The College of New Jersey Physics Department Earns Award from Physics & Astronomy SEA Change Program

College Park, MD, July 25, 2025—The College of New Jersey Physics Department has earned a Bronze Award from the Physics and Astronomy SEA Change Committee (P/A SEA Change) for its work to create a more inclusive, diverse, and supportive physics department.

“The College of New Jersey is thrilled to receive the Bronze Award from P/A SEA Change.  Our institution and our department are small, but I know we can use our action plan as a framework for effecting real change.” said AJ Richards, Associate Professor, Department of Physics,The College of New Jersey. "It is an exciting and worthwhile challenge to make TCNJ Physics a more welcoming place and to reduce barriers to accessing an outstanding education.  We hope to serve as a example for other Primarily Undergraduate Institutions for examining and enhancing access and inclusion in their own departments. ”

“The P/A SEA Change Committee is pleased to see the TCNJ Physics and Astronomy Department earn a Bronze Award. Their efforts to support adjunct faculty will not only support the faculty themselves but also the students in these learning space. As pointed out by the reviewers, this particular strand of the TCNJ action plan will likely support other physics and astronomy departments and have a positive impact on the discipline broadly. We look forward to continuing our work with this department and seeing how they continue the work of not only removing unnecessary barriers but also creating positive, supportive environments so that the ecosystem allows all to thrive,” said Alexis Knaub, Director of P/A SEA Change.

The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) SEA Change program aims to advance institutional transformation that supports success for all in STEMM — science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine — fields. To combat the long-term impact of bias, marginalization, and exclusion, SEA Change (short for STEMM Equity Achievement Change) supports institutions as they interrogate the policies, processes, culture, programs, and practices that promote or impede success for all. The program also provides recognition for institutions that undertake this effort.

The P/A SEA Change process is a non-trivial undertaking during which the participating department first undergoes a comprehensive self-assessment, critically examining its demographics, policies, procedures, culture, and climate. Next, the department creates a five-year action plan with measurable outcomes to address some of the structural and systemic challenges identified. A review panel evaluates the department’s self-assessment and action plan and provides feedback, and then the P/A SEA Change Committee decides whether to award the department a Bronze Award that is good for five years. Finally, P/A SEA Change continues to provide check-ins and guidance on the action plan as it is implemented across the next five years. 

Physics and Astronomy SEA Change

SEA Change empowers institutions to identify and address barriers that will enhance student and faculty retention, and foster resilience aligned with each institution's unique mission and goals. By joining SEA Change, colleges and universities access a community of peers, tailored self-assessment frameworks, and practical tools to support continuous improvement. P/A SEA change is a collaboration of professional physics and astronomy societies: American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT), American Astronomical Society (AAS), American Institute of Physics (AIP), American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM), American Physical Society (APS), AVS (Science and Technology of Materials, Interfaces, and Processing), National Society of Black Physicists (NSBP), National Society of Hispanic Physicists (NSHP), the Physics and Astronomy Division of the Council on Undergraduate Research, Optica, and the Society of Physics Students (SPS).

Contact: David Wolfe, Director of Communications, dwolfe@aapt.org
(301) 209-3322, https://www.aapt.org