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AAPT Participating in the AAAS SEA Change Professional Society Pilot

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

College Park, Maryland, November 10, 2021 — AAPT has been selected to be one of four participating organizations in the SEA Change initiative. Early in 2021, AAAS (American Association for the Advancement of Science) accepted proposals from science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM) professional societies to participate in a systemic change initiative called SEA (STEMM Equity Achievement) Change. The SEA Change initiative encompasses systemic change for institutions and departments; Physics and Astronomy professional societies have been the first to pilot departmental SEA Change programs (funded by a grant from the American Institute of Physics federation Venture Fund, www.aip.org). The focus of this part of the initiative is to engage in the development and testing of a self-assessment and action planning framework aimed at making diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) the norm within such organizations.

SEA Change provided an award of $10,000 to each organization to participate in the adaptation and piloting of the SEA Change self-assessment and action planning framework. The AAPT Board of Directors has made a $10,000 match to support completing the AAPT self-assessment. The selected organizations will:

  • have a representative on the project’s Advisory Committee
  • create a diverse self-assessment team
  • engage in the self-assessment and action planning processes,
  • and provide feedback on the process

Participating organizations will also have the opportunity to inform the development of training programs and wrap-around resources to support professional societies’ implementation of the self-assessment and action planning framework.

Members of the AAPT self-assessment team are: Juan Burciaga, Lin Ding, Bree Barnett Dreyfuss, Tiffany Hayes (Director of Programs & Conferences), Catherine Herne, Alexis Knaub (Chair, Committee on Diversity in Physics), Tony Musumba, Kelly Roos, Alma Robinson, Terrence Samm (Database Administrator), Phoebe Sharp, Gary White (Editor, The Physics Teacher), and Beth Cunningham (CEO). The AAPT self-assessment team was cultivated with consideration for various stakeholders within AAPT, and done in consultation with AAPT leadership including area committee chairs and staff. The self-assessment process is anticipated to be completed in early 2022.

About AAPT
AAPT is an international organization for physics educators, physicists, and industrial scientists—with members worldwide. Dedicated to enhancing the understanding and appreciation of physics through teaching, AAPT provides awards, publications, and programs that encourage practical application of physics principles, support continuing professional development, and reward excellence in physics education. AAPT was founded in 1930 and is headquartered in the American Center for Physics in College Park, Maryland.