{"619378":{"#nid":"619378","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Incentivizing Equity and Diversity in AGU Honors Nominations","body":[{"value":"\u003Ch6\u003E\u003Cem\u003EEditor\u0026#39;s note: This opinion article by Jennifer Glass and Kim Cobb was originally published in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eos.org\/opinions\/incentivizing-equity-and-diversity-in-agu-honors-nominations\u0022\u003EEos on March 15, 2019\u003C\/a\u003E. It is reproduced\u0026nbsp;here with permission from Eos.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/h6\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAGU has extended its deadline to 15 April for submission of nominations for 2019 AGU medals, awards, and prizes. This means there is still a full month to organize nominations!\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EData show that white women, Asian women,\u0026nbsp;and underrepresented minorities have not made sizeable gains in AGU Honors recognition. Outside of Macelwane Medals, there have been only 17 AGU medals awarded to women in AGU\u0026rsquo;s history, with only 4 awarded since the last census in 2012 [\u003Cem\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/2013EO100003\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EO\u0026rsquo;Connell\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E, 2013], and almost all were awarded to white women\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cblockquote\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u0026quot;Data show that white women and underrepresented minorities have not made sizeable gains in AGU Honors recognition.\u0026quot;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EDisappointingly, AGU medals, awards, and prize nominations for women were\u003Cem\u003E\u0026nbsp;lower\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;in 2018 than in previous years, with only\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/fromtheprow.agu.org\/how-will-we-address-the-lack-of-gender-diversity-in-agu-medals-awards-and-prizes\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eone woman medalist among the 16 awarded\u003C\/a\u003E. In response to these dismal statistics, AGU leadership urged members to \u0026ldquo;expand the pool of nominations.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWe believe that demystifying the honors nomination process, encouraging collaborative nominations [\u003Cem\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1029\/2019EO117855\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EJaynes et al.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E, 2019], and incentivizing nominations of members of underrepresented groups are key steps toward achieving gender, racial, and ethnic equity in AGU Honors.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBelow we refute five common myths about the AGU Honors process that we have learned through our sustained efforts to nominate women in recent years:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMyth 1: Only senior scientists can nominate their colleagues.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003EWhile nominators and letter writers are often AGU Fellows or the like, anyone can assist with organizing a package. Neither of us is an AGU Fellow or medalist, but we have together coordinated over a dozen packages in the past several years.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMyth 2: Successful nominees must have h-indices through the roof.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003EContrary to popular opinion, there is no hard or soft h-index requirement for AGU Honors recipients; h-indices vary by subdiscipline and research style (large collaborations versus independent researcher). There is also evidence that h-indices are biased against women [\u003Cem\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0000127\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESymonds et al.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E, 2006]. Other limitations of the h-index are discussed in the\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/honors.agu.org\/files\/2015\/02\/AGU-Fellows-Program-Review-Task-Force-Report_Final.pdf\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;2014 AGU Fellows Program Review Task Force Report\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cblockquote\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u0026quot;There is also evidence that h-indices are biased against women.\u0026quot;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMyth 3: The more famous the letter writers are, the better.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003EIt is far more effective to have a diverse set of letter writers who can speak with specificity and authority about the nominee\u0026rsquo;s impact and contributions than it is to have short, vague letters from big shots. And although it is often important to have at least one senior letter writer in a package, that person need not be the lead nominator.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMyth 4: Nominations must be organized months in advance.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003EWe get it; we\u0026rsquo;re all busy. But it doesn\u0026rsquo;t take more than a few dedicated hours to write a substantive, elegant letter for a cherished colleague. Although it helps to have at least a month of lead time in requesting letters, don\u0026rsquo;t let that stop you from trying to pull a package together. At the very worst, you will have laid the groundwork for a smooth nomination process the next year.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMyth 5: It is primarily the responsibility of women to nominate other women for awards.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003EAcross AGU sections, women members average\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/honors.agu.org\/files\/2018\/09\/2018-section-membership-by-gender-and-career-stage_Sept12.pdf\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E15% of the total membership at the \u0026ldquo;experienced\u0026rdquo; career level\u003C\/a\u003E. By this faulty logic, nominations for women would hover near the 15% mark, with awardees being an even smaller percentage. In reality, a large percentage of men will need to coordinate, lead, or support nomination packages for women to move the needle.We urge AGU to catalyze change by publicly recognizing those who work purposefully to nominate members of underrepresented groups.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWe urge AGU to catalyze change by publicly recognizing those who work purposefully to nominate members of underrepresented groups.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the past\u0026nbsp;weeks,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eos.org\/opinions\/equal-representation-in-scientific-honors-starts-with-nominations\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ean\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EEos\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;article\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;by\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EJaynes et al.