Save the Date for the Second Inclusive Astronomy Conference
The Inclusive Astronomy 2 (IA2) conference will be held 14-15 October 2019 at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Maryland. Like the first Inclusive Astronomy conference, IA2 will serve as a venue to advocate and provide resources for the inclusion in the astronomy community of people of color; LGBTQIA+ people; people with disabilities; women; and everyone who holds more than one of these underrepresented identities. Come take part in a community discussion to reflect on the state of the profession and envision how to improve it into the 2020s.
Information about important dates, logistics, and accessibility will be posted at the IA2 website. If you are interested in learning more, please sign up via the form on our website homepage — this will also help us greatly in finalizing the registration timeline. Registration and abstract submission are expected to open by the end of June. Questions can be directed to [email protected].
Conference Description
It has been four years since the 2015 Nashville Inclusive Astronomy meeting, an event that brought astronomers together with sociologists, policy makers, and leaders in the field to discuss issues affecting underrepresented groups in astronomy. The Nashville Recommendations, which emphasize equity and intersectionality, build upon a rich history of work to broaden participation and improve climates. We now have the opportunity to bring together the astronomy community to discuss the current state of the profession and make recommendations for the 2020s and beyond. Specifically, we will discuss community expectations on inclusivity and representation, evaluate our progress towards meeting equity goals, and address the needs of marginalized groups in the workforce. We will advance these broad goals by focusing on barriers in professional development (e.g., training, jobs, promotion, tenure) and barriers to accessing resources (e.g., funding, telescopes, facilities, data).
We invite the community to present their work towards identifying and removing these barriers and to participate in the next steps towards making astronomy fully inclusive. We specifically encourage students and members of marginalized groups to apply. A limited number of travel awards will be available.
We look forward to welcoming you in Baltimore!
— Lou Strolger (Chair, SOC) & Lauren Chambers (Chair, LOC)
Scientific Organizing Committee (SOC):
- Alyson Brooks (Rutgers)
- Sheryl Bruff (STScI)
- Van Dixon (STScI)
- Jules Fowler (STScI)
- Scott Gaudi (Ohio State)
- Moiya McTier (Columbia)
- Dara Norman (NOAO)
- Neill Reid (STScI)
- Keivan Stassun (Vanderbilt)
- Lou Strolger (STScI, Chair)
- MacKenzie Warren (Michigan State)
Local Organizing Committee (LOC):
- Brian Brooks
- Keira Brooks
- Lauren Chambers (Chair)
- Sherita Hanna
- Nimish Hathi
- Lea Hagen
- James Paranilam
- Laura Prichard
- Neill Reid