Advancing IAN's DEI Initiatives
On November 4th, IAN held a DEI training focused on Mitigating Microaggressions. The training was led by Dr. Leslie Krafft from UMD’s Office of Diversity & Inclusion, which offers a variety of diversity training options. The session provided a detailed overview of bias and microaggressions and how marginalized populations might disproportionately experience them. The presentation also provided steps to combat microaggressions and how awareness of one’s biases and actions can lead to a more fulfilling work culture. IAN staff also had a chance to reflect on and share their own identities and experiences, building trust and promoting strategies for workplace improvement.
Discussing Parachute Science at the Sea Grant Marine Debris Symposium
On November 14th, Katie May Laumann, Annie Carew, and Lili Badri attended the Sea Grant Marine Debris Symposium, held at the NOAA Auditorium and Science Center in Silver Spring, MD. There, they heard from leading scientists about projects aimed at reducing marine debris, encompassing the use of innovative technology and multidisciplinary collaborations. The day ended with the IAN team facilitating a workshop about Parachute Science, which featured an engaging presentation about the concept followed by a roleplaying activity. For the activity, attendees were asked to form groups, with one person from each group acting as a nonlocal scientist tasked to convince the others, representing various community members, to participate in their research project. The activity emphasized the need for local engagement and collaboration and led to a fruitful discussion afterward.
Maryland Water Monitoring Council Conference
On November 21st, IAN attended the 30th Maryland Water Monitoring Council Conference in Linthicum, MD. The theme of this year’s conference was Celebrating Successes and Tackling Emerging Challenges. Alexandra Fries gave a presentation entitled Visualizing and Communicating Monitoring Data for Positive Change, with a packed room of over 65 attendees. The presentation highlighted work done by many of IAN’s partners including the Patapsco Heritage Greenway, the Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore, the Maryland Coastal Bays Program, and the Chesapeake Monitoring Cooperative.
IAN develops new relationships in Shanghai, China
From November 17–24th, Heath Kelsey was invited to Shanghai, China by East China Normal University, to present work on a Future Earth Coasts project called, “Tour de Coasts,” which surveyed researchers and practitioners in the Future Earth Coasts network (and beyond) about global perceptions of sustainability issues, challenges, and definitions. The presentation was part of a mini-conference sharing research on heavily urbanized river deltas. Following the meeting, we explored opportunities to work together to convene multi and transdisciplinary teams to address broad goal-setting and assessment needs in these complex deltas. Research in these systems often focuses on modeling parameterization, calibration, and optimization, especially as it relates to sediment dynamics and geomorphology. As the USA International Program Office for Future Earth Coasts, IAN is being asked to codesign an approach for visioning, goal setting, and progress tracking to engage diverse stakeholder interests. Also, while in Shanghai, Heath was able to meet with the Shanghai Academy of Environmental Sciences (SAES). A team from SAES visited IAN in Annapolis in October; by happy coincidence, Heath was able to visit them in Shanghai the following month, to discuss opportunities for socio-environmental report cards in the Yangtze River estuary. Discussions are ongoing to further develop this relationship.