\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;[2019] has provided excellent tips for organizing collaborative nominations, whereas\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/fhsu.edu\/geo\/faculty-and-staff\/Ali\/index\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EHendratta Ali\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;offers more general advice in an AGU\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/blogs.agu.org\/onthejob\/2019\/02\/01\/how-you-should-overcome-the-hurdle-to-nominate-women-and-urm-for-honors-awards-and-medals\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eblog post\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWe urge AGU to catalyze change by publicly recognizing those who work purposefully to nominate members of underrepresented groups. This recognition should extend beyond the lead nominator(s) to include supporting letter writers as well as package coordinators.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EPossibilities include the following:\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cul\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003Epublishing the names of all those who contributed to successful nominations from underrepresented groups in\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EEos\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;and reading them out loud at the Honor\u0026rsquo;s banquet\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003Eissuing special ribbons that read \u0026ldquo;Nomination Equity Champion\u0026rdquo; (or the like) for the Fall Meeting badges of anyone who contributed to a nomination from an underrepresented group\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003Eextending free Fall Meeting registration for anyone who contributed to a nomination from an underrepresented group, compiled from the nomination submission form\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003Einviting early-career scientists to join section canvassing committees so that they might advance their more diverse colleagues for nomination while learning the ropes of AGU Honors nominations early in their careers\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\u003C\/ul\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESeveral generations of scientists are watching, impatiently, for change that is coming far too slowly.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EReferences\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h5\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EJaynes, A., E. MacDonald, and A. Keesee (2019), Equal representation in scientific honors starts with nominations,\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EEos,\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003E100\u003C\/em\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1029\/2019EO117855\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/doi.org\/10.1029\/2019EO117855\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EO\u0026rsquo;Connell, S. (2013), Consider nominating a woman for an AGU award,\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EEos Trans. AGU,\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003E94\u003C\/em\u003E, 99,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/2013EO100003\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/2013EO100003\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESymonds, M. R., et al. (2006), Gender differences in publication output: Towards an unbiased metric of research performance,\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EPloS One,\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003E1\u003C\/em\u003E, e127,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0000127\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0000127\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch5\u003EAuthor Information\u003C\/h5\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EJennifer B. Glass (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/twitter.com\/methanojen\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E@methanoJen\u003C\/a\u003E), AGU Biogeosciences Fellow Nomination Committee 2017, 2018; AGU Biogeosciences Canvassing Committee 2019; and Kim M. Cobb\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/twitter.com\/@coralsncaves\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E(@coralsncaves\u003C\/a\u003E), School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch6\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECitation:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003EGlass, J. B., and K. M. Cobb (2019), Incentivizing equity and diversity in AGU Honors nominations,\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EEos, 100,\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1029\/2019EO118351\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/doi.org\/10.1029\/2019EO118351\u003C\/a\u003E. Published on 15 March 2019.\u003C\/h6\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EText \u0026copy; 2019. The authors.\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-nd\/3.0\/us\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ECC BY-NC-ND 3.0\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nExcept where otherwise noted, images are subject to copyright. Any reuse without express permission from the copyright owner is prohibited.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"EAS faculty urge American Geophysical Union to pursue ways to usher in change more quickly."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESchool of Earth and Sciences (EAS) professors Jennifer Glass and Kim Cobb refute five common myths persist about nominating colleagues for recognition by the American Geophysical Union (AGU). They say the AGU can pursue several methods of ushering in change more quickly.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"EAS faculty urge American Geophysical Union to pursue ways to usher in change more quickly."}],"uid":"30678","created_gmt":"2019-03-18 18:42:09","changed_gmt":"2019-03-21 19:43:15","author":"A. Maureen Rouhi","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2019-03-21T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2019-03-21T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"619381":{"id":"619381","type":"image","title":"Jennifer Glass and Kim Cobb","body":null,"created":"1552936189","gmt_created":"2019-03-18 19:09:49","changed":"1552936189","gmt_changed":"2019-03-18 19:09:49","alt":"","file":{"fid":"235798","name":"Jen Glass \u0026 Kim Cobb.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Jen%20Glass%20%26%20Kim%20Cobb.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Jen%20Glass%20%26%20Kim%20Cobb.png","mime":"image\/png","size":291262,"path_740":"http:\/\/tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Jen%20Glass%20%26%20Kim%20Cobb.png?itok=-sUFuJkN"}}},"media_ids":["619381"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"364801","name":"EAS"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"736","name":"diversity"},{"id":"172513","name":"inclusiveness"},{"id":"894","name":"Women in Science"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39511","name":"Public Service, Leadership, and Policy"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA. Maureen Rouhi, Ph.D.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nDirector of Communications\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nCollege of Sciences\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["maureen.rouhi@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}