Building partnerships to transform workplace climate across organizations and disciplines

Erika Marin-Spiotta, Geography, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, Rebecca T. Barnes, Environmental Program, Colorado College, Colorado Springs, CO, Asmeret Asefaw Berhe, School of Natural Sciences, University of California, Merced, Merced, CA, Meredith G. Hastings, Environmental Change Initiative, Brown University, Providence, RI, Allison Mattheis, California State University, Los Angeles, Blair Schneider, Kansas Geological Survey, Billy Williams, American Geophysical Union, Vicki Magley, University of Connecticut, Emily Diaz-Vallejo, Geography, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI, Tara Miller and Richard Primack, Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, Pamela Templer, Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA

Persistently underserved groups in STEMM report hostile work environments due to harassment and discrimination. Scientific associations can lead workplace climate transformation by collecting data to inform and develop national initiatives, educating and empowering members across the academic hierarchy, and advocating for policy change. The NSF-funded ADVANCEGeo Partnership leverages multi-organizational collaborations and national networks to influence academic culture by catalyzing broader community engagement to tackle systemic exclusionary behaviors. By seeing problems as opportunities for transformation and leadership, these efforts highlight the power of collaborations to mobilize people and information for institutional and cultural change that transcends organizational and disciplinary boundaries.