustice in the system and successfully navigate and advocate for a more equitable and inclusive system.